The demand for healthcare workers is growing, but the supply of workers has not kept pace. California has responded to this worker shortage by funding the Caregiver Training Initiative (CTI), part of the Governor's Aging with Dignity Initiative. One focus of the initiative is on the labor market issues facing caregivers. In late 2000, California's Health and Human Services Agency and the Employment Development Department (EDD) solicited UCLA to conduct a labor market analysis of caregivers. The primary purpose of this labor market analysis is to develop a better understanding of the caregiver labor market and the dynamics associated with this market.

A policy brief providing an executive summary of a process analysis drawn from site visits to four focus counties (Alameda, Fresno, Kern and San Diego) that examines how the counties implemented sanctions under CalWORKs, including how the counties conveyed sanction policies to recipients, how well recipients understood sanctions, recipients’ experiences with sanction and compliance processes, and how counties attempted to prevent or “cure” sanctions.

Detailed research findings of a process analysis drawn from site visits to four focus counties (Alameda, Fresno, Kern and San Diego) that examines how the counties implemented sanctions under CalWORKs, including how the counties conveyed sanction policies to recipients, how well recipients understood sanctions, recipients’ experiences with sanction and compliance processes, and how counties attempted to prevent or “cure” sanctions.

The intent of the California Caregiver Training Initiative is to increase the number of health caregivers in the State of California. This initiative, which is part of the Governor's Aging with Dignity Initiative, has provided $25 million through competitive grants to twelve Regional Collaboratives statewide for an 18-21 month period from early 2001 through late 2002. The goals of the CTI project are to address urgent workforce shortages through innovative approaches for recruiting, training and retaining employees in the healthcare industry, and also to enhance in the earing potential of health caregivers. The primary participants in the program are Workforce Investment Act (WIA) clients and Welfare-To-Work (WtW) clients.