SEIU 775 and Caregiver Training Requirements in Washington State

You just got approved to be your parent's paid Individual Provider through CDWA. Now you're staring at a stack of training requirements, union enrollment forms, and deadlines you didn't know existed — and your parent needs care right now, not in four months.

Washington's paid caregiving system is one of the most structured in the country. Every Individual Provider (IP) is a W-2 employee of Consumer Direct Care Network Washington (CDWA), represented by SEIU 775, and subject to training timelines that vary based on your relationship to the person you're caring for. Missing a deadline means CDWA puts you on administrative hold — no logged hours, no paycheck.

Here's exactly what's required, what you earn, and how to stay compliant.

Training Hours: 30 vs. 70 Hours

The biggest variable is whether you're an adult child caring for a parent or a non-relative hired as a standard provider.

Adult child providers (biological, step, or adoptive children caring for a parent) complete:

• 5 hours of Orientation and Safety training before providing any paid care
• 30 hours of basic training within 120 days of starting
• No Home Care Aide (HCA) credential exam required
• 12 hours of continuing education annually, starting the next calendar year

Standard providers (non-relatives or friends hired after January 6, 2012) complete:

• 5 hours of Orientation and Safety training before working
• 70 hours of basic training within 120 days of hire
• Must pass the Prometric knowledge and skills exam within 200 days
• 12 hours of continuing education annually

Limited service providers (20 hours or fewer per month) need 30 hours of basic training within 120 days and are exempt from the HCA credential and ongoing continuing education.

The 5-hour Orientation and Safety training must be completed before you log a single paid hour. CDWA will not process timesheets without it.

SEIU 775 Wages and Benefits

All Individual Providers are covered by the SEIU 775 collective bargaining agreement, which sets wages based on cumulative experience and certifications.

Starting wages range from $23.54 to $27.28 per hour depending on your experience tier and any specialized certifications. Beyond the hourly rate, IPs receive:

• Health benefits through the SEIU 775 Benefits Group (medical, dental, vision) after meeting hour thresholds
• Paid time off accumulating at 1 hour for every 23 hours worked
• Union representation for workplace disputes, training compliance issues, and pay discrepancies
• Training access through the SEIU 775 Benefits Group's online portal for continuing education credits

Union dues are automatically deducted from your paycheck. The investment gives you access to benefits that most family caregivers in other states never receive — Washington is one of the few states where caring for your own parent comes with employer-sponsored health insurance.

Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) and Timesheets

Every care hour must be tracked through the CareAttend Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) system. This isn't optional — it's a federal audit requirement under the 21st Century Cures Act.

CareAttend records your clock-in and clock-out times, GPS location at the care recipient's home, and the type of care provided during each visit. CDWA processes payroll based on these electronic records, not paper timesheets.

Common EVV issues that delay payment:

• Forgetting to clock in before starting care (manual corrections require supervisor approval)
• GPS discrepancies when providing care outside the registered home address
• Logging hours that exceed your authorized care plan (CDWA flags overages for case manager review)

What Happens If You Miss Training Deadlines

CDWA is required to place any IP who falls behind on training into administrative hold. During a hold, you cannot log hours through CareAttend and CDWA will not process your paycheck. The care doesn't stop — your parent still needs help — but you provide it unpaid until the deficiency is resolved.

To avoid this: mark your 120-day deadline on a calendar the day you start, and front-load your training hours. The SEIU 775 Benefits Group offers online modules that count toward your basic training requirement, making it possible to complete most hours from home while still providing care.

Getting Started

If you haven't yet enrolled as an Individual Provider, the process starts with your parent's DSHS case manager authorizing paid care hours through the CARE assessment, followed by CDWA enrollment (background check, I-9, and SEIU 775 registration). The full enrollment and paid-caregiving pathway — from CARE assessment through first paycheck — is mapped step by step in the Washington Home Care Guide.

See more Washington guides →