What is the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders?
The Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) is a state Department of Social Services (DSS) program that helps Connecticut residents age 65 and older who are at risk of nursing home placement receive care in their own home instead. It funds services such as personal care assistance, homemaker help, adult day care, home-delivered meals, and home health, with the goal of keeping people in the community for as long as it is safe to do so.
For families who want to be paid, the important thing to understand is how CHCPE now connects to Community First Choice (CFC). CHCPE no longer runs its own self-directed option; instead, a person enrolled in the Medicaid-funded side of CHCPE can self-direct their personal care through Connecticut Medicaid Community First Choice. CFC lets the Medicaid member (or a chosen representative) hire, train, schedule, and supervise their own personal care attendant, and a friend or relative such as an adult child can be that paid attendant.
A second path under CHCPE is Adult Family Living (AFL), sometimes called adult foster care. Under AFL, an eligible older adult lives with a caregiver, and the caregiver receives a monthly stipend to provide 24/7 supervision, personal care, and homemaker services in the shared home. AFL is popular with adult children who already live with (or are willing to move in with) a parent, because the payment is generally treated as tax-free difficulty-of-care income and it is administered through a sponsoring agency that handles the paperwork.
CHCPE has both a Medicaid-funded track (a 1915(c) waiver and a 1915(i) state plan benefit) and a state-funded track for people whose income or assets are slightly too high for Medicaid. Community First Choice, which is what makes paid self-directed family care possible, is a Medicaid entitlement, so anyone who meets the clinical and financial rules is guaranteed services with no waiting list.
Connecticut Home Care and Community First Choice eligibility
To open a paid family-caregiver arrangement, the person receiving care must qualify for the program clinically and financially. The caregiver does not need to meet income or asset limits. Because paid self-directed care runs through Community First Choice, the person almost always needs to be on Medicaid (HUSKY C), not just the state-funded home care track.
Who can - and cannot - be paid in Connecticut
Connecticut lets a Medicaid member choose most family members and friends as a paid personal care attendant under Community First Choice, or as a live-in caregiver under Adult Family Living. The one relationship consistently excluded is the spouse (and other legally liable relatives).
- Adult children (age 18 and older) of the person receiving care
- Siblings, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins
- In-laws and other relatives by marriage who are not the spouse
- Close friends, neighbors, or trusted community members
- A live-in adult child or relative through Adult Family Living, who receives a monthly stipend
- More than one attendant - the member can split hours across, for example, two adult children
- The spouse of the person receiving care (excluded as a legally liable relative)
- A legal guardian or conservator of the person receiving care
- A parent of a minor child receiving care (legally responsible relative)
- The person acting as the member's authorized representative when they are also the paid attendant (one person cannot fill both roles for the same member)
- For Adult Family Living, anyone who does not live in the same home as the care recipient
Connecticut caregiver pay, hours, and overtime
There are two very different pay structures depending on which path you use. Community First Choice pays an hourly wage to a personal care attendant, negotiated up to a state maximum. Adult Family Living instead pays the live-in caregiver a monthly stipend that is generally tax-free.
Hourly pay
Under Community First Choice and the related Personal Care Attendant (PCA) program, the member and attendant negotiate the hourly wage up to a state-approved maximum. In 2026 that typically works out to roughly $16.50 to $22 per hour, in line with Connecticut's minimum wage and regional home care rates, with room to request more for special skills or language needs subject to state approval. Attendants are W-2 employees whose taxes are withheld by a fiscal intermediary. Under Adult Family Living, the caregiver instead receives a monthly stipend that is set by the care recipient's assessed level of care and is generally treated as tax-free difficulty-of-care income; reported amounts commonly run up to around $2,400 to $2,700 per month for the highest care levels.
Hours and scheduling
Community First Choice hours are authorized by the care manager based on the person's assessed needs, so a person with heavier needs is approved for more weekly hours. Many members receive somewhere between 20 and 40 hours per week, and higher-need cases can receive more. Because CFC is a Medicaid entitlement, there is no waiting list once eligibility is confirmed. Adult Family Living is not paid by the hour at all - the caregiver provides around-the-clock supervision in the shared home in exchange for the monthly stipend.
Overtime rules
For hourly Community First Choice attendants, federal Fair Labor Standards Act overtime rules apply: an attendant who works more than 40 hours in a single workweek for one member is generally entitled to 1.5 times their regular rate. The fiscal intermediary manages overtime and payroll compliance, and many families schedule two attendants to keep each under 40 hours. Adult Family Living has no overtime because it pays a flat monthly stipend rather than hourly wages.
How to apply for Connecticut Home Care and Community First Choice
- Start an application for the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders and confirm (or apply for) Connecticut Medicaid. You can apply for CHCPE online, download the forms from the DSS portal, or call the Community Options Unit at 1-800-445-5394 and select option 4. Because paid self-directed family care runs through Community First Choice, which requires HUSKY C, apply for HUSKY through DSS at 1-855-626-6632 if you are not already enrolled.
- Gather proof of age, Connecticut residency, and identity
- Gather proof of income and assets (bank statements, benefit letters)
- Note any long-term-care insurance or Medicare coverage
- Complete the in-home functional assessment. A care manager from an access agency or Area Agency on Aging visits to evaluate activities of daily living and confirm a nursing facility level of care.
- Be ready to describe help needed with bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, and eating
- The assessment determines both eligibility and the hours or care level authorized
- Choose your path with your care manager: Community First Choice self-direction (hourly personal care attendant you hire and supervise) or Adult Family Living (a monthly stipend for a live-in caregiver through a sponsoring agency).
- Enroll your chosen caregiver with the fiscal intermediary. The intermediary handles employment paperwork, background checks, tax withholding, and paychecks so you are not personally running payroll.
- Federal I-9 employment verification and W-4 tax forms
- Background check and any required health screening
- Direct deposit setup for the attendant
- Submit time sheets (for hourly CFC) or maintain AFL documentation each period. The member or representative approves the hours worked, and the fiscal intermediary issues payment, typically on a regular payroll cycle.
- Renew each year. CHCPE and CFC authorizations are reviewed annually with a fresh assessment to confirm continued eligibility and adjust hours or care level if needs have changed.
Connecticut Home Care Program frequently asked questions
Can my spouse be paid to care for me in Connecticut?
No. Connecticut excludes spouses (and other legally liable relatives) from being paid as a personal care attendant under Community First Choice, and spouses are also excluded from serving as the paid caregiver under Adult Family Living. The state treats spousal caregiving as a legal duty that Medicaid dollars are not meant to replace. The good news is that most other relationships are allowed: adult children, siblings, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and close friends can all be hired and paid. If you specifically need a spouse to receive some compensation and the person is a veteran, look into VA programs such as Veteran Directed Care, which can pay a spouse in some situations. For everyone else, the practical answer is to have a non-spouse relative fill the paid role.
How much does Connecticut pay a family caregiver in 2026?
It depends on the path. Under Community First Choice (the hourly, self-directed personal care attendant model), the member and attendant negotiate a wage up to a state-approved maximum, which in 2026 generally lands around $16.50 to $22 per hour in line with Connecticut minimum wage and regional home care rates. Attendants are W-2 employees, so income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes are withheld by the fiscal intermediary. Under Adult Family Living, the caregiver instead receives a monthly stipend tied to the care recipient's assessed level of care; reported amounts commonly run up to roughly $2,400 to $2,700 per month at the higher care levels, and this stipend is generally treated as tax-free. The exact figure in either path comes out of the care manager's assessment, so treat these as ranges, not guarantees.
How long does approval take in Connecticut?
Plan for roughly 60 to 120 days from start to finish, though it varies. The main steps are the Medicaid (HUSKY C) determination, the in-home functional assessment by a care manager, and enrolling your caregiver with the fiscal intermediary. If the person is already on HUSKY C, things move faster because you skip the Medicaid application, which on its own can add several weeks. Because Community First Choice is a Medicaid entitlement, there is no waiting list once you qualify, which removes a delay that other states impose. You can speed things up by gathering documents in advance: proof of age and Connecticut residency, identification, Social Security information, and proof of income and assets. Calling the Community Options Unit at 1-800-445-5394, option 4, early in the process helps you avoid missed paperwork.
What training does a Connecticut caregiver need?
For Community First Choice, you do not need to be a Certified Nursing Assistant, Home Health Aide, or any licensed professional to be hired as a personal care attendant. The whole point of self-direction is that the member (or their representative) trains the attendant on the specific tasks they need. There are onboarding requirements handled through the fiscal intermediary, typically a background check, employment paperwork such as an I-9 and W-4, and sometimes a basic health screening, but there is no clinical exam or skills test. Adult Family Living caregivers similarly do not need a nursing credential; the sponsoring agency provides oversight, training, and support, and the caregiver must pass a background check and a home safety review. This makes both paths accessible to family members who have been informally caregiving for years.
What is the difference between Community First Choice and Adult Family Living?
They are two different ways to get paid, and you generally pick one. Community First Choice (CFC) is an hourly, self-directed model: the Medicaid member hires a personal care attendant, sets the schedule, and the attendant is paid an hourly wage as a W-2 employee. It works whether or not the caregiver lives with the member. Adult Family Living (AFL) is a live-in model: the care recipient and caregiver share a home, and the caregiver receives a flat monthly stipend, generally tax-free, for providing around-the-clock supervision and personal care. CFC suits families who want an hourly wage and flexible hours, sometimes split across two attendants. AFL suits an adult child who already lives with a parent (or will move in) and prefers a predictable monthly payment. A care manager can help you decide which fits your situation.
Can I get paid if I live with my parent in Connecticut?
Yes, and living together can actually open the door to Adult Family Living. Under AFL, the caregiver must live in the same home as the care recipient, so cohabitation is a requirement rather than a barrier. In exchange for providing 24/7 supervision, personal care, and homemaker help in that shared home, the caregiver receives a monthly stipend that is generally tax-free and set by the recipient's assessed level of care. If you would rather be paid by the hour, you can instead use Community First Choice, which also allows a caregiver who lives with the person. The main relationships that cannot be paid either way are the spouse and a legal guardian or conservator. An adult child living with an aging parent is one of the most common and straightforward paid-caregiver setups in Connecticut.
Who administers the program and handles the paychecks?
The Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) Community Options Unit administers the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders and Community First Choice. Day to day, an access agency or Area Agency on Aging assigns a care manager who completes the in-home assessment, authorizes services, and helps you choose between the self-directed and Adult Family Living paths. The money side is handled by a fiscal intermediary (also called a financial management service). The intermediary enrolls your caregiver as an employee, runs background checks, withholds and files taxes, and issues the paychecks, so you are not personally responsible for payroll or tax filings. For AFL, a sponsoring agency plays a similar oversight and payment role. You approve the hours or maintain documentation; the intermediary or agency does the rest.
Does joining this program affect my other Medicaid benefits?
No. Enrolling in Community First Choice or the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders does not reduce your other HUSKY Health (Medicaid) benefits. You keep your doctor visits, hospital coverage, prescription drug benefits, durable medical equipment, and other covered services. These home care programs are one specific slice of long-term services and supports that sits alongside the rest of your Medicaid package. If you are also on Medicare, Medicare continues to cover acute care such as hospital stays, physician visits, and short-term skilled home health, while Medicaid covers the ongoing personal care through CFC or the AFL stipend. The two programs coordinate rather than cancel each other out, so adding paid family care does not put your regular medical coverage at risk.
See also: Connecticut caregiver guide
For all the ways to get paid to care for a family member in Connecticut — including CT Home Care Program, VA programs, long-term care insurance, and more — read the full Connecticut guide.