Georgia is one of a small number of states with a formal Structured Family Caregiving (SFC) program — a real, Medicaid-funded pathway for family members to become paid, live-in caregivers rather than providing unpaid care.
What Structured Family Caregiving is in Georgia
SFC is a service available under Georgia's CCSP (Community Care Services Program) and SOURCE (Service Options Using Resources in a Community Environment) Medicaid waivers, administered by the Georgia Department of Community Health. It provides a daily, tax-free stipend to family caregivers who live with the care recipient and provide substantial daily care, along with training and ongoing support.
Who qualifies — the care recipient
- Must be Medicaid-eligible in Georgia
- Must be enrolled in the CCSP or SOURCE waiver program
- Must need assistance with daily living activities (feeding, dressing, bathing, etc.)
- Must meet a level-of-care requirement equivalent to full-time care, generally assessed at 35+ hours per week
Who qualifies — the caregiver
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Must be related to the care recipient biologically or through marriage
- Must live in the same home as the care recipient
- Spouses, legal guardians, and parents of minor children are not eligible — a firm exclusion, along with paid agency staff, due to conflict-of-interest rules
- Generally cannot maintain outside employment while providing this care
How pay works
SFC pays a daily stipend, generally treated as a difficulty-of-care payment under IRS Notice 2014-7 — which may exclude it from federal income tax in many circumstances. (Confirm this tax treatment with a tax professional for your specific situation.) Exact stipend amounts are set by Medicaid and reviewed periodically.
How to apply
- Confirm the care recipient's Medicaid eligibility, or enroll if not already covered
- Contact your local Area Agency on Aging or a state-approved SFC provider agency
- Complete a Level of Care (LOC) assessment
- Identify the qualifying family caregiver
- Complete required background checks and caregiver training/certification
- An Individual Service Plan (ISP) is developed outlining approved services and care hours
- Once approved, an assigned fiscal intermediary handles payroll, timesheets, and tax compliance
The full process commonly takes a few months given the number of steps involved.
What you'll need to keep track of once approved
- Daily/weekly care hours and tasks documented
- Ongoing compliance with the approved Individual Service Plan
- Payroll and tax records through the fiscal intermediary
Keeping this organized
Once approved, staying compliant means consistent, accurate documentation of your care hours and tasks. FeatherKeep organizes this automatically as you go.