National question: Can a family caregiver get paid? Official programs decide eligibility.

Connecticut Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Program / Community First Choice

Connecticut Community First Choice (CFC) lets active Medicaid members who can self-direct and meet institutional level of care receive personal attendant care and other in-home supports. Participants can choose certain family members or friends as staff, subject to exclusions. Connecticut also operates a separate Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Medicaid Waiver for eligible adults with disabilities.

Connecticut CFC provides self-directed personal attendant care and other home and community supports for active Medicaid members who can self-direct and meet institutional level of care. Services can include help with ADLs, IADLs, household tasks, community activities, education to manage in-home staff, and related supports. Participants may hire certain family members or friends, with exclusions discussed by the care manager; CFC materials identify spouses and people serving as health care representative, conservator, or guardian as excluded. The separate PCA Medicaid Waiver pays for personal care attendant support for adults ages 18-64 with long-term needs who can supervise the attendant or have a conservator; the 2025 DSS flyer notes that waiver has a waiting list.

Eligibility

• Care recipient must have a qualifying disability
• Relationship: spouse, parent, other relative

Questions to ask the program

These are questions to ask the program, not a verdict on your eligibility. Confirm the current rules directly with the program.

• Does the person receiving care live in Connecticut? — Residency is usually the first thing a program checks.
• Does your relationship to the person — spouse, parent, or other relative — count for this program?
• What counts as a qualifying disability or level of care need, and what documentation shows it?
• Is there a caregiver-specific department, coordinator, or support line? Ask for it by name. — Many agencies have one that isn’t advertised on the website.
• What documents do you need from us to start an application?
• Is there a waitlist right now, and how long is it?

Services

Connecticut CFC provides self-directed personal attendant care and other home and community supports for active Medicaid members who can self-direct and meet institutional level of care. Services can include help with ADLs, IADLs, household tasks, community activities, education to manage in-home staff, and related supports. Participants may hire certain family members or friends, with exclusions discussed by the care manager; CFC materials identify spouses and people serving as health care representative, conservator, or guardian as excluded. The separate PCA Medicaid Waiver pays for personal care attendant support for adults ages 18-64 with long-term needs who can supervise the attendant or have a conservator; the 2025 DSS flyer notes that waiver has a waiting list.

How to apply

• Apply electronically using the state's universal application (UApp) at ctmfp.com/cfc; paper UApps are also available. For assistance or to apply by phone, dial 2-1-1 (Option 3), Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM

Use the official program page for application details: official program page.