The Vivid Life Home Care Cooperatives are a worker-owned home care initiative in California designed to meet the state’s growing demand for quality in-home care while creating stable, dignified jobs. The program benefits caregivers (mostly workers facing low wages and poor working conditions) by offering training, cooperative ownership opportunities, and the chance to build an inclusive industry that uplifts both workers and the seniors they care for.
As a founding partner, DAWI supported the planning, systems development, and quality standards for Vivid Life, helping set up a model of home care that centers workers as owners. The Home Care Academy ran for 12 weeks, bringing together 52 worker-owners that went through 10 educational modules plus vocational training.
The Program concluded with an in-person graduation on August 23, where participants received their certifications.Participants came from partner organizations such as The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, United Domestic Workers Union, and Pilipino Workers Center which are incubating the first three new Vivid Life cooperatives, alongside COURAGE, an existing cooperative transitioning into the Vivid Life model. Each worker-owner received stipends for their participation in the academy. Four Operations Coordinator were hired for this project and are members of each local entity, ensuring strong operational support and direct connection to the worker-owners.
Yadira Fragoso, DAWI’s Rapid Response Cooperative Business Developer, described it as a very satisfying experience that strengthened connections across organizations.
Behind the training, project partners completed crucial infrastructure to ensure the co-ops’ success, including the core curriculum, an operations manual, a license and service agreements, and a marketing and outreach plan.In order to scale the Vivid Life project we’re planning to create multiple local Vivid Life co-ops, expand into three new metro areas, and establish a central/secondary cooperative entity to coordinate and support the local co-ops.