Georgia · waiver service

Structured Family Caregiving (SFC) in Georgia

Structured Family Caregiving is a service in Georgia's Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (CCSP and SOURCE). It pays a live-in family caregiver a daily stipend, through an SFC provider agency, to care for an adult who needs a lot of help with daily activities. The agency's health coach supports the caregiver and reviews daily notes. Spouses and legal guardians cannot be the paid caregiver.

Also called: SFC · Structured Family Caregiver · structured family care Georgia · Georgia paid family caregiver program · EDWP SFC

Who do you care for?

My parent →My spouse →My child →

Quick facts

Pay: $99.22–$110.39/day agency rate
Adult children & other relatives: Yes
Spouse: Not right now
Parent of a minor child: Not right now
Waitlist: possible

Who qualifies for SFC

Enrolled in Georgia's Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (CCSP or SOURCE): age 21 or older with a functional impairment and an intermediate nursing-home level of care.
Medicaid eligible — 2025 DCH figures list $2,901/month income and $2,000 in resources for an individual.
Has an assessed need for at least five hours of personal support each day.
Has a family caregiver who lives in the same home.

Who can be paid as the caregiver

Adult children & other relatives Yes: adult biological, adoptive or step-relatives (and, per some providers, relatives by marriage such as a daughter-in-law) can be the paid caregiver.
Spouse Not right now: spouses are legally responsible and are excluded.
Parent of a minor child Not right now: the waiver serves adults 21+, and legal guardians are excluded.
Living together: the caregiver must live in the same primary residence as the member.

Who employs the caregiver: Agency. The caregiver enrolls with a licensed SFC provider agency, which provides a health coach, reviews daily notes and pays the stipend.

Spouse rules differ by program — see spouse pay in Georgia.

How much SFC pays

$99.22–$110.39/day agency rate. DCH's 2023 rate study lists the SFC agency rate at $99.22 per day, with a proposed rate of $110.39 per day. The caregiver receives a share of this as a stipend, often described as tax-free; reported caregiver stipends range from about $65 to over $100 a day (roughly $1,987–$2,400/month) depending on need. Agencies keep part of the rate for the health coach and oversight.

Hours and budget: SFC is a daily rate, not hourly. It replaces the equivalent hours of personal support services in the care plan. The care coordinator sets it based on the assessment.

Compare with other Georgia programs on the Georgia caregiver pay page, or across states in pay rates by state.

Is there a waitlist?

CCSP has limited slots and can waitlist; SOURCE (for people already on SSI/full Medicaid) generally starts faster. SFC is only available once the member is on the waiver.

How to apply for SFC

Call your Area Agency on Aging / Aging and Disability Resource Connection at 1-866-552-4464 for an Elderly and Disabled Waiver assessment (people with full Medicaid can also contact a SOURCE site).
If not on Medicaid, apply at the county Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) office.
Once approved for CCSP or SOURCE, ask the care coordinator for Structured Family Caregiving.
Choose an SFC provider agency; the agency screens the live-in caregiver, sets up training and starts the daily stipend.

Georgia Aging and Disability Resource Connection (Area Agencies on Aging) · 1-866-552-4464 · official site
Georgia Department of Community Health — Elderly and Disabled Waiver · 404-656-4507 · official site

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SFC questions

How much does Structured Family Caregiving pay in Georgia?

Medicaid pays the agency a daily rate (listed at $99.22, with $110.39 proposed in DCH's 2023 rate study). Caregivers usually receive about $65 to over $100 a day, depending on the member's needs and the agency.

Can I be paid through SFC to care for my husband or wife?

No. Spouses and legal guardians are excluded. Adult children, siblings and other adult relatives who live with the member can qualify.

Do I have to live with the person?

Yes. The family caregiver must live in the same home as the member.

Is the SFC stipend taxable?

It is commonly paid as a tax-free stipend for live-in care of a relative under IRS rules for Medicaid waiver payments. Ask a tax professional about your situation.

What does the SFC agency do?

It assigns a health coach who supports the caregiver by phone or online, reviews daily notes about the member's condition, and handles payment.

Sources: medicaid.georgia.gov · dch.georgia.gov · dch.georgia.gov · gcdd.org · Updated 2026-10-08. Program rules change — always confirm with the program.

Other Georgia programs

Guides

Where most Georgia caregivers are

Counties with the most residents aged 65 and older. The rules are the same everywhere in Georgia — pick yours for the local picture.

Across the line

States that border Georgia

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.