Evidence snapshot covering wages vs. cost of living, wage-bargaining history, Public Authority/County performance signals, available training (for completeness), and primary sources.

Wages vs. Cost of Living

• IHSS provider wage (current): $18.85/hr (as of Jan 1, 2025).
• Living wage (single adult, no children): $32.16/hr (MIT).
• Gap: −$13.31/hr (IHSS ≈ 58.6% of living wage).

County History of Fair Bartering for Wages

• Union representation: SEIU Local 2015 represents Santa Cruz IHSS providers.
• 2022–2025 MOU: Wage steps established to $18.85/hr in 2025; aligned closely to state minimum schedule.
• 2025 bargaining climate: Ongoing advocacy by SEIU 2015 for >$20/hr floor in high-cost counties like Santa Cruz.

Public Authority & County Support (Performance Signals)

• Provider onboarding: In-person orientation with required forms and fingerprinting; union presentation included.
• Registry: PA manages provider registry/referrals; application and vetting required.
• Advisory governance: IHSS Advisory Commission active; posts agendas/minutes; vacancies listed on county portal.
• Payroll systems: ESP and EVV required; PA links to CDSS training/help center.
• Public KPIs: No county-published timeliness metrics; state standards used.

Available Training (for completeness)

• Local: Orientation and provider registry resources; no recurring public calendar found.
• State: CDSS EVV webinars and ESP resources.

Sources & Links

• Current wage:
  IHSS Law 2025 wage list;
  IHSS Advocate;
  official hub: CDSS wage hub.
• Living wage:
  MIT Living Wage — Santa Cruz County (updated Feb 10, 2025).
• Bargaining history:
  SEIU 2015 MOU & campaign updates for Santa Cruz.
• PA operations:
  Santa Cruz County PA site;
  IHSS Advisory Commission.
• State training:
  CDSS EVV &
  IHSS provider resources.