Family Caregiver Support Programs: 6 Proven Ways to Get Paid
More than 63 million Americans are caring for a parent without pay. Most don’t know that programs exist to change that. Some pay you directly. Others cut what you’re spending out of pocket. Here’s what’s available.
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What Are Family Caregiver Support Programs?
Family caregiver support programs are government-funded programs designed to provide financial assistance, services, and resources to people caring for an aging or disabled family member. Some pay you directly for the hours you provide care. Others fund services that cut what you’re spending out of pocket. A few offer wage replacement if you need to step back from work to provide care.
According to the AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving 2025 Caregiving in the US report, more than 63 million Americans now serve as family caregivers. Most are doing this without pay, often at real cost to their own careers and savings. What’s frustrating is that many of them qualify for family caregiver support programs they don’t know about. A single phone call to the right agency is often all it takes to find out what you’re eligible for.
This guide covers the six most important categories of programs, who qualifies, how much they pay, and how to find what’s available where you live. For a broader look at what to expect at every stage of caring for a parent, see our guide to caring for elderly parents.
What’s in This Guide
- →The 6 family caregiver support programs and how each works
- →Which programs pay you directly, and how much
- →The Medicaid option most families have never heard of
- →What to do if your parent is a veteran
- →Tax benefits that put money back at filing time
- →How to find what’s available in your specific state
Program 1: Medicaid Self-Directed Care (This Is the Big One)
This is the program most families have never heard of, and it is often the most significant source of financial support available to caregivers.
If your parent qualifies for Medicaid and needs help with daily activities, many states allow them to direct their own care. That means they choose who provides the care, and that person can be you. The state then pays you through Medicaid at the going rate for home care in your area. According to KFF, family caregivers paid through Medicaid consumer-directed programs earn an average of $13 to $21 per hour nationally, with rates varying by state and the type of care provided.
Every state runs this option under a different name. In Texas, it’s Consumer Directed Services, available through the STAR+PLUS waiver. In California, it’s the In-Home Supportive Services program (IHSS). In New York, it’s the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). North Carolina has a program called Structured Family Caregiving, one of the fastest-growing consumer-directed options in the country. Most states have a comparable program, often listed under “self-directed home care” or “consumer-directed care” in state Medicaid materials.
There are requirements. Most states ask caregivers to complete training, pass a background check, and handle some paperwork to become an approved provider. Your parent generally needs to be on Medicaid, not just Medicare. If your parent is already on Medicaid and needs help with daily activities, this is the first program worth asking about. The people who run these programs are there to help you access them.
Contact your state’s Medicaid office and ask specifically about “consumer-directed care” or “self-directed home care.” Your local Area Agency on Aging (covered below) can also walk you through the application and tell you exactly what documentation you’ll need.
Program 2: VA Caregiver Stipend
If your parent is a veteran, this program is one of the most valuable available, and one of the least used.
The VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) provides a monthly VA caregiver stipend to eligible family caregivers. It also includes health insurance through CHAMPVA, mental health services, access to respite care, and caregiver training. The stipend amount is based on the level of care your parent requires and average caregiver wages in your area.
On October 1, 2022, the VA expanded PCAFC eligibility to cover veterans of all service eras, not just post-9/11. That change opened the door to a much larger group of families who previously assumed they didn’t qualify.
To apply, call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274 or visit caregiver.va.gov. The process involves an assessment of your parent’s care needs and your role as primary caregiver. If you’re unsure whether your parent qualifies, one call will give you a clear answer. Many families who assumed they wouldn’t qualify found out they did.
Program 3: The National Family Caregiver Support Program
This program doesn’t usually pay you directly, but it reduces what you’re spending out of pocket, which amounts to the same thing for many families.
The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) is federally funded through the Older Americans Act and administered locally through Area Agencies on Aging. It provides free services to family caregivers, including counseling and support groups, training to help you provide better care at home, help finding local resources, and respite care. That last piece matters most: if you’re currently paying someone out of pocket so you can go to work, handle appointments, or get a full night of sleep, the NFCSP may be able to cover those costs through local respite funding.
Services are free and available to caregivers age 18 and older who are caring for someone age 60 or older. For a full look at the types of respite care available and how to pay for them, see our guide to respite care for seniors.
To find your local Area Agency on Aging, go to eldercare.acl.gov or call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.
Program 4: State Paid Family Leave
If you’re employed and need to take time off to care for a parent, check whether your state has a paid family leave program. This isn’t a caregiver payment program. It’s wage replacement while you’re temporarily out of work. But if unpaid leave isn’t financially possible, a paid leave program can make a real break from work actually viable.
Thirteen states and Washington D.C. currently have mandatory paid family leave programs that cover caring for a parent: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. These programs typically replace between 60% and 90% of your regular wages during leave, up to a weekly maximum set by the state. Duration varies, usually between 6 and 12 weeks.
If your state isn’t on that list, check with your HR department. Some employers offer paid family leave as a voluntary benefit even where state law doesn’t require it.
Program 5: State-Specific Caregiver Programs
Beyond the federal family caregiver support programs, many states have their own programs that don’t make national news. These can include caregiver stipend programs for lower-income families, adult foster care payments, and supplemental services that fill gaps in federal funding.
Texas has multiple programs through the Health and Human Services Commission, including the Home and Community-Based Services waiver and Community Care for Aged and Disabled. California has a network of Caregiver Resource Centers providing direct support and referrals. New York has its Expanded In-Home Services for the Elderly Program. Most states have something comparable, even if it operates under a name that’s hard to find with a general web search.
The fastest way to find out what exists in your state is to call 211. It’s a free national social services hotline staffed by people who know local resources. Tell them you’re a family caregiver looking for financial assistance and support programs. They’ll connect you with what’s available in your area without making you dig through state agency websites on your own.
Your local Area Agency on Aging is the other direct line. They work with these programs every day and can tell you in a single conversation what your parent is likely to qualify for and how to apply.
Program 6: Tax Benefits for Caregivers
These aren’t payment programs, but they put money back in your pocket at tax time. For some families, the combined total is more significant than expected.
If your parent qualifies as your tax dependent, you may be able to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit for care expenses you pay while you work. The IRS has specific income and support tests to determine whether a parent qualifies as a dependent, so confirm with a tax professional before assuming this applies to your situation.
You can also deduct qualifying medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. Depending on what you’re spending on care, medical equipment, and home modifications for your parent, this threshold is more reachable than many people realize.
If your employer offers a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, you may be able to use pre-tax dollars for qualifying elder care costs. Not everyone knows that elder care qualifies under an FSA, not just childcare.
One note on the “$5,000 caregiver tax credit” that appears in a lot of searches: this refers to the Credit for Caring Act (H.R. 2036 / S. 925), a federal bill reintroduced in 2025 with bipartisan support that would provide a non-refundable tax credit of up to $5,000 for eligible working family caregivers. As of this writing, it has not been signed into law.
Several states have their own enacted caregiver tax credits already on the books. A tax professional familiar with caregiving situations can tell you exactly what applies this year. Even one deduction you didn’t know about can easily exceed their fee.
How to Find Family Caregiver Support Programs in Your State
The most important thing to know is that you don’t have to piece this together on your own. People whose entire job is to connect families with family caregiver support programs are a phone call away, and most of those calls are free.
Start with the Eldercare Locator at eldercare.acl.gov. Enter your zip code and it connects you to your local Area Agency on Aging. AAAs are the on-ramp to nearly every federal and state program available. They can assess your situation and tell you what your parent qualifies for in a single conversation.
Call 211 for immediate local referrals. This works in most parts of the country, connects you with a real person, and gets you directly to someone who knows what’s available in your county.
If your parent is on Medicaid, call your state Medicaid office and ask specifically about consumer-directed care or self-directed home care. Use those exact terms. Front-line staff don’t always volunteer this information unless you ask for it by name.
If your parent is a veteran, call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274.
None of these calls cost anything. Most families who qualify for family caregiver support programs wait far too long to ask. That delay often means years of unpaid work that programs would have covered from the start. One conversation with the right person changes the picture considerably.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the $5,000 caregiver tax credit?
The $5,000 caregiver tax credit most commonly refers to the Credit for Caring Act, a federal bill that would provide a non-refundable tax credit of up to $5,000 for working family caregivers with qualifying out-of-pocket care expenses. The bill was reintroduced in 2025 (H.R. 2036 / S. 925) with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, but as of this writing it has not been signed into law.
What does exist at the federal level right now: the Child and Dependent Care Credit (which applies when a qualifying parent is claimed as a dependent), the ability to deduct medical expenses above 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, and Dependent Care FSA benefits through some employers. Several states have their own enacted caregiver tax credits already in place. A tax professional who works with caregiving situations can tell you exactly what applies this year.
What states pay family members to be caregivers?
Most states have some form of Medicaid consumer-directed care that allows a person receiving Medicaid home care to choose a family member as their paid caregiver. The program names vary: California calls it IHSS, New York calls it CDPAP, Texas calls it Consumer Directed Services, and North Carolina has a program called Structured Family Caregiving. Eligibility rules, pay rates, and how to apply all differ by state.
For state paid family leave that covers time off for caregiving, 13 states and Washington D.C. currently have mandatory programs: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. To find out what your state offers, contact your local Area Agency on Aging at eldercare.acl.gov or call 211 for a direct referral.
How much does Texas pay family caregivers?
In Texas, family caregivers can be paid through Consumer Directed Services (CDS), a Medicaid option available through the STAR+PLUS program. Pay rates are set by your managed care organization and vary by region, in line with local home health aide wages. To find out the current rate in your area and whether your parent qualifies, contact Texas Health and Human Services or your local Area Agency on Aging. You can also call 211 for a direct referral to the right office. Once approved, payment is typically issued every two weeks.
How much does the caregiver support program pay?
It depends on which program. Medicaid consumer-directed care programs pay family caregivers an average of $13 to $21 per hour nationally, according to KFF, with rates varying by state and care type. The VA’s PCAFC program pays a monthly caregiver stipend with the amount based on the veteran’s care needs and local wage data.
The National Family Caregiver Support Program doesn’t pay cash directly; it provides free services including respite care, counseling, and training. State paid family leave programs replace 60% to 90% of wages during a leave period that typically runs 6 to 12 weeks. The programs that pay you most directly are Medicaid consumer-directed care and the VA caregiver stipend.
Can I get paid to be a family caregiver in the US?
Yes, in many cases. The most direct route is Medicaid’s consumer-directed care option, which allows a person receiving Medicaid home care to hire a family member as their paid caregiver. If your parent is on Medicaid and needs help with daily activities, this is the first family caregiver support program to ask about. If your parent is a veteran, the VA’s PCAFC provides a monthly stipend plus additional benefits.
If you’re employed in a state with paid family leave, you may qualify for partial wage replacement during a leave of absence. The programs available depend on your parent’s situation, your state, and your own employment status. Call 211 or contact your local Area Agency on Aging to find out what applies to you.
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