Washington · self-direction option
Individual Provider (IP) through Consumer Direct Care Network Washington (CDWA) in Washington
An Individual Provider is a caregiver hired directly for one Apple Health client instead of coming from an agency. Since 2021 every Individual Provider in Washington is employed by Consumer Direct Care Network Washington (CDWA), the state's Consumer Directed Employer. This is how family members get paid under CFC, MPC and the COPES waiver.
Also called: Individual Provider · IP · CDWA · Consumer Direct Washington · Consumer Directed Employer · CDE · paid family caregiver Washington
Who do you care for?
Quick facts
- Pay
- $22.52–$27.28/hr
- Adult children & other relatives
- Yes
- Spouse
- Not right now
- Parent of a minor child
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- none
Who qualifies for CDWA
- The person receiving care must be approved for an Apple Health in-home program such as CFC, MPC or COPES after a CARE assessment.
- The caregiver must be 18 or older, pass a DSHS background check and character, competence and suitability review, and complete required training.
- The caregiver must be approved and hired by CDWA before any paid hours count.
Who can be paid as the caregiver
- Adult children & other relatives Yes
- DSHS says family members who care for a relative can become paid caregivers if the relative qualifies for Medicaid long-term services.
- Spouse Not right now
- spouses cannot be paid as Individual Providers for each other; Veteran Directed Care or WA Cares Fund may pay a spouse instead.
- Parent of a minor child Not right now
- parents cannot be paid to care for their own child under 18.
- Living together
- family Individual Providers may live with the client or separately.
Who employs the caregiver: CDWA is the legal employer (payroll, taxes, background checks, training enrollment). The client is the managing employer who selects, schedules, supervises and can dismiss the Individual Provider.
Spouse rules differ by program — see spouse pay in Washington.
How much CDWA pays
$22.52–$27.28/hr. CDWA pays Individual Providers on the SEIU 775 contract scale by cumulative career hours: $22.52 (0–2,000 hours) to $26.09 (40,001+ hours) from July 1, 2025, and $23.54 to $27.28 from July 1, 2026. Benefits include health coverage, retirement contributions and paid holidays.
Hours and budget: Hours come from the client's CARE assessment, not from CDWA. CDWA helps divide the authorized hours among Individual Providers and enforces each caregiver's work week limit: 40 hours for most who began after January 2016, with a permanent cap of 65 hours.
Compare with other Washington programs on the Washington caregiver pay page, or across states in pay rates by state.
Is there a waitlist?
There is no waitlist to become an Individual Provider. Whether the client gets services depends on their program; CFC and MPC have no waitlist.
How to apply for CDWA
- Make sure the person you care for has applied for Apple Health long-term services and had a CARE assessment.
- Apply to CDWA as an Individual Provider at consumerdirectwa.com (free in-person hiring support appointments are offered).
- Complete the background check, the 5-hour orientation and safety course, and CDWA hiring paperwork.
- Start working the authorized hours and finish the remaining training (most family caregivers need 35 hours total) within 120 days.
- Consumer Direct Care Network Washington (CDWA) · 866-214-9899 · official site
- DSHS — Becoming a Paid Caregiver · not published on this page · official site
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CDWA questions
Who actually pays me as a family Individual Provider?
CDWA. It runs payroll, withholds taxes and offers union benefits. Your family member does not pay you directly.
How many hours a week can I work as an IP?
Most Individual Providers who started after January 2016 have a 40-hour work week limit. No permanent limit can be more than 65 hours. Temporary increases are possible only for specific reasons in the rules.
Do I have to join the union?
Individual Providers are covered by the SEIU 775 contract, which sets wages and benefits. Ask CDWA or SEIU 775 about membership and dues choices.
Can I be paid to care for my spouse as an IP?
No. DSHS does not pay spouses as Individual Providers. A spouse may be paid through Veteran Directed Care if the person is a qualifying veteran, or through the WA Cares Fund.
What training does a family IP need?
Most paid family caregivers need 35 hours, starting with a 5-hour orientation and safety course before working. Some relationships have different requirements under WAC 388-71-0523.
Sources: dshs.wa.gov · dshs.wa.gov · consumerdirectwa.com · seiu775.org · dshs.wa.gov · Updated 2026-10-08. Program rules change — always confirm with the program.
Where most Washington caregivers are
Counties with the most residents aged 65 and older. The rules are the same everywhere in Washington — pick yours for the local picture.
Across the line
States that border Washington
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.