Georgia lawmakers are moving closer to reshaping how the state treats family caregivers, approving a set of recommendations aimed at easing financial strain and workforce stress. The proposals come as more than a million residents quietly shoulder unpaid care for aging loved ones.
Caregiving has long lived in the background of public policy. That may be changing.
A committee shaped by months of lived experience
The Georgia Senate Study Committee on Improving Family Caregiver Services was formed during the 2025 legislative session, with a narrow mission and a wide listening posture.
Over five months, the panel heard testimony from more than 30 groups. Those included health providers, advocacy organizations, employers, veterans groups, and families themselves. Many spoke plainly, sometimes emotionally, about juggling jobs, bills, and round-the-clock care.
One meeting featured a mother caring for an adult son with disabilities. Another brought in a daughter who left the workforce to care for a parent with Alzheimer’s. Different stories, same pressure.
The committee’s chair, Harold Jones II, said the volume and consistency of the testimony left little doubt.
Caregiving, he said, cannot stay on the sidelines.
Caregiving moves from side issue to policy priority
Jones was direct in framing the stakes.
“Caregiving can no longer be treated as an afterthought,” he told the committee. “It is central to the well-being of our seniors, workforce, and communities.”
That framing matters.
Georgia’s senior population is growing fast, mirroring national trends. As people live longer, families step in where professional care is costly or unavailable. The work is unpaid, often invisible, and emotionally heavy.
Many caregivers reduce hours or quit jobs altogether. Others drain savings. Some do both.
The panel’s work reflects a shift in tone at the Capitol. Caregiving is being discussed less as a private family issue and more as an economic and labor concern that ripples across the state.
One sentence came up again and again during hearings: if caregivers collapse, systems follow.
What the panel actually recommends
The committee approved a slate of proposals meant to relieve pressure without rewriting Georgia law from scratch. The ideas range from modest expansions to targeted pilot programs.
Here’s what rose to the top:
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Expanding eligibility under Georgia’s Paid Parental Leave Program and the Georgia Family Care Act to include more family relationships
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Broadening the Georgia Family Care Act’s existing 5-Day Rule while keeping other requirements intact
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Creating a pilot program for caregivers age 65 and older who care for people with dementia
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Exploring infrastructure grants to expand childcare facilities statewide
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Directing the Division of Aging Services to study barriers faced by African American and other minority caregivers
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Improving coordination between aging services and veterans services to reduce bureaucratic confusion
Each item came out of repeated testimony. None appeared by accident.
One lawmaker described the list as “practical, not flashy,” which drew a few nods around the room.
Why money and jobs keep coming up
Caregiving is emotional work, but the committee kept circling back to dollars and labor.
Families reported losing income. Employers described turnover. Agencies warned of shortages in paid caregiving roles. The threads connect.
Jones said the goal is twofold: reduce financial stress on families and strengthen the caregiving workforce at the same time.
“Our goal is to help offset the financial burdens families face while supporting the creation of more jobs in the field,” he said. “Caring for loved ones should not mean sacrificing financial stability.”
That sentence landed hard.
The committee stopped short of attaching price tags, but several members acknowledged that inaction also carries costs. Lost productivity. Higher Medicaid spending. Burnout that pushes people into crisis care.
Basically, the bill shows up either way.
A closer look at who caregiving affects
Caregiving does not hit all communities the same way.
Testimony highlighted how African American caregivers, rural families, and veterans’ households often face extra hurdles. Transportation gaps. Limited access to respite care. Paperwork that feels endless.
One recommendation directs the Division of Aging Services to study these barriers more closely. It’s a small step, but members argued it’s overdue.
The committee also flagged the overlap between aging services and veterans services. Families described being bounced between agencies, repeating forms, and missing benefits they technically qualified for.
One sentence summed it up during a hearing: “People give up before help arrives.”
How the recommendations could shape future law
The committee itself cannot pass laws. Its influence lies in what comes next.
The recommendations are expected to guide bills introduced during upcoming legislative sessions and inform agency-level changes. Some ideas may move quickly. Others could stall. That’s the nature of the process.
Still, advocates see momentum.
A policy analyst who testified told reporters the package shows lawmakers are finally seeing caregivers as part of the state’s economic backbone, not a footnote.
That shift, even without immediate funding, changes the conversation.
The quiet workforce Georgia depends on
More than 1 million Georgians provide unpaid care to family members, according to estimates cited during committee hearings. That’s a workforce larger than many industries, operating without paychecks or job titles.
They manage medications. Drive to appointments. Cook, clean, calm fears, and hold hands in hospital rooms. Often at night. Often alone.
The committee’s work doesn’t solve everything. No one claimed it would.
But it does something else. It says, out loud, that caregiving counts.
