Paid Family Caregiver Program
A paid family caregiver program is any arrangement that pays a relative or friend for care they are already giving. Most run through state Medicaid, so what is available, and whether a spouse or parent can be the one paid, depends entirely on the state.
Reviewed by Valerie VanBooven, RN, BSN
What's Included
- Help working out which programs a state actually offers
- Guidance on the eligibility assessment and what it covers
- Enrollment paperwork and the employer-of-record arrangements
- Background checks, training, and any credential the state requires
- Payroll, timesheets, and the record-keeping that goes with them
- Support and backup for the family member doing the caring
- Professional caregivers to cover what a relative cannot
Who It's For
Families where someone has already cut back on work, or stopped altogether, to care for a relative, and who want to know whether that care can be paid for rather than absorbed.
Understanding Paid Family Caregiver Program
Most people find out these programs exist long after they would have been useful. The common case is an adult child or a relative who has been providing daily care unpaid for months, and only then learns their state has a route to paying for some of it.
Almost all of it runs through Medicaid, which is why the answer is state by state rather than national. Some states pay relatives through self-directed Medicaid services, others through a waiver, others not at all. Whether a spouse or the parent of a minor child can be the paid caregiver also varies, and those two are the most commonly excluded.
There are non-Medicaid routes worth checking alongside it. Some veterans' programs support a family caregiver, some long-term care insurance policies allow a relative to be paid, and a private family arrangement with a written care agreement is an option where no program applies.
Being related does not remove the requirements. A paid family caregiver is generally still a caregiver in the eyes of the program, which can mean a background check, training, timesheets, and an employer of record. Agencies that support these arrangements exist largely to carry that administrative load.
The place to start is what your own state offers. Our state-by-state guide to paying for home care sets out the programs in each one, including whether a family caregiver can be paid and what the restrictions are.
Program rules change, and the detail is where eligibility is won or lost. Confirm anything decision-critical with the state agency that runs the program.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is paid family caregiver program?
A paid family caregiver program is any arrangement that pays a relative or friend for care they are already giving. Most run through state Medicaid, so what is available, and whether a spouse or parent can be the one paid, depends entirely on the state.
Who is paid family caregiver program for?
Families where someone has already cut back on work, or stopped altogether, to care for a relative, and who want to know whether that care can be paid for rather than absorbed.
Other Services
How to Get Paid Family Caregiver Program
Enter a city and state below to find home care providers in the Care Across America directory who serve that area. Contact them directly to ask whether they offer paid family caregiver program and to get pricing for your situation.