The Florida caregiver program
Florida pays family members to care for a relative at home through Participant Directed Option (PDO) and CDC+. Here is what it is called, who can be paid, what it pays, and how to get in.
Florida at a glance
- Programs
- 3
- Reported pay
- $15–$25/hr
- Spouse paid?
- Sometimes
- Waitlist
- Long
can pay a relative
set in the care plan
Who are you caring for in Florida?
Who do you care for?
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Florida programs that pay family caregivers
This is Medicaid money — a real, ongoing benefit, not a grant or a one-off stipend. In Florida it runs through:
- SMMC-LTC Participant Directed Option
- CDC+
- Family Home Health Aide (children)
How it works: PDO is self-directed with the plan/fiscal agent handling payroll; CDC+ is self-directed with a state Fiscal/Employer Agent; FHHA requires employment through a licensed home health agency. The programs are administered by Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) administers SMMC-LTC/FHHA; Dept. of Elder Affairs/ADRC screening (Elder Helpline 1-800-963-5337); APD runs CDC+ (helpline 1-866-761-7043).
Is there CDPAP or IHSS in Florida?
Florida has no program named CDPAP. Its versions are the Participant Directed Option inside Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care, and Consumer Directed Care Plus (CDC+), both of which let a member hire a relative.
Whatever the name, the model is the same one people mean by consumer-directed care: the person who needs help chooses their caregiver, and that caregiver can be family. See how CDPAP and IHSS work if a relative in New York or California described theirs to you.
What Florida pays family caregivers
$15–$25/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Florida Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Who can be paid in Florida
- Adult child, grandchild, sibling, friend Yes
- Broadly allowed wherever the program lets the member choose their caregiver.
- Spouse Sometimes
- limited — yes under SMMC-LTC PDO (must be 'extraordinary care' beyond normal spousal duties, background screening required); no under CDC+
- Parent of a minor child Yes
- yes — FHHA program pays a trained parent $25/hr (up to 8 hrs/day) for a PDN-eligible child under 21; 1915(j) also lets parents of minors on iBudget be paid for self-directed personal care via CDC+
How much does Florida pay a family caregiver?
Reported pay in Florida is around $15–$25/hr. FHHA: $25/hr statutory (2023 law); PDO: set by each managed-care plan, ~$15/hr floor for unskilled care reported.
Your hours come from your relative's needs assessment, not from how many hours you actually work — which is why preparing for that assessment matters more than anything else. The detail is on the Florida caregiver pay page, and the national picture is in family caregiver pay rates by state.
Is there a waitlist in Florida?
Waitlists can be long. yes — SMMC-LTC is not an entitlement: waitlist ranked by frailty priority score (not wait time); iBudget/CDC+ waitlist is years long (10+ yrs for non-crisis categories). Apply early either way — the Medicaid financial review and the care assessment take time even where there is no list.
Why Florida pays family instead of an agency
5.1 million people in Florida — 22% of the state — are 65 or older, across 67 counties. There are not enough agency home care workers for all of them, and care at home costs Medicaid far less than a nursing home. So the state pays the person already doing the work: you. If you would rather hire help, see what in-home care costs and home care agencies that hire family members.
How to become a paid caregiver for a family member in Florida
- 2 minutes
Check eligibility
Five questions show which Florida program fits your family and what it pays.
- usually weeks
Medicaid + needs assessment
Florida confirms Medicaid eligibility and assesses how much help your relative needs. Those hours become your paid hours.
- after approval
Enroll and name you
Your relative enrolls in Participant Directed Option (PDO) and CDC+ and names you as their caregiver. Background check and payroll forms follow.
- every pay period
Get paid
You log the hours you already work and are paid for them, like any job.
Where to apply: Call the local Aging & Disability Resource Center (Elder Helpline 1-800-963-5337) for the phone screening that sets the priority score; CARES assessment + Medicaid application follow when a slot opens. For children/FHHA contact a participating home health agency; for CDC+ go through APD.
Find out in 2 minutes
Answer 5 easy questions. See your programs and pay before you share any contact info.
Florida caregiver program questions
What is the caregiver program in Florida called?
In Florida, family caregivers are paid through SMMC-LTC Participant Directed Option, CDC+, Family Home Health Aide (children). Florida has no program named CDPAP. Its versions are the Participant Directed Option inside Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care, and Consumer Directed Care Plus (CDC+), both of which let a member hire a relative.
Does Florida have CDPAP or IHSS?
Florida has no program named CDPAP. Its versions are the Participant Directed Option inside Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care, and Consumer Directed Care Plus (CDC+), both of which let a member hire a relative.
How much does Florida pay a family caregiver?
Reported pay is around $15–$25/hr. FHHA: $25/hr statutory (2023 law); PDO: set by each managed-care plan, ~$15/hr floor for unskilled care reported.
Can I get paid to take care of my spouse in Florida?
limited — yes under SMMC-LTC PDO (must be 'extraordinary care' beyond normal spousal duties, background screening required); no under CDC+
Can a parent be paid to care for a disabled child in Florida?
yes — FHHA program pays a trained parent $25/hr (up to 8 hrs/day) for a PDN-eligible child under 21; 1915(j) also lets parents of minors on iBudget be paid for self-directed personal care via CDC+
Is there a waitlist for the Florida caregiver program?
yes — SMMC-LTC is not an entitlement: waitlist ranked by frailty priority score (not wait time); iBudget/CDC+ waitlist is years long (10+ yrs for non-crisis categories)
How do I apply to be a paid caregiver in Florida?
Call the local Aging & Disability Resource Center (Elder Helpline 1-800-963-5337) for the phone screening that sets the priority score; CARES assessment + Medicaid application follow when a slot opens. For children/FHHA contact a participating home health agency; for CDC+ go through APD.
Who runs the Florida Medicaid caregiver program?
Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) administers SMMC-LTC/FHHA; Dept. of Elder Affairs/ADRC screening (Elder Helpline 1-800-963-5337); APD runs CDC+ (helpline 1-866-761-7043).
Sources: medicaidplanningassistance.org · ahca.myflorida.com · apd.myflorida.com · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Where most Florida caregivers are
Counties with the most residents aged 65 and older. The rules are the same everywhere in Florida — pick yours for the local picture.
Across the line
States that border Florida
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.