No. 101October 17, 2026
Idaho has a shortage of direct care workers
Families told the Idaho Statesman that, in the year since paid family care ended, they have struggled to pay for housing and bills.
1 development · 2 cited sources
The question
Can Idaho restore paid family care while families struggle to find outside caregivers?
Background
Idaho ended Family Personal Care Services in July 2025 after the Department of Health and Welfare said it had found fraud and abuse and lacked the staff and financial resources to administer it.
The read
The immediate care problem is filling the hours once covered by family members. Parents say they are struggling to find outside caregivers, and a 2022 report found that Idaho had long faced a shortage of direct care workers. That search also shapes the case for restoring payment. Some families have found relatives to help but cannot fill all approved hours, leaving lawmakers to weigh a restored option alongside the availability of outside care.
What happens next
Will Idaho lawmakers hold a hearing on Rep. Ilana Rubel’s bill to restore paid family care before the next legislative session?
What could change this read
This read would change with data on how many people using Family Personal Care Services when it ended had Medicaid-paid direct care workers and how many approved hours outside caregivers filled.
Developments in this issue
Reference paths
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