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The California Governor’s Office announced that the CalGrows workforce training and development program is now open for registration, offering hundreds of FREE courses to caregivers working with older adults and people with disabilities. The Arc of California was one of dozens of organizations across the state awarded the CalGrows Innovation Fund grant to develop trainings and provide resources to support aging family caregivers of adults with developmental disabilities.
“We are thrilled to provide critically needed resources and training for family caregivers of adults with developmental disabilities, especially as they navigate the complexities of caregiving while aging themselves,” said Jordan Lindsey, Executive Director, The Arc of California. “Additionally, and most importantly, we will be offering aging family caregivers peer-to-peer connection and a strong sense of community locally and across the state of California.”
To address California’s health care workforce shortage, the California Department of Aging (CDA) awarded more than 78 diverse organizations CalGrows Innovation Fund grants totaling $89 million. The innovation program will further the state’s commitment to growing a resilient caregiver workforce.
“CalGrows training courses empower caregivers across California to learn valuable skills to improve the lives of those in their care and help further their careers,” said Susan DeMarois, Director of the California Department of Aging. “As California’s population ages, we’ll need hundreds of thousands more direct care workers. The CalGrows program is an important milestone toward ensuring the state has the home care aides, care managers, dementia care specialists, activities coordinators, and other important roles necessary to support our aging population.”
Grantees include non-profit organizations, universities and training providers, and for-profit organizations that will virtual and in-person courses in multiple languages for caregivers in all 58 California counties. Courses cover a range of topics, including Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia, Cultural Diversity, Food Safety, Infection Control, and more.
These no-cost trainings are available to paid direct care workers, Home and Community-Based Services caregivers, and unpaid family and friend caregivers. Caregivers in the paid direct care workforce are also eligible for up to $6,000 in financial incentives and career pathway development benefits.
For more information, visit CalGrows.org.