Page 36

35

nurse’s aide, nurse assistant, pharmacy technician, and phlebotomy technician, but this could also include food services that may lead to employment in a care facility. Once the individual receives their accreditation, the provider is given a bonus payment for a successful credentialing. In addition, the KEYS program supports individuals as they work to obtain post-secondary degrees in many fields, among them are individuals working towards LPN, registered nurse (RN), and other practical and administrative medical degree programs. A review of demographic data shows that the number of Pennsylvanians aged 65 and older is rapidly increasing. This trend is projected to continue. In response to the anticipated need for trained workers to assist in providing quality service to this population, Pennsylvania is considering plans to best determine how to assist individuals to train for, seek, and maintain employment providing direct care in a long- term care facility or in other occupations related to elder care. Our system relies heavily on family caregivers who provide unpaid care to their loved ones in the home. As of April 20, 2017, more than 1.6 million family caregivers across Pennsylvania became eligible to receive critical assistance to help older loved ones remain at home with the implementation of the state's Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE) Act. The CARE Act helps family caregivers when their loved ones go into the hospital and as they transition home by providing caregiver training. In addition, TANF individuals who care for a disabled/elderly family member in their home may be eligible to receive payment as a caregiver through Long Term Care home waiver programs, in the same vein as the CARE Act, knows that elder family members are sometimes best served and cared for in the home by loving relatives. Finally, Pennsylvania has united efforts across Departments and Offices to create the HealthCare Committee PA Workforce Development Board, which is a statewide effort to specifically address the shortage of healthcare workers in the Commonwealth. (m) Provide for all MOE-funded services the following information: the name of the program benefit or service, and the financial eligibility criteria that families must meet in order to receive that benefit or service. In addition, for TANF MOE- funded services (co-mingled or segregated MOE) describe the program benefit provided to eligible families (SSP services do not have to include a description but the Department of Health and Human Services encourages it) (§263.2(b)(3) & §263.2(c) preamble pages 17826-7) Pennsylvania provides the following MOE-funded services: Child Care Provided to Employed Families This initiative is funded with commingled funds. Effective July 2000, this initiative provides subsidized child care benefits to eligible employed families who need child care to participate in unsubsidized employment, subsidized employment and/or education/training activities.