Get Paid to Care for a Family Member in Michigan

Yes, you can get paid to take care of a family member in Michigan. The main route is the Medicaid Home Help program, which pays adult children, relatives, and friends to provide personal care at home. The MI Choice Waiver offers a second path for loved ones with higher needs. Supportive Solutions Homecare helps you enroll and get paid.

On this page

1. Can you get paid to take care of a family member in Michigan?
2. Which Michigan programs pay family caregivers?
3. Who can be the paid caregiver?
4. Requirements for paid family caregivers in Michigan
5. Steps to get paid as a family caregiver in Michigan
6. How much will you earn?
7. Already caring for someone, or want to become a caregiver?
8. Paid family caregiving across Michigan
9. Frequently asked questions

Can you get paid to take care of a family member in Michigan?

You can. Michigan is one of the states that lets a Medicaid recipient choose their own caregiver, including a relative, and pays that caregiver directly for approved hours. The state calls this an individual provider arrangement.

The idea is simple. If your mother, father, grandparent, adult sibling, or adult child already needs help with bathing, dressing, meals, or getting around, the state would rather pay you to provide that care than pay for a nursing home. You keep your loved one at home, and you receive income for work you may already be doing for free.

The pay comes from Medicaid, not from your loved one’s savings or Social Security check, so their benefits are not reduced.

Which Michigan programs pay family caregivers?

Two Medicaid programs make up almost all paid family caregiving in Michigan. A third option exists for veterans.

Medicaid Home Help

The Michigan Home Help program is run by MDHHS and is the starting point for most families. It pays for hands-on personal care and household tasks. There is no waiting list, no age limit, and the person receiving care picks the caregiver. Hours are approved after an in-home assessment by an Adult Services Worker.

MI Choice Waiver

The MI Choice Waiver serves adults who need a nursing-home level of care but want to stay home. It is applied for through regional waiver agencies, including Area Agencies on Aging, and includes a self-determination option that lets the participant hire and direct their own caregivers, including family members. MI Choice covers more services than Home Help but may have a waiting list in some regions.

Veterans programs

If your loved one is a veteran, the VA offers benefits such as Aid and Attendance and the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. These run separately from Medicaid, and our enrollment services focus on the two Medicaid programs.

Who can be the paid caregiver?

Michigan’s rules are broader than many families expect. The care recipient chooses the provider, and MDHHS approves that person as long as they meet the basic provider requirements.

Can my daughter or son be paid to be my caregiver?

Yes. Adult children are the most common paid family caregivers in Michigan. Your son or daughter does not need to live with you, and they can keep another job as long as they complete and log the approved care hours.

Can I get paid to take care of my elderly mother or father?

Yes. If your parent has Michigan Medicaid and needs hands-on help with at least one daily activity, you can be approved as their Home Help provider. The same rule applies to grandparents, aunts, uncles, and in-laws. If your parent is not on Medicaid yet, start with our free Medicaid eligibility check to see whether they are likely to qualify.

Can my wife or husband take care of me and get paid?

Under Home Help, no. MDHHS does not pay spouses as individual providers, and it does not pay parents to care for a child under 18.

The MI Choice Waiver is more flexible. Its self-determination option may allow a spouse to be hired in some situations, depending on the waiver agency and the care plan. If you are a spouse who wants to be paid, ask about MI Choice first, and consider whether another relative could serve as the Home Help provider in the meantime.

Can a friend or neighbor be a paid Home Help provider?

Yes. You do not have to be related. A trusted friend, neighbor, or member of your church or mosque can be your Home Help provider if they are 18 or older, pass the background check, and enroll in CHAMPS.

Will Social Security or Medicare pay me to care for my parents?

No. Social Security pays retirement and disability benefits to the person who earned them, not to a caregiver. Medicare covers short-term skilled home health after a hospital stay, but it does not pay family members for daily personal care. The program that actually pays family caregivers in Michigan is Medicaid, through Home Help and MI Choice.

Requirements for paid family caregivers in Michigan

There are two sets of requirements: one for the person receiving care, and one for you as the caregiver.

The care recipient must:

• Have active Michigan Medicaid (or qualify for it)
• Need hands-on help with at least one activity of daily living
• Have a medical needs form signed by a doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner
• Live in their own home, an apartment, or with family, not in a facility

The caregiver must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Have a valid Social Security number and be legally able to work in the United States
• Pass a criminal background check
• Not be the care recipient’s spouse, or the parent of a care recipient under 18 (Home Help rule)
• Enroll as a provider in CHAMPS using a MiLogin account
• Use electronic visit verification (EVV) to record each visit

You do not need a CNA license, a home health aide certificate, or any formal training to be paid as a family caregiver. Certain criminal convictions can disqualify you, and MDHHS reviews each case. If you have a record, call us before applying and we will tell you honestly whether it is likely to be a problem.

Steps to get paid as a family caregiver in Michigan

Here is the process most families follow. When you enroll through Supportive Solutions Homecare, we handle steps 2 through 5 with you.

1. Check eligibility. Confirm that your loved one has Michigan Medicaid or is likely to qualify, and that they need hands-on help with daily tasks. Our online eligibility check takes about two minutes.
2. Request a Home Help assessment. Contact the MDHHS office in your loved one’s county and ask for Adult Services. Tell them you want to be the caregiver. An Adult Services Worker will schedule an in-home visit.
3. Get the medical form signed. Take the MDHHS medical needs form to your loved one’s doctor. Do this right away, because waiting on the doctor is the most common delay.
4. Complete the assessment. The worker reviews each daily task and approves a monthly number of care hours. Describe what a hard day looks like, not just an easy one.
5. Enroll in CHAMPS and set up EVV. Create a MiLogin account, complete the CHAMPS provider application, and clear the background check. Once approved, the worker links you to your loved one’s case and you begin logging visits.
6. Receive your first payment. After your approval date, you are paid for verified hours on the state’s regular payment schedule.

How long does Home Help approval take?

Timelines vary by county and caseload. Families who have the medical form signed quickly and complete CHAMPS without errors are approved fastest. Missing signatures, a CHAMPS application under the wrong name, or a background check that needs follow-up can add significant delay. Our step-by-step post on how to get paid to take care of a family member in Michigan lists the mistakes that slow approval.

How much will you earn?

Your pay depends on two things: the hourly rate MDHHS sets and the number of hours approved in the assessment. Through Supportive Solutions, caregivers earn a minimum of $18 per hour.

Hours are tied to your loved one’s needs. Someone who needs help with bathing, dressing, meals, and toileting every day will be approved for far more hours than someone who needs help with bathing a few times a week.

Does the pay differ through an agency versus as an individual provider?

MDHHS pays agencies a higher hourly rate than individual providers because the agency takes on payroll, taxes, training, supervision, and EVV compliance. When you work through Supportive Solutions Homecare, you become our employee, we bill Medicaid, and we pay you a wage for the approved hours. In exchange, you never deal with CHAMPS paperwork, missed EVV visits, or state payment delays on your own.

The full breakdown of rates, hours, payment dates, and taxes is on our Michigan family caregiver pay rate page.

Already caring for someone, or want to become a caregiver?

Families come to us from two directions. Pick the one that describes you.

I am already caring for a family member

You are the right fit for Home Help or MI Choice. Your loved one is the client, you are the caregiver, and our job is to get the care you already provide approved and paid. Start with the eligibility check, then we will schedule a call to review Medicaid status, gather the medical form, and prepare your CHAMPS enrollment. You are already doing the work. We make sure the state pays for it.

I want to become a paid caregiver

If you do not have a specific family member to care for, or you want to care for others in addition to your relative, you can join Supportive Solutions Homecare as a caregiver. We match you with Medicaid clients who need personal care, provide training, and handle all billing. Visit become a paid caregiver to apply.

Paid family caregiving across Michigan

Supportive Solutions Homecare helps people get paid to take care of a family member in Michigan every week, enrolling caregivers in Detroit, Dearborn, Warren, Sterling Heights, Ann Arbor, Flint, Lansing, and Grand Rapids. Our team works in English, Arabic and Spanish.

Frequently asked questions

Can a family member get paid to be a caregiver in Michigan?

Yes. Michigan Medicaid’s Home Help program pays family members to provide personal care at home, and the MI Choice Waiver does the same for people with higher needs. The person receiving care must have Medicaid and need hands-on help with daily tasks. The caregiver must be 18 or older, pass a background check, and enroll in CHAMPS.

Can my daughter or son be paid to be my caregiver?

Yes. Adult children are the most common paid caregivers under Michigan Home Help. Your son or daughter does not need to live with you or hold any caregiving license. They need to be at least 18, pass the MDHHS background check, and complete CHAMPS provider enrollment. They can keep another job as long as they complete the approved hours.

Can my wife or husband take care of me and get paid?

Not under Home Help. MDHHS does not pay spouses as individual providers. The MI Choice Waiver’s self-determination option may allow a spouse to be hired in some cases, depending on the waiver agency and care plan. Many couples choose an adult child or other relative as the Home Help provider while exploring MI Choice.

Can I get paid to take care of my elderly mother or father in Michigan?

Yes. If your parent has Michigan Medicaid and needs hands-on help with bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, or moving around, you can be approved as their paid Home Help provider. If your parent has Medicare but not Medicaid, check whether they qualify for Medicaid first, since Medicare does not pay family caregivers.

Can a friend or neighbor be a paid Home Help provider?

Yes. Michigan does not require the caregiver to be a relative. A friend, neighbor, or member of your community can be your Home Help provider if they are 18 or older, have a Social Security number, pass the criminal background check, and enroll in CHAMPS. The care recipient chooses the provider and MDHHS approves them.

Will Social Security or Medicare pay me to care for my parents?

No. Social Security pays benefits to the retiree or disabled person, not to caregivers. Medicare covers short-term skilled nursing and therapy at home after an illness, not ongoing help from family. In Michigan, the program that pays family caregivers is Medicaid, through Home Help and the MI Choice Waiver.