Ohio · waiver service
Structured Family Caregiving (SFC) in Ohio
Structured Family Caregiving is a waiver service in Ohio's PASSPORT, Ohio Home Care and MyCare waivers for adults 18 and older. It pays an SFC agency a daily rate when a caregiver lives with the member and gives daily care and support, and the agency passes a share to the caregiver along with coaching from a nurse or social worker. Family members, including spouses under Ohio's legally-responsible-person rules, can be the caregiver.
Also called: SFC · Structured Family Caregiving Ohio · SFC Ohio · live-in family caregiver Ohio · structured family care
Who do you care for?
Quick facts
- Pay
- $102.68/day to the SFC agency
- Adult children & other relatives
- Yes
- Spouse
- Sometimes
- Parent of a minor child
- SFC is for members 18 and older.
- Waitlist
- possible
Who qualifies for SFC
- Age 18 or older and enrolled in the PASSPORT, Ohio Home Care, or MyCare waiver.
- Lives with the caregiver, in either the member's or the caregiver's private home.
- Needs help with daily personal care, household support, and activities that support independence.
- Chooses SFC and agrees to monthly care-management contacts.
- Is not medically unstable or medically complex in a way that needs skilled nursing instead.
Who can be paid as the caregiver
- Adult children & other relatives Yes
- an adult child or other relative who lives with the member can be the SFC caregiver.
- Spouse Sometimes
- spouses and relatives with legal decision-making authority may provide SFC only under rule 5160-44-32: no other willing provider, extraordinary care, and the state's health and safety review.
- Parent of a minor child
- SFC is for members 18 and older.
- Living together
- the caregiver must live with the member.
Who employs the caregiver: Agency. The caregiver is employed by or contracted with an SFC provider agency (an ODA-certified agency for PASSPORT, or an accredited or Medicare-certified agency for Ohio Home Care). The agency trains the caregiver, provides monthly coaching from an RN, LPN or social worker, and pays the caregiver.
Spouse rules differ by program — see spouse pay in Ohio.
How much SFC pays
$102.68/day to the SFC agency. Ohio Administrative Code 5160-46-06 (effective April 17, 2026) sets SFC at $102.68 per day or $51.34 per half day (code S5136). This is the agency's rate; the caregiver receives a share set by the agency. Third parties report caregiver stipends of roughly $1,500–$3,000 a month, which the state does not publish. A lower group rate applies when one caregiver serves two or three members at the same address.
Hours and budget: SFC is paid by the day. It is authorized as a full day unless the member also needs more than two hours of certain other services (home care attendant, homemaker or personal care) that day, in which case it is a half day. It cannot be billed on a day of out-of-home respite.
Compare with other Ohio programs on the Ohio caregiver pay page, or across states in pay rates by state.
Is there a waitlist?
SFC has no waitlist of its own, but the member must be on PASSPORT, Ohio Home Care, or MyCare. PASSPORT is capped; MyCare is not.
How to apply for SFC
- Get enrolled in PASSPORT, the Ohio Home Care Waiver, or MyCare (apply for Medicaid and request waiver services).
- Tell your waiver case manager or care coordinator you want Structured Family Caregiving with a live-in family caregiver.
- Choose an SFC provider agency that serves your area.
- The caregiver completes the agency's hiring steps and at least eight hours of initial training (more for Medicare-certified agencies).
- The agency's coach visits in person at the start and stays in monthly contact.
- Local Area Agency on Aging (PASSPORT and MyCare waiver questions) · 1-866-243-5678 · official site
- Ohio Department of Medicaid Consumer Hotline · 1-800-324-8680 · official site
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SFC questions
How much does Structured Family Caregiving pay in Ohio?
Ohio pays the SFC agency $102.68 per full day or $51.34 per half day. The agency passes a share to the caregiver; ask each agency what it pays.
Can a spouse be the SFC caregiver in Ohio?
Yes, but only under Ohio's legally-responsible-person rule: no other willing provider is available, the care is extraordinary, and the state confirms health and safety.
Do I have to live with my parent for SFC?
Yes. The caregiver must live with the member, either in the member's home or the caregiver's home.
Which Ohio waivers offer SFC?
PASSPORT, the Ohio Home Care Waiver, and the MyCare waiver.
Can one caregiver care for more than one person?
Yes, up to three members at the same address, paid at a group rate.
What training does an SFC caregiver need?
At least eight hours of initial training for ODA-certified and accredited agencies, plus ongoing monthly coaching.
Sources: codes.ohio.gov · codes.ohio.gov · codes.ohio.gov · Updated 2026-10-08. Program rules change — always confirm with the program.
Where most Ohio caregivers are
Counties with the most residents aged 65 and older. The rules are the same everywhere in Ohio — pick yours for the local picture.
Across the line
States that border Ohio
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.