This website is dedicated to addressing the unique needs of parents and caregivers of developmentally delayed individuals.
You’ve landed on Awesome Luck, a site born from frustration. After fighting for fair IHSS wages in my own county, I discovered there was no central service to provide the compiled information we all need. This site is my attempt to fill that void—a place where you can find the tools and contact information to turn your frustration into action.
- Find out what’s happening nationwide in caregiver news.
- Check out the blog for a wide variety of IHSS topics.
- Find links to helpful IHSS info.
The Broader Vision
Our work as IHSS caregivers is a vital service, saving taxpayers millions by keeping our most vulnerable community members at home and out of costly institutions. But this essential work is not valued. This website is a growing resource dedicated to changing that. We’re here to shine a light on the unfair policies, provide clear information on what’s happening at the county and state levels, and equip you with the tools you need to advocate for a system that truly supports its caregivers.
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The Illusion of Support
The Illusion of Support On paper, California’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program looks like one of the most compassionate programs in the country. It allows elderly and disabled residents to remain at home instead of being forced into institutions. It saves...
AB 283: The Statewide IHSS Wage Bill We Can’t Afford to Lose
Why Bill AB-283 Exists For more than two decades, IHSS wages have been decided county by county. That means workers in one county might make $22 an hour, while caregivers just one county over earn $16.50 for the exact same job. Meanwhile, housing, food, and gas costs...
PERB and IHSS: The Loophole Built to Protect Counties, Not Caregivers
PERB and IHSS: The Loophole Built to Protect Counties, Not Caregivers How a “Right to Bargain” Was Engineered to Shield County Budgets While Keeping Caregivers Underpaid The Illusion of Bargaining We’ve been told we have the “right to bargain.” Sounds good on paper,...
PERB and IHSS: why “bargaining” doesn’t guarantee a living wage
The board that governs our negotiations—but not our paychecks. You’re in negotiations with your county. You’ve laid out the rising costs of rent, food, gas, and medical bills. You’ve explained how impossible it is to keep caring for your client on wages that fall...
Founding of IHSS
Before IHSS Before the 1970s, people with disabilities and seniors who couldn’t care for themselves had very limited options. Most ended up in state hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutions—often far from family and at very high cost to taxpayers. Family...
IHSS Caregivers Speaking before the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors – 8-26-2025
posts for family caregivers
Founding of IHSS
Before IHSS Before the 1970s, people with disabilities and seniors who couldn’t care for themselves had very limited options. Most ended up in state hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutions—often far from family and at very high cost to taxpayers. Family...
Contact data for all California Counties
caregiver news
State IHSS News
- Home Caregivers Advocate for Fair Wages at Santa Barbara County Board Meeting - KEYT
- SEIU members ask supes for fair wages - The Vacaville Reporter
- Home Caregivers Advocate for Fair Wages at Santa Barbara County Board Meeting
- Direct File - Franchise Tax Board (FTB) (.gov)
- California State Loan Repayment Program FY 2024-2025 - California Grants Portal (.gov)
- County Medical Services Program (CMSP) Loan Repayment Program 2023 - California Grants Portal (.gov)
- California’s 2025–26 budget: A devastating assault on workers and immigrant families - World Socialist Web Site
ihss history
Before IHSS
Before the 1970s, people with disabilities and aging adults who couldn’t care for themselves had very limited options. Most ended up in state hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutions—often far from family and at very high cost to taxpayers. Family members providing care at home were largely unpaid, unsupported, and invisible in public policy.
In the mid-20th century, several forces started to shift this model. The Independent Living Movement of the 1960s–70s advocated for disabled people to live in their communities with dignity, not in institutions. The broader civil rights and disability rights movements pushed the government to provide equal access, autonomy, and financial support. And the creation of Medicaid in 1965 opened the door for states to fund community-based care as an alternative to institutional care.
Founding of IHSS
In 1973–1974, California launched In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) as a pilot program in select counties, originally administered under Aid to the Blind and Disabled (ABD). By 1979, IHSS expanded statewide, allowing low-income aging adults and disabled residents to hire caregivers—including family members—using state, county, and federal funds.
The core purpose of IHSS was (and remains) to prevent unnecessary institutionalization, save taxpayer money, and allow people to remain safely in their own homes…
helpful links
Unions for IHSS Caregivers
- SEIU Local 2015 – IHSS Caregiver Union
California’s largest long-term care worker union, representing over 400,000 caregivers.
- SEIU United Healthcare Workers West (UHW)
A major union of healthcare workers in California, advocating for quality care and fair wages.
Mandated Reporter Info
- CA Mandated Reporter Guidelines – CDSS APS
Official state guidelines on mandated reporting for adult protective services.
- IHSS Mandated Reporting PDF
A PDF overview of confidentiality and mandated reporting rules specific to IHSS caregivers.
Caregiver Wellbeing
- The Care Steward — about Burnout
Expert resources, trusted guides, and real human support to help families navigate care crises with clarity and confidence.
