Connecticut
Connecticut programs that pay family caregivers
Connecticut pays family members through 4 Medicaid programs. Each has its own rules for who qualifies, who can be paid and what it pays.
Who do you care for?
Adult Family Living (AFL)
Adult Family Living is a Medicaid waiver service in Connecticut that pays a live-in caregiver to give daily personal care and supervision to an older adult or an adult with a disability in a private home. The caregiver works under a sponsoring agency that supervises the care and passes on a stipend. A relative such as an adult child can be the caregiver, but a spouse or another legally liable relative cannot.
up to about $500/week
How it works →Community First Choice (CFC)
Community First Choice is a Connecticut Medicaid state plan benefit that lets a member hire, train and manage their own personal care attendant (PCA) using a budget. A fiscal intermediary runs payroll, and self-directed PCAs are paid under a union contract that set a $23/hour minimum on January 1, 2026. Relatives other than a spouse or legal guardian can be hired.
$23/hour minimum
How it works →Personal Care Assistance (PCA) Waiver
The PCA Waiver is a Connecticut Medicaid 1915(c) waiver for adults 18–64 with severe, chronic physical disabilities who need nursing-home-level care. It pays for self-directed personal care attendants and related services such as Adult Family Living. Relatives can be paid, but spouses and other legally responsible people cannot.
$23/hour minimum
How it works →Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE)
The Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders helps people 65 and older stay at home instead of moving to a nursing home. It has a Medicaid waiver part and a state-funded part. Family members generally are not paid directly, but CHCPE is the doorway to Adult Family Living and self-directed personal care, where a relative other than a spouse can be paid.
not published (AFL up to ~$500/week; PCA $23/hour minimum)
How it works →The overview: the Connecticut caregiver program · Connecticut caregiver pay · spouse rules
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Across the line
States that border Connecticut
Each state writes its own rules, and they differ more than people expect — a spouse who can be paid on one side of the line often cannot be on the other.