Protecting Wisconsin’s Most
Cost-Effective Care
for Wisconsin’s Most Vulnerable
What is Family Care and Why is Legislative Awareness Needed?
Wisconsin’s Family Care Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) include adult family homes, community-based residential facilities and day services. Together, these services provide cost-effective care for seniors and people with disabilities while preventing unnecessary reliance on higher-cost institutional care.
Family Care is a foundational part of Wisconsin’s long-term care system, but it is under increasing strain. Rising operating costs, workforce shortages and service denials are reducing provider capacity and limiting access for families across the state. Without stable funding, these pressures quickly shift to families, employers and the state budget.
What are Wisconsin’s Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)?
Adult Family Homes and Community-Based Residential Facilities: A residence where one to four adults who are not related to the operator live together. They receive care, treatment or services beyond basic room and board. Each resident may receive up to seven hours of nursing care per week.
Day Services: Programs offered outside a living residence for seniors and people with disabilities that provide structured activities to enhance socialization, self-help and adaptive skills, and foster independence and community engagement.
Family Care by the Numbers
Family Care by the Numbers
Why Family Care Funding Matters
When Family Care is adequately funded, family caregivers can remain in the workforce, institutional placements are delayed or avoided, and public dollars are used more efficiently.
When Family Care is underfunded:
- Families are left with no viable care options
- Family members are forced to reduce work hours or leave the workforce
- Employers lose experienced and reliable workers
- Household incomes decline and financial stress increases
- Providers reduce services or close programs
- Waitlists grow and access declines
- Overall Medicaid spending increases
- Individuals are moved into higher-cost institutional care
Who We Are: Family Care Coalition of Northeast Wisconsin
Recognizing the need to strengthen Home and Community-Based Services, regional providers formed the Family Care Coalition of Northeast Wisconsin. The group works collaboratively with one another, their clients, state legislators and the Department of Health Services to elevate the real-world impact of funding decisions on senior adults, people with disabilities, families and the workforce.
Together, the group works to:
- Share real-world data from families, caregivers, and providers
- Elevate the workforce and economic impact of funding decisions
- Collaborate with state legislators and the Department of Health Services
- Advocate for solutions that stabilize services and protect families
Our Collaborative Success
In July 2025, the group’s advocacy helped secure legislative funding for the $15.75 minimum fee for 24-hour care providers, strengthening Family Care through a $212 million biennial investment. This was a critical step forward, but additional action is needed.
News and Resources
We evaluate Family Care policies, funding, and system impacts using real world data from providers, families, and communities across Wisconsin.
How Legislators Can Help
Legislators play a critical role in protecting families, the workforce and Wisconsin’s long-term care system. State policymakers can help by:
- Learning more about how many people are affected in your district
- Supporting stable and sustainable funding for Family Care
- Preventing service denials that force families out of the workforce
- Recognizing HCBS as essential community infrastructure
- Considering workforce and economic impacts when making funding decisions
- Using district-level data to understand how many constituents rely on these services to remain employed
Your commitment to Home and Community-Based Services for senior adults and people with disabilities makes a lasting impact. Because of you, thousands of Wisconsinites can live with dignity, choice and independence.
