SPRINGFIELD — Members of the Senate Democratic Caucus, including State Senators Celina Villanueva and Graciela Guzmán as well as other Senate colleagues, stood alongside Service Employees International Union members to push for a dignified pay for home care workers in Illinois at a rally Tuesday.

“Direct service workers are on the front lines, ensuring that our most vulnerable are taken care of and are able to live an independent and dignified life,” stated Guzmán (D- Chicago). “A living wage is the bare minimum of what these workers need and deserve.”

They joined hundreds of home care workers rallying at the State Capitol to speak on the need to maintain a living wage for the home care workforce that provides essential personal assistance and health care support to thousands of seniors and people with disabilities across the state.

Illinois is home to more than 81,000 home care workers. By 2025, the population of people over 65 is projected to reach 2.5 million, stressing the need for adequate pay for home care workers to cover future demand.

This legislative session, Villanueva is championing Senate Bill 120, which would support a minimum wage of $20 for Community Care Program home care workers with a rate increase for in-home services.

“The safety of our seniors depends on the essential workers who care for them every day,” Villanueva (D-Chicago) said. “If we want to keep seniors in their homes living a dignified life, we must take action now to ensure home care workers receive a living wage.”

Villanueva will advocate for funding for the rate increase through budget negotiations over the coming weeks.