For Connecticut families caring for a parent at home, Adult Family Living, a service in two Medicaid home-care programs, may pay the parent's live-in caregiver a stipend. Draft rules from the Department of Social Services (DSS) let a live-in relative be paid if they are not a "legally liable relative," but an older Connecticut regulation bars relatives, so get DSS's answer before you count on Connecticut Adult Family Living caregiver pay.

In This Guide

Who Connecticut Adult Family Living Pays as a Caregiver

In Adult Family Living (AFL), a live-in caregiver gives personal care and support, such as homemaker, chore and attendant services and meal preparation. The caregiver moves in with the older adult, or the older adult moves in with the caregiver. The draft PCA Waiver doesn't tie AFL to who owns the home. An intermediary agency authorized by the state oversees the care and trains and supports the caregiver.

DSS's waiver renewal drafts for the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE), from September 2025, and the PCA Waiver, posted in April 2024, both say: "The direct provider may be a relative of the client as long as they are not a legally liable relative." Our sources don't show that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved either.,

Your relationship to the person Can you be the paid AFL caregiver?
Adult child or other relative who lives in the home Only if not a "legally liable relative" (draft rules)
Friend who lives in the home Yes, if program rules are met
Spouse Ask DSS (the PCA draft doesn't show Connecticut's rule)
Relative of the person's conservator No, under the CHCPE draft

The older CHCPE regulation, Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies (RCSA) section 17b-342-2(f) (effective 1998, amended 2010), describes AFL as care in a "private non-related family residence" and says the caregiver must not be the person's relative. Its definition of relative (RCSA 17b-342-1(b)(29)) covers spouses, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, in-laws and step-relatives. Ask DSS which rule applies.

Neither the CHCPE nor the PCA Waiver renewal draft defines "legally liable relative." For a spouse, the PCA draft's default rule above applies; see our guide to getting paid to care for your spouse in Connecticut.

The CHCPE draft also says DSS does not pay relatives of a Conservator of Person or Conservator of Estate to provide care, and family members must meet the same qualifications as unrelated providers. Whether a conservator can be paid personally isn't stated; see our guide to guardians as paid caregivers.

AFL differs from CHCPE personal care attendant services, where DSS says family members are "NOT eligible to be paid for taking care of relatives with very rare exceptions." The regulation also bars relatives from providing CHCPE chore, companion and homemaker services.

Does Your Parent Qualify for Adult Family Living?

AFL is a service under CHCPE and the PCA Waiver, so your parent must qualify for one: generally over 65 or with a disability, needing help with at least one activity of daily living, and meeting the income requirements.

Your parent must meet all four DSS requirements for CHCPE:

  • Be 65 or older
  • Live in Connecticut
  • Be at risk of nursing home placement, meaning they need help with critical needs such as bathing, dressing, eating, taking medications or toileting
  • Meet the program's financial eligibility criteria

Our CHCPE guide walks through each one.

A parent aged 18 to 64 would need the PCA Waiver, for which DSS requires significant need for hands-on help with at least two daily activities and meeting Medicaid's rules.

What Connecticut Adult Family Living Pays a Caregiver

Under Connecticut Adult Family Living, DSS rates how complex your parent's care is at one of four levels, and the stipend is based on that level. DSS's CHCPE page and the MyPlaceCT AFL page list no amount, so before you cut back at work, ask DSS or the intermediary agency for your parent's level and pay, in writing.

The AFL payment excludes room and board. If your parent lives in your home, the draft PCA Waiver leaves that amount for the two of you to agree on.

About $18.75 an hour is the May 2025 median wage for home health and personal care aides in Connecticut, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): a wage estimate, not a rate any program pays a family caregiver.

Since July 1, 2015, clients on the state-funded portion of CHCPE have owed a 9% copay under Public Act 15-5, and failing to pay it ends their CHCPE services.

How to Start Getting Paid Through Adult Family Living

1
Step 1

Contact DSS

The CHCPE page explains how to apply and reach the program.

2
Step 2

Ask for Adult Family Living by name

, under CHCPE or the PCA Waiver; MyPlaceCT's AFL page describes it.

3
Step 3

Ask the relationship question in writing

For example: "Can I, as her son, be the paid AFL caregiver, given the draft renewal's relative rule and RCSA 17b-342-2(f)?"

4
Step 4

Get your parent's DSS care level and stipend in writing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Adult Family Living stipend taxable?

The DSS-sponsored MyPlaceCT site calls the Connecticut Adult Family Living stipend non-taxable. See our guide on whether Medicaid waiver payments are taxable.

How many people can one Adult Family Living home serve?

One Connecticut Adult Family Living home can serve no more than 3 participants under the CHCPE renewal draft and no more than 4 under the PCA Waiver renewal draft.,

What if my parent is a veteran?

VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers pays an approved Primary Family Caregiver a monthly stipend, and a spouse, son or daughter can serve. The VA Caregiver Support Line is 1-855-260-3274, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

What if DSS says I can't be the AFL caregiver?

A written agreement between you and your parent is another route; our guide to personal care agreements explains how they work.

Learn More

CaregiverHow to Get Paid to Care for a Family Member in ConnecticutConnecticut's Adult Family Living pays a live-in caregiver, often a relative, a stipend. What DSS publishes on who can be hired, the costs, and VA routes. CaregiverHow to Get Paid to Care for Your Spouse in ConnecticutConnecticut Medicaid rarely pays a spouse as a caregiver, but the VA does. How PCAFC pays a husband or wife, and where VDC and Aid and Attendance fit. CaregiverCaregiver Programs in ConnecticutConnecticut caregiver programs for 2026: Adult Family Living stipends, Community First Choice, respite, NFCSP grants, VA benefits, how to apply, and taxes. MedicaidConnecticut Medicaid HCBS Waivers and the CHCPEConnecticut Medicaid HCBS waivers pay for home care through the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE): who qualifies, what it covers, how to apply. CaregiverRespite Care Options in ConnecticutA 2026 guide to respite care in Connecticut: NFCSP respite, the Statewide Respite Program, CHCPE and CFC home care, Adult Family Living, adult day and VA help. CaregiverPersonal Care AgreementsA personal care agreement lets a family pay a relative for caregiving without the money counting as a gift under Medicaid's look-back. What to include and why.

Find personalized help getting paid as a live-in Adult Family Living caregiver in Connecticut at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

Still have questions?

Brevy answers from this guide and every other guide here, and can check what you qualify for.

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Brevy Care Team

Expert eldercare guidance from Brevy's team of healthcare professionals and researchers.