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Massachusetts Adult Foster Care (Structured Family Caregiving)

Massachusetts's Adult Foster Care (AFC) program pays family caregivers a daily stipend through MassHealth to provide live-in care to MassHealth-eligible members aged 16+ with a medical or mental condition who need physical assistance or cueing and supervision. The caregiver must live with the care recipient. Spouses and legal guardians may NOT serve as caregivers. Daily rates are tiered by level of need.

Pays family caregivers a tax-free daily stipend for providing live-in care to MassHealth-eligible members aged 16+ with a medical or mental condition who need physical assistance or cueing and supervision. The caregiver must live with the care recipient. Spouses and legal guardians may NOT serve as caregivers. Known as Adult Foster Care (AFC). Income and asset eligibility are determined through the member's MassHealth coverage pathway, not a standalone AFC-specific financial test.

Eligibility

  • U.S. citizenship or qualified immigrant status required
  • Care recipient must have a qualifying disability
  • Care recipient age: at least 16
  • Must live with care recipient

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 Massachusetts? — Residency is usually the first thing a program checks.
  • What are the current income and asset limits, and whose income counts?
  • Is the person receiving care in the covered age range (16 or older)?
  • What counts as a qualifying disability or level of care need, and what documentation shows it?
  • Which citizenship or immigration statuses does the program accept, and which documents show it?
  • Do you need to live with the person receiving care, and how is that verified?
  • 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

Pays family caregivers a tax-free daily stipend for providing live-in care to MassHealth-eligible members aged 16+ with a medical or mental condition who need physical assistance or cueing and supervision. The caregiver must live with the care recipient. Spouses and legal guardians may NOT serve as caregivers. Known as Adult Foster Care (AFC). Income and asset eligibility are determined through the member's MassHealth coverage pathway, not a standalone AFC-specific financial test.

How to apply

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

  • medicaid (depends_on): Care recipient must be MassHealth (Medicaid) eligible
  • hcbs-waivers (companion): AFC is a MassHealth state-plan service; financial eligibility depends on the member's MassHealth coverage pathway