Louisiana · children's waiver
Children's Choice Waiver (CC Waiver) in Louisiana
The Children's Choice Waiver gives extra in-home supports to Louisiana children with developmental disabilities, from birth through age 20, who live with their families. Its Family Support service pays a worker to help the child at home. Under the current provider manual, a parent may be paid for Family Support when the child's care is extraordinary compared with a child the same age without a disability, with a 40-hour weekly cap.
Also called: Children's Choice · CC Waiver · Louisiana Children's Choice Waiver · OCDD children's waiver
Who do you care for?
Quick facts
- Pay
- Up to $20,200/year total waiver budget
- Adult children & other relatives
- Yes
- Spouse
- Sometimes
- Parent of a minor child
- Sometimes
- Waitlist
- long
Who qualifies for CC Waiver
- Child is from birth through 20 years of age and lives at home with family or a foster family (or is leaving an institution to return home).
- Has an OIDD (formerly OCDD) Statement of Approval and meets Louisiana's definition of developmental disability.
- Meets ICF/IID (intermediate care facility) level of care.
- Meets Medicaid rules for waivers; the child's own income must be under three times the SSI amount and resources under $2,000, and parental income is not counted.
- Has been offered a waiver slot from the Developmental Disabilities Request for Services Registry.
Who can be paid as the caregiver
- Adult children & other relatives Yes
- other relatives can be Family Support workers if they meet the same training and documentation standards as unrelated workers.
- Spouse Sometimes
- the provider manual groups spouses with legally responsible individuals, who may be paid only for extraordinary care; this rarely applies to a waiver for children.
- Parent of a minor child Sometimes
- a parent or legal guardian may provide Family Support for their own child when the care is extraordinary for the child's age and is in the child's best interest, but not through self-direction.
- Living together
- family members living in the home can be paid, but hours by in-home staff are capped at 40 per week, Sunday to Saturday.
Who employs the caregiver: Either for most workers: a provider agency or self-direction with a fiscal agent. A paid parent or legal guardian must work through a provider agency, because legally responsible individuals may not provide Family Support through self-direction.
Spouse rules differ by program — see spouse pay in Louisiana.
How much CC Waiver pays
Up to $20,200/year total waiver budget. LDH caps each child's Children's Choice support package at $20,200 per year. Family Support is paid to an enrolled provider agency at a Medicaid rate; the hourly wage a paid parent or relative receives is set by the agency and is not published.
Hours and budget: A support coordinator builds a plan of care inside the $20,200 yearly cap. Services delivered by staff who live in the home are capped at 40 hours per week, and the waiver is not meant to provide 24-hour support.
Compare with other Louisiana programs on the Louisiana caregiver pay page, or across states in pay rates by state.
Is there a waitlist?
Entry depends on funded slots. Children are placed on the statewide Developmental Disabilities Request for Services Registry and offered a waiver by urgency of need (the SUN screening) and earliest request date.
How to apply for CC Waiver
- Contact your local governing entity (human services district or authority) to start the developmental disability eligibility determination.
- Once approved for OIDD services, ask to be placed on the Developmental Disabilities Request for Services Registry and complete the urgency-of-need screening.
- When a waiver opportunity is offered, complete the medical and financial eligibility steps and choose a support coordination agency.
- In the plan of care, choose a Family Support provider; if a parent will be the worker, the agency must document that the care is extraordinary.
- Office of Intellectual & Developmental Disability Supports (OIDD) · 225-342-0095 · official site
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CC Waiver questions
Can a parent get paid to care for their disabled child in Louisiana?
Under the Children's Choice Waiver, a parent may be paid for Family Support when the child's care is extraordinary compared with other children the same age and is in the child's best interest. The parent must work through a provider agency, not self-direction, and in-home staff are capped at 40 hours a week.
How old can my child be for Children's Choice?
From birth through 20. Youth age out at their 21st birthday and move to an adult waiver if still eligible. At 18, a youth who wants to work may switch to the Supports Waiver.
Is my income counted?
No. Parental income and resources are not counted. The child's own income must be under three times the SSI amount and resources under $2,000.
Is there a waiting list?
Yes. Children go on the Request for Services Registry and are offered slots by urgency of need and the date they asked.
How much can the waiver pay for in a year?
Each child's support package is capped at $20,200 per year, which covers Family Support and all other waiver services.
Sources: ldh.la.gov · ldh.la.gov · ldh.la.gov · ldh.la.gov · Updated 2026-10-08. Program rules change — always confirm with the program.
Where most Louisiana caregivers are
Counties with the most residents aged 65 and older. The rules are the same everywhere in Louisiana — pick yours for the local picture.
Across the line
States that border Louisiana
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.