In December of 2022,  I suffered a major stroke. In the aftermath, I became acquainted with In-Home Support Services (IHSS) here in California. IHSS is supposed to be a lifeline – a service designed to help those like me by offering in-home assistance through competent "providers." Thankfully, today, I have a reliable provider who supports me in ways I can no longer manage on my own.

However, I am just one among hundreds of thousands of Californians who rely on this service. And like many others, I am bewildered by its glaring lack of accountability and its failure to implement sensible changes that would benefit both recipients like myself and providers. Don't believe me: see the reviews on Yelp: IHSS San Francisco Note how few reviews there are when this entity has been around for a half-century, and Yelp a quarter century. There are thousands of reviews contrarily for hospitals to magicians: IHSS in just San Francisco

Signed into law by Governor Ronald Reagan, IHSS has become a crucial element for countless individuals requiring assistance to maintain their independence. Yet, the system is mired in bureaucratic inefficiencies, leading to frustration and unmet needs. As the current governor wraps up his final term, we the undersigned petitioners appeal for decency, for those Californians who need the services of In-Home Support Services, which provides employees to aid the handicapped, and those who are too aged to properly care for themselves.

These are the immediate reforms we would make:

a. Rather than mailing clients pointless surveys as to the “recipient” experience of the service, IHSS has an annual review by randomly choosing a dozen IHSS clients from the state of California by lottery. When some recipients refuse to give feedback, the committee would keep going until they have a full dozen to give actual feedback, instead of feeding recipients answers in oddly phrased surveys that the administration wants to hear. The dozen clients would make sure to prepare for this annual meeting online, so as to keep it productive and manageable, and will be given a modest remuneration for their time.

b. Prior to becoming a provider, (with the exceptions of those providers who are live with or support family members), applicants must pass an existing literacy test (don't design a new one!)  that demonstrates if they can prepare a recipe, read warning labels on household cleaning products, a map to get to our homes, and tell time. People who have not met some IHSS workers will be quite shocked to learn that is quite beyond many of the abilities of those who sign up to help us.

c. By September 2026, begin to recruit students in social worker programs at junior colleges and state colleges California-wide, as students will get paid for getting a taste of their future work, and will give them more importantly, a dose of empathy. As it stands, a caseworker visits recipient homes approximately once every year or two  to assess our needs. It is important that skilled professionals observe providers working, so that a recipient is not put in a position of nagging providers for very standard household care, such as not leaving a wet rag on the floor before leaving. Preserving a clear boundary between the recipient and provider is an important and completely undone task by this agency.

d. That part of provider registration process for non-family members must include the following information, which they the providers are responsible for updating electronically online, or if they are computer illiterate, with administration help:

* days of the week available

* hours available

* explicit chart of duties they are willing to perform, from changing diapers, to bathing, food shopping, driving, and distributing pills

* references from two people for whom they have worked doing similar work, including names and phone numbers 


We urge the relevant state authorities to address these systemic flaws and commit to reforming IHSS for the betterment of all involved. Let us work towards a system that truly meets the needs of its users and upholds the dignity of both providers and recipients.



Please sign this petition to advocate for accountability and positive change within the IHSS in California. Together, we can push for the necessary reforms to create a more equitable and effective support system.