House Committee Releases FY26 Funding Bill, NAC Urges Support for Senate’s Stronger Family Caregiver Investments

The House Committee on Appropriations released its Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies funding bill today. While the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) appreciates modest increases in targeted programs, we are disappointed by the $10 million overall decrease in Administration for Community Living funding at a time when 10,000 Americans turn 65 every single day—creating unprecedented pressure on America’s 63+ million family caregivers.

“Family caregivers are experiencing greater demands than ever before, yet the House bill fails to match the Senate’s recognition of this growing crisis,” stated Jason Resendez, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving. “While we’re grateful for the leadership of policymakers and fierce advocacy from advocates that helped prevent deep cuts to these programs, level funding for the National Family Caregiver Support Program and Lifespan Respite Care still ignores the reality that our caregiver population has grown by nearly 50% since 2015. We urge policymakers to adopt the Senate’s proposed $209 million for NFCSP and $11 million for Lifespan Respite when these bills go to conference.”

Family caregivers are the foundation of our families when loved ones need care, providing an estimated $600 billion in care annually. These investments in family caregiver programs save the federal government billions by keeping loved ones out of expensive institutional care settings. Supporting caregivers through evidence-based programs is not just the right thing to do—it’s a sound investment in the health and economic security of our country.

NAC thanks the House Appropriations Committee for maintaining funding for critical programs and for modest increases, including those for the Native American Caregiver Support Program and Home and Community-Based Services. However, we strongly urge House and Senate conferees to adopt the Senate’s higher funding levels for caregiver support programs in the final appropriations bill. Together, we must ensure that no family faces the caregiving journey alone and that our nation’s care infrastructure meets the challenges of our aging population.