On October 24, the Government Affairs Office (GAO), our advocates, and our legislative honorees reflected on a year of legislative victories while looking ahead to the challenges that still lie ahead. The night’s honorees included Assemblyman Anthony Bucco, Assemblyman Daniel Benson, and Assemblywoman Carol Murphy. Each legislator, and all in attendance, were touched by the words of Christina Cerza, mother to a BAYADA client, and her story detailing how excellent, reliable, and compassionate home care has changed their lives. In turn, each legislator spoke of the importance of home care and of the vital role our advocacy efforts play in the legislative process.
Also honored was our very own Chairman, founder, and biggest advocate Mark Baiada. Chief Government Affairs Officer David Totaro spoke of Mark’s pioneering work to advance home care and to persistently advocate for disabled children and adults who need a voice.
Our speakers, honorees, and nearly 100 guests celebrated the successful increase of NJ’s fee-for-service rate for personal care assistants to $19 an hour, and an increase to $16 an hour for managed care companies. We also celebrated the successful passage of the groundbreaking Parking Accessibility Bill (sponsored by honoree Assemblywoman Carol Murphy), which ensures home care agencies can accept cases and care for residents without the burden of parking tickets and towing fees. In celebrating these two legislative victories, we acknowledged and honored the commitment to advocacy of our employees, clients, and families.
After a heartfelt evening that reminded everyone of our purpose and why we love what we do, we look forward to another year of action and advocacy at BAYADA. Being an advocate takes many forms. Whether you attend a district office meeting, become a Hearts for Home Care Ambassador, call your legislator, take action on a legislative alert, or join our Political Action Committee (PAC), you are making a meaningful difference in the lives of our clients and BAYADA caregivers.
If you would like to get more involved in New Jersey’s advocacy program, sign up to become a Heart for Home Care Advocate. If you would like to get more involved in New Jersey’s advocacy program and learn more about our PAC, reach out to us at [email protected].
