How to Become a Paid Caregiver in Michigan (Family or Agency)

To become a paid caregiver in Michigan, you can either get paid through Medicaid’s Home Help program to care for a family member or friend, or join Supportive Solutions Homecare as an agency caregiver. Both paths require you to be 18 or older, pass a background check and enroll through the state’s CHAMPS system. Supportive Solutions guides you through every step.

On this page

1. Two ways to become a paid caregiver in Michigan
2. What are the requirements to be a paid caregiver in Michigan?
3. How do you enroll as a Home Help caregiver? (CHAMPS and EVV steps)
4. How much does a paid caregiver make in Michigan?
5. How Supportive Solutions helps you get started
6. Frequently asked questions

Two ways to become a paid caregiver in Michigan

Most people who search for caregiver jobs in Michigan fall into one of two groups. Pick the path that fits your situation, and we will handle the paperwork either way.

Path 1: Get paid to care for someone you already know

If you are already helping a parent, spouse, grandparent, adult child or neighbor with bathing, dressing, meals or medication, Michigan’s Home Help program can pay you for that care. Your loved one must have Medicaid and need hands-on help with daily activities.

You become the “individual provider” for that one person. You are paid through MDHHS, and Supportive Solutions helps with the eligibility check, the assessment and your CHAMPS enrollment. Start with our get paid to care for a family member page, or read the full step-by-step guide.

Path 2: Join Supportive Solutions as an agency caregiver

If you want to care for clients you have not met yet, you can join our team. We match caregivers with families in your area who need personal care, companionship, respite or dementia support.

Agency caregivers get scheduled shifts, training, supervision and a team to call when questions come up. Open roles and application details are on our caregiver careers page.

Question	Family or friend caregiver (Home Help)	Agency caregiver (Supportive Solutions)
Who do you care for?	One person you already know	Clients we match you with
Who pays you?	MDHHS, through Home Help	Supportive Solutions Homecare
Hours	Set by the MDHHS assessment for your loved one	Scheduled shifts, part time or full time
License needed?	No	No; training provided
Enrollment	CHAMPS individual provider plus EVV	Agency onboarding, background check and EVV

What are the requirements to be a paid caregiver in Michigan?

MDHHS sets the rules for Home Help individual providers, and our agency follows the same baseline. To be approved you generally must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Be legally allowed to work in the United States and have a Social Security number.
• Pass a criminal history background check through MDHHS.
• Not appear on the federal or state excluded-provider lists.
• Be physically able to do the tasks in the care plan, such as lifting, bathing and transfers.
• Complete CHAMPS provider enrollment and agree to use EVV for every visit.
• Live close enough to provide care on the authorized schedule. Living in the same home is allowed.

For the family path, your loved one must also qualify. Use the Medicaid eligibility checker to see whether they meet the Medicaid and functional-need rules before you apply.

What disqualifies you?

The most common reasons MDHHS turns down a caregiver are:

• A conviction for a crime listed as disqualifying by MDHHS, such as abuse, neglect, fraud or certain violent offenses. Some older or lesser offenses may be reviewed case by case.
• Being the care recipient’s legal guardian or holding a power of attorney in a way that conflicts with program rules. Ask us; this is not always a bar.
• Being under 18, or being the care recipient’s spouse where a specific program restricts spousal pay (Home Help itself allows spouses).
• Refusing the background check or leaving required CHAMPS fields blank.
• Being listed on an excluded-provider database or having had a prior Medicaid provider status revoked.

Our post on what disqualifies you from being a caregiver in Michigan explains each rule and how to fix common problems.

How do you enroll as a Home Help caregiver? (CHAMPS and EVV steps)

Enrollment runs through two state systems: CHAMPS (the Community Health Automated Medicaid Processing System) for provider registration and EVV for visit tracking. Here is the order that works.

1. Confirm your loved one qualifies. They need active Michigan Medicaid and a need for hands-on help with daily activities. Run the eligibility check, or call us and we will do it with you.
2. Request a Home Help assessment. An MDHHS adult services worker visits the home, scores the tasks your loved one needs help with and authorizes a number of hours per month.
3. Create a MiLogin account. MiLogin is the state’s single sign-in. You will use it to reach CHAMPS.
4. Complete CHAMPS individual provider enrollment. Enter your identity, address, tax and direct-deposit details, and consent to the background check. Our CHAMPS enrollment guide walks through each screen.
5. Get linked to your client. The adult services worker connects your provider record to your loved one’s case and confirms the authorized hours.
6. Set up EVV. Michigan requires Electronic Visit Verification for Home Help. You clock in and out from a phone app or the client’s phone line so each visit is verified. See our EVV guide for Michigan caregivers.
7. Start care and submit your time. Once EVV records your visits, MDHHS pays you on the state’s payment schedule.

Supportive Solutions handles the forms, follows up with the county office and fixes CHAMPS errors so you are not waiting on a rejected application.

How much does a paid caregiver make in Michigan?

Pay depends on which path you choose and, for Home Help, on the hours MDHHS authorizes for your loved one.

Home Help individual providers

MDHHS pays individual providers an hourly rate it sets each year. Through Supportive Solutions, caregivers earn a minimum of $18 per hour. Your monthly pay is the rate multiplied by the authorized hours, so a plan authorizing 60 hours a month would pay at least $1,080 a month before any taxes.

Many family caregivers who live with the person they care for can treat Home Help pay as difficulty-of-care payments under IRS Notice 2014-7, which may make it exempt from federal income tax. Ask a tax professional and see irs.gov.

Agency caregivers

Supportive Solutions pays agency caregivers an hourly wage that reflects experience, certifications and the type of care. We share the current wage range with you during your interview. Some Michigan agencies also advertise sign-on bonuses of around $200; ask us about current incentives.

Full pay details, monthly examples and the CHAMPS payment schedule are on our family caregiver pay rate page.

How Supportive Solutions helps you get started

We are a Michigan-only home care agency based in metro Detroit. Families and caregivers in Detroit, Dearborn, Warren, Sterling Heights, Ann Arbor, Flint, Lansing and Grand Rapids work with us because we:

• Check eligibility and explain the Home Help and MI Choice Waiver options in plain language.
• Prepare you for the assessment so authorized hours reflect the real care you provide.
• Complete CHAMPS and EVV setup with you, in English, Arabic or Spanish.
• Stay available after care starts for missed visits, hour changes and renewals.

Ready to apply? Fill out the caregiver application form on this page, email info@supportivesolutionshomecare.com or call (313) 977-6888. If you are not sure which path fits, our how it works page shows the full process from eligibility check to first paycheck.

Frequently asked questions

What disqualifies you from being a caregiver in Michigan?

MDHHS can deny a Home Help provider for a disqualifying criminal conviction such as abuse, neglect, fraud or a serious violent offense, for appearing on an excluded-provider list, for being under 18, or for refusing the background check. Some guardianship and power-of-attorney arrangements also need review. Many issues can be cleared up with documentation, so ask us before you assume you are barred.

Do I need a certification or CNA license to be paid?

No. Michigan’s Home Help program does not require a CNA license, a nursing degree or a state caregiver certificate to be paid as an individual provider. You need to be 18 or older, pass the background check and complete CHAMPS enrollment. Supportive Solutions provides training on safe transfers, personal care and EVV so you feel confident on day one.

Can I keep another job while being a paid caregiver?

Yes. Home Help pays only for the hours MDHHS authorizes, and you can provide those hours around another job as long as the care plan is met and every visit is logged in EVV. Many family caregivers work mornings or evenings and keep a second job. Agency caregivers can also choose part-time shifts that fit an existing schedule.

Can I be paid to care for my spouse or parent?

Yes. Michigan’s Home Help program allows spouses, adult children, other relatives, friends and neighbors to be paid individual providers. The person you care for must have Medicaid and need help with daily activities, and you must pass the background check. Rules differ under the MI Choice Waiver, so tell us which program your loved one is in.

How long does it take to become a paid caregiver in Michigan?

The timeline depends on whether your loved one already has Medicaid, how quickly the county schedules the assessment and how fast CHAMPS processes your enrollment. Complete, accurate applications move fastest. Supportive Solutions tracks each step and follows up with the county office so delays are caught early rather than discovered weeks later.

Do I have to live with the person I care for?

No. Home Help pays live-in and live-out caregivers. You only need to be able to provide the authorized hours on the agreed schedule and log each visit through EVV. Living together can affect how your pay is treated for taxes under IRS Notice 2014-7, so mention your living arrangement when you enroll.