California GROWs – CDA’s Direct Care Workforce Initiative

The California GROWs (CalGrows) initiative was CDA’s Direct Care Workforce Training and Stipends Program that incentivized, supported, and funded career pathways for the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) workforce (non-IHSS). CalGrows sought to provide the foundation for many positive outcomes in HCBS, including increased skills, satisfaction, retention, and career development opportunities for direct care workers. CalGrows included a multi-pronged approach to improving the skills and retention of the direct care workforce sector.

• The CalGrows program leveraged the IHSS Career Pathways Program, enabling CalGrows program participants access to the curriculum offered through the IHSS training pathways, including participation stipends.
• The CalGrows Innovation Fund provided grants to fund novel approaches to training and retention. 76 organizations received funding to meet the specialized and culturally competent needs of California’s home and community-based Direct Care Workforce. The Innovation Fund totaled approximately $89 million.

The target population included non-IHSS direct care workers who provide direct support to Medi-Cal recipients in the home and community, including home care aides, unlicensed social workers, personal care assistants, activities coordinators, care coordinators, community health workers, and transportation providers.

The CalGrows program ended September 30, 2024.

• Direct Care Worker Survey and Focus Group Report
• Stakeholder Interview Synthesis
• Promising Practices Scan

California has seen remarkable outcomes made possible by the CalGrows incentive program:

• Over 33,000 total learners participated in the training
• Over $35.9 million of paid incentives and stipends
• Over 210,000 courses completed
• More than 750 trainings offered

Watch this special video featuring testimonies from direct care workers positively impacted by CalGrows. Their stories bring to life the real-world difference this program has made.

Though the CalGrows incentive program has come to an end, the desire to support direct care workers and those they serve continues.

CDA is establishing an online learning platform, which will include many CalGrows courses. This is projected to complete in the Summer of 2025. Until then, some of the CalGrows on-demand training content will remain accessible through the CDA CalGrows Course page for caregivers to improve knowledge, occupational skills, and confidence in their caregiving services.

• Tax Form: Our service administrator PCG will be sending 1099 tax forms for CalGrows incentive payments distributed in 2024 from the CalGrows Beam portal. These are scheduled to be mailed out no later than 1/31/25 to your address on file as of 12/20/24. An email communication will be sent once the paper copies are distributed. The senders email is to be determined as either PCG or Yearli. The email will also include an option to create an account and download the document.
• Final Determinations: The system is now closed, and all applications are determinations are final.
• Help-Line: Please also note the help@calgrows.org and 855-916-4091 help lines have been decommissioned and are no longer active. For any questions, you can reach out to the California Department of Aging through cagrows@aging.ca.gov.
• Future Programs: Unfortunately, we do not have any current plans for incentive-based trainings in the near future. However, the California Department of Aging and training partners would like to support caregivers and continue offering some free, unpaid courses. These courses and potential future opportunities will be posted in the section above "Free Unpaid Course Trainings" and through this link: https://www.aging.ca.gov/Providers_and_Partners/Cal_Grows/Courses/. You can stay up to date on programs and services offered by the CDA by visiting our website https://www.aging.ca.gov/ as well as subscribing to our quarterly newsletter (click here to subscribe).

For questions, please contact cagrows@aging.ca.gov.

For future opportunities to partner with CDA, please visit Grant Opportunities.