New State Caregiving Program Needs More Dollars, Say Advocates

Category:

CARING ACROSS GENERATIONS RENEWS CAMPAIGN TO ENSURE FUNDING FOR POPULAR KUPUNA CAREGIVERS PROGRAM

HONOLULU, HAWAIʻI (January 23, 2018) — Yesterday, during Governor Ige’s State of the State address, the governor singled out the Kupuna Caregivers Program as a highlight from last year. Addressing both chambers of the legislature, he said, “I am proud that together we were able to pass Kupuna Caregiver legislation that provides assistance for full-time family caregivers who also have full-time jobs. This is a win for Hawaiʻi’s families.”

As the 2018 state legislative session begins, Caring Across Generations is announcing its support for Senate Bill 2587 and House Bill 1912, which will increase funding for the Kupuna Caregivers program. In 2017, the legislature approved the Kupuna Caregivers program and Governor Ige signed the bill into law, creating a first-in-the-nation approach to providing resources to support working family caregivers. With the program now set up and ready to go, additional resources are required to deliver support and services to families who qualify, and Caring Across Generations is helping to lead the effort to ensure that Kupuna Caregivers is funded to meet the needs of caregiving families.

“We’ve seen overwhelming support for Kupuna Caregivers as an idea, and overwhelming demand for the program since the public launch in December,” said Pedro Haro, Hawaii Advocacy Director for Caring Across Generations. “We are grateful for all the legislators who worked to make this program a reality. The legislature must now invest in this program as a key component of Hawaii’s care infrastructure and pass Senate Bill 2587 and House Bill 1912 to take the next step with this groundbreaking program.”

Caring Across Generations will continue working alongside community and advocacy partners throughout the legislative session to support the Kupuna Caregivers program.