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Two taps to the guide for where you live — not a questionnaire.
Getting paid to care for a family member in the USA
There is no single national program for this. Every state runs it differently — the program might be called Structured Family Caregiving, a Consumer Directed Option, or something else entirely, and rules on things like whether a spouse can be paid vary significantly from one state to the next.
Find your state below to see exactly how it works where you live: the actual program name to search for, whether a spouse is usually eligible, and where the official application sits.
If the person you care for is a veteran, the VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers is a separate federal route — use the VA caregiver checklist instead.
State-by-state
| State | Program name | Spouse eligible? | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | Structured Family Caregiving | Yes | Indiana guide → |
| Georgia | Structured Family Caregiving (CCSP / SOURCE waivers) | No | Georgia guide → |
| Kentucky | Consumer Directed Option (HCB Waiver / Michelle P. Waiver) | Usually no | Kentucky guide → |
| New York | Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) | No | New York guide → |
| Pennsylvania | Community HealthChoices (CHC) self-directed option | Usually no | Pennsylvania guide → |
| California | In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) | Varies | California guide → |
| Texas | Consumer Directed Services (CDS) within STAR+PLUS | No | Texas guide → |
| Florida | Participant-Directed Option (PDO) within Florida's SMMC-LTC | Yes | Florida guide → |
| Maryland | Community First Choice (CFC) | Yes | Maryland guide → |
| Colorado | Consumer Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS) and In-Home Support Services (IHSS) | Usually yes | Colorado guide → |
| North Carolina | Structured Family Caregiving (SFC) through the Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA) | Varies | North Carolina guide → |
| Ohio | Structured Family Caregiving (SFC) through Ohio Medicaid waivers (MyCare Ohio, Ohio Home Care Waiver, PASSPORT) | Varies | Ohio guide → |
| Missouri | Structured Family Caregiving Waiver (SFCW) | Yes | Missouri guide → |
| Massachusetts | Adult Foster Care (AFC) and Personal Care Attendant (PCA) program | No | Massachusetts guide → |
| Louisiana | Structured Family Caregiving under the Community Choices Waiver | Yes | Louisiana guide → |
More states are being added. "Spouse eligible?" reflects the general rule most often applied in that state — always confirm your own situation with the state Medicaid office.
Before you apply
- • Medicaid Structured Family Caregiving checklist — what to gather before you contact your state.
- • Benefits eligibility checker — see other support you may qualify for alongside caregiver pay.