The Indiana caregiver program
Indiana pays family members to care for a relative at home through Structured Family Caregiving (SFC) and Attendant Care. Here is what it is called, who can be paid, what it pays, and how to get in.
Indiana at a glance
- Programs
- 2
- Reported pay
- $46–$80/day
- Spouse paid?
- Yes
- Waitlist
- Long
can pay a relative
set in the care plan
Who are you caring for in Indiana?
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
Indiana programs that pay family caregivers
This is Medicaid money — a real, ongoing benefit, not a grant or a one-off stipend. In Indiana it runs through:
- Structured Family Caregiving (SFC)
- Attendant Care (PathWays & H&W Waivers)
How it works: SFC: caregiver must enroll with an approved SFC provider agency that supervises and pays the stipend; attendant care may be agency-based or participant-directed, but LRIs are barred from self-directed attendant care (Indiana Code 12-10-17.1-10(b)). The programs are administered by Indiana FSSA (Division of Aging / Indiana Medicaid); intake via local Area Agency on Aging — INconnect Alliance 800-986-3505.
Is there CDPAP or IHSS in Indiana?
Indiana pays live-in family caregivers through Structured Family Caregiving, at a daily rate, and pays attendants — who can be relatives — through the PathWays and Health & Wellness waivers.
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 Indiana pays family caregivers
$46–$80/day
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Indiana Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Who can be paid in Indiana
- Adult child, grandchild, sibling, friend Yes
- Broadly allowed wherever the program lets the member choose their caregiver.
- Spouse Yes
- yes via SFC — a live-in spouse can be the paid SFC caregiver; no for Attendant Care since 7/1/2024 (spouse is a Legally Responsible Individual)
- Parent of a minor child Yes
- yes via SFC on the Health & Wellness waiver — biological/adoptive parents, guardians, and stepparents of a minor may provide SFC; parents/guardians of minors may NOT provide attendant care since 7/1/2024
How much does Indiana pay a family caregiver?
Reported pay in Indiana is around $46–$80/day. SFC program rates eff. 7/1/2025: $77.54/day (Level 1), $99.71 (Level 2), $133.44 (Level 3); provider must pass through at least 60% to the caregiver (tax-free difficulty-of-care stipend, roughly $46–$80/day); attendant care is hourly via agency (rate varies). Some of this pay can be tax-free under the IRS difficulty-of-care rule when the caregiver lives with the person receiving care.
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 Indiana caregiver pay page, and the national picture is in family caregiver pay rates by state.
Is there a waitlist in Indiana?
Waitlists can be long. yes — PathWays and Health & Wellness reached federally approved capacity (waitlist since Apr 2024; 10,000+ waiting in 2025; capacity hit again Dec 2025 with new invitations not expected before ~Jul 2026); FSSA runs an online waitlist dashboard. Apply early either way — the Medicaid financial review and the care assessment take time even where there is no list.
Why Indiana pays family instead of an agency
1.2 million people in Indiana — 18% of the state — are 65 or older, across 92 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 Indiana
- 2 minutes
Check eligibility
Five questions show which Indiana program fits your family and what it pays.
- usually weeks
Medicaid + needs assessment
Indiana 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 Structured Family Caregiving (SFC) and Attendant Care 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: Contact the local Area Agency on Aging for intake, level-of-care assessment, and waitlist placement; apply for Indiana Medicaid through FSSA; PathWays members then select a managed-care plan and request SFC through their care coordinator.
Find out in 2 minutes
Answer 5 easy questions. See your programs and pay before you share any contact info.
Indiana caregiver program questions
What is the caregiver program in Indiana called?
In Indiana, family caregivers are paid through Structured Family Caregiving (SFC), Attendant Care (PathWays & H&W Waivers). Indiana pays live-in family caregivers through Structured Family Caregiving, at a daily rate, and pays attendants — who can be relatives — through the PathWays and Health & Wellness waivers.
Does Indiana have CDPAP or IHSS?
Indiana pays live-in family caregivers through Structured Family Caregiving, at a daily rate, and pays attendants — who can be relatives — through the PathWays and Health & Wellness waivers.
How much does Indiana pay a family caregiver?
Reported pay is around $46–$80/day. SFC program rates eff. 7/1/2025: $77.54/day (Level 1), $99.71 (Level 2), $133.44 (Level 3); provider must pass through at least 60% to the caregiver (tax-free difficulty-of-care stipend, roughly $46–$80/day); attendant care is hourly via agency (rate varies).
Can I get paid to take care of my spouse in Indiana?
yes via SFC — a live-in spouse can be the paid SFC caregiver; no for Attendant Care since 7/1/2024 (spouse is a Legally Responsible Individual)
Can a parent be paid to care for a disabled child in Indiana?
yes via SFC on the Health & Wellness waiver — biological/adoptive parents, guardians, and stepparents of a minor may provide SFC; parents/guardians of minors may NOT provide attendant care since 7/1/2024
Is there a waitlist for the Indiana caregiver program?
yes — PathWays and Health & Wellness reached federally approved capacity (waitlist since Apr 2024; 10,000+ waiting in 2025; capacity hit again Dec 2025 with new invitations not expected before ~Jul 2026); FSSA runs an online waitlist dashboard
How do I apply to be a paid caregiver in Indiana?
Contact the local Area Agency on Aging for intake, level-of-care assessment, and waitlist placement; apply for Indiana Medicaid through FSSA; PathWays members then select a managed-care plan and request SFC through their care coordinator.
Who runs the Indiana Medicaid caregiver program?
Indiana FSSA (Division of Aging / Indiana Medicaid); intake via local Area Agency on Aging — INconnect Alliance 800-986-3505.
Sources: in.gov · in.gov · wfyi.org · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Where most Indiana caregivers are
Counties with the most residents aged 65 and older. The rules are the same everywhere in Indiana — pick yours for the local picture.
Across the line
States that border Indiana
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.