BUMP New York

Human service workers support children, people with disabilities, older adults, and families in crisis.

Bring Up Minimum Pay (BUMP) is an anti-poverty campaign fighting for a simple goal: pay a real living wage to the New Yorkers who care for us in our times of greatest need. Yet poverty wages paid by state contracts make it impossible to afford housing and basic necessities, drive high turnover and staff shortages and disrupt care families rely upon. We're advocating for New York State legislation

to raise the base pay of nonprofit human service workers to $29 per hour—the bar for true economic security in New York State. The change would lift 100,000 New Yorkers out of poverty and drive up to $23 billion in new economic activity across the state. With your support, the BUMP campaign will ensure the same New Yorkers who work so hard every day to help families struggling with poverty aren’t forced to live on poverty wages themselves.

08/04/2026

Earlier this month, Assemblymember Gabriella A. Romero collaborated with us in hosting a campaign listening session in Albany.

Nineteen leaders from nonprofit human services organizations, policy and advocacy groups, and government came together to discuss issues impacting the human services sector—including the need to raise wages for human service workers in Albany and throughout New York State.

Michelle Yanche, CEO of Good Shepherd Services, and Melanie Hartzog, President & CEO of The New York Foundling joined the discussion to make the case for why wages must be our priority to recruit and retain the dedicated professionals who provide essential care across New York.

Thank you to Assemblymember Gabriella A. Romero for partnering with us to bring this important conversation to Albany.

07/31/2026

Marco A. Carrión, President of Consortium for Worker Education speaks on the reality New York’s human service workers face in a new op-ed in City Limits: 88% of them earn less than $60K a year, the minimum needed just to cover the cost of living here.

In NYC alone, roughly 380,000 workers are caring for the people we love but cannot earn enough to live in the boroughs they serve.

These are the people who care for our aging parents, our neighbors with developmental disabilities, and some of our most vulnerable communities. Work that no robot, no AI, no algorithm can ever replace.

BUMP is fighting for a statewide $29/hour wage floor for these essential staff.

Read the full article at the link in bio

07/28/2026

Yesterday in The New York Times 📰

Born-and-raised New Yorker Everette Green has dedicated his career to serving fellow New Yorkers. For the past 15 years, he has worked as a direct-support professional, caring for people with developmental disabilities. He currently makes about $21 an hour, $40,000 a year.

In one of the most expensive cities on earth, with costs soaring and pay standing still, Everette, now 63, has worked tirelessly to pay off his mortgage and support and raise two kids. He shops every sale, clips every coupon, and saves where he can. And still has to ask himself how he’ll be able to retire.

“He is hoping that politicians will endorse a recent push to raise the hourly pay to $29 for nonprofit employees like him, who work directly with New Yorkers.”

is fighting for a that allows New York State’s care workers to live with dignity.

Read Everette’s profile at the link in bio.

07/13/2026

”I love working in this community.“

Anessa Williams, a Direct Support Professional working in Queens, is proud to serve New Yorkers with disabilities every day.

She shares why legislation to raise the would help strengthen the workforce so dedicated professionals can continue providing the care and support their communities rely on.

07/09/2026

New York’s human services workforce shows up for our neighbors in need, day in and day out.

As State Senator Leroy Comrie (Leroy Comrie) put it: “The people helping our most vulnerable neighbors deserve to be paid an adequate wage.”

Last month, at the opening of a new day habilitation program for adults with disabilities in Queens, Senator Comrie restated his support for the campaign. New York State needs to raise for human care workers — lifting this workforce out of poverty pay — and supporting the dedicated professionals who provide critical, often round-the-clock care to New Yorkers.

It’s time New York State paid these essential workers what they’re worth.

07/08/2026

“They should be compensated for the work they are actually doing.”

Athena who is assisting young mothers with daily living skills like food preparation, laundry and shopping spoke about the reality many human services workers face as young parents caring for their own families. Better compensation would not only help workers stay in these roles, but also strengthen the support systems families rely on most.

Our proposed BUMP state legislation (bills A9082 and S8337A) would help workers afford everyday essentials, reduce financial stress, and make it easier to continue doing this critical work long-term.

07/07/2026

“We want to make sure that the staff who carry out this work each and every day with love and compassion are adequately compensated.”

At the opening of a new day habilitation program for adults with developmental disabilities in Jamaica, Queens, President & CEO of The New York Foundling Melanie Hartzog underscored the importance of a fair wage for those who care for our neighbors and support our communities.

In New York, 88% of care workers cannot afford the basic costs of living. BUMP is working with New York State senators and assembly members to push for a $29 for state-funded care workers who work round-the-clock jobs to take care of older adults, people with disabilities, and children in crisis.

06/25/2026

Catina is a Youth Care Advocate in New York, supporting young mothers in foster care and their babies. She helps the young women navigate school, find work, and build the skills to create a stable, independent future for their family.

She has dedicated her career to helping these New Yorkers — in a state-funded sector that hasn’t seen meaningful wage growth in over 25 years. The result: workers are overstretched, staff are hard to hire and harder to keep, and families we need to rework this - are at risk of not continuing to receive the care they need? In this context of Catina and her work here, want to be careful we don’t frame this as she/we’re not providing the care families need.

BUMP is fighting for a $29 for New York’s state-contracted caregivers. It’s long past time to BUMP their wages.

06/04/2026

Catina (), a youth care advocate at a residence for teen and young mothers, spoke about how hard it can be for care workers to stay afloat when the cost of living keeps rising and wages stay the same.

Public sector service workers providing essential care to New Yorkers should not themselves have to struggle to afford basic expenses, like rent, food, and education.

Human service workers deserve better than poverty pay. Join our campaign to tell our New York legislators to Bring Up Minimum Pay.

06/02/2026

“We are fighting for higher wages for this amazing workforce and all the work that they do.”

Melanie Hartzog, President & CEO of , joined Assemblymember Karines Reyes () in the Bronx to highlight the urgent need for better pay for New York’s human services workers.

At this Foundling residence, care workers provide around-the-clock support to young mothers connected to the foster care system and young adults with developmental disabilities — yet over 80% of human service worker households with children in New York State still do not earn enough to meet the basic cost of living.

The campaign is fighting for $29/hour because care workers deserve fair pay for the essential, life-saving work they do.

Address

New York, NY

Website

https://bump-ny.com/

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