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): $17.30/hr.
• Living wage (MIT, 1 adult / 0 kids): $22.67/hr (dataset last updated Feb 10, 2025).
• Gap: −$5.37/hr (IHSS ≈ 76.3% of living wage)

County History of Fair Bartering for Wages

• Union representation: United Domestic Workers of America (UDW/AFSCME Local 3930) represents Kern IHSS providers.
• MOU status (historical): County record in 2018 notes the operative agreement dated Mar 31, 2015–Jun 30, 2017 remained in force while negotiations continued.
• Factfinding (Aug 2023): County proposed keeping providers at minimum wage for the contract term; union proposed +$0.60/hr wage supplement plus +$0.20/hr for vision/dental. The neutral recommended a supplement in the $0.40–$0.60 range.
• Extended bargaining: Union communications in 2024 referenced seven years without a contract in Kern.
• Policy stance: Kern BOS publicly opposed AB 283 (statewide IHSS bargaining framework) in 2025.

Public Authority & County Support (Performance Signals)

• Program structure: PA housed in Aging & Adult Services; Employer of Record functions include registry, referrals, background checks, and training resources.
• Scale: ≈4,300 providers serving >4,800 consumers in Kern (program size context).
• Enrollment & payroll support: “Supported Individual Provider (SIP)” unit processes new-provider paperwork and answers pay/hours questions.
• Advisory Committee: Meets the 3rd Thursday of alternating months at 1:30 p.m. (AB 1682 committee; agendas/minutes via county site).
• Public KPIs: No county-posted metrics found for application→enrollment timeliness, call-answer time, or payroll on-time rates.

Available Training (for completeness)

• PA training resources: County page links caregiver technique PDFs/videos (transfer techniques, CPR/First Aid videos, dementia care, safety, etc.). No standing calendar of live classes posted.

Sources & Links

• Current wage:
  IHSS Advocate — 2025 county wages;
  IHSS Law — 2025 wages;
  official hub: CDSS County IHSS Wage Rates.
• Living wage:
  MIT Living Wage — Kern County (updated Feb 10, 2025).
• Union representation & PA functions:
  Kern County IHSS Public Authority page.
• Factfinding (Aug 23, 2023):
  PERB Factfinding Report FR0837 (Kern County PA vs. UDW) — positions & recommendation.
• MOU status note (2018):
  Kern 2018 PA rates memo (PDF) noting 2015–2017 MOU still operative pending negotiations.
• Advisory Committee schedule:
  County IHSS Advisory Committee (AB 1682) page.
• Policy context:
  AB 283 (2025) — Senate Judiciary analysis (Kern BOS opposition noted).