Cooperative Home Care Associates (CHCA)

The Bronx-based, worker-owned Cooperative Home Care Associates (CHCA) started in 1985 with 12 home health care providers, dedicated to a quality care through quality jobs mission. Today, the agency employs more than 2,050 staff, nearly all Latina and African-American women, and stands as the largest worker cooperative in the United States. By improving home care jobs, CHCA transforms challenges faced by unemployed women into sustainable opportunities for economic independence – and improves care for thousands of low-income city residents.In the lasting recession, the Bronx continues to see unemployment rates near 14 percent, with the core neighborhoods that the agency serves seeing unemployment significantly higher. With its affiliate PHI, CHCA responds to these challenges by providing free training and guaranteed, high-quality employment for hundreds of women each year.Recognizing that many participants face significant, compound barriers to employment, CHCA’s workforce development program provides comprehensive home health training with guaranteed jobs for graduates, targeted mentoring, and a range of supports to help individuals effectively address both professional and personal challenges as they transition to work.