In Minnesota, you can be paid to care for a parent, spouse or other relative at home through the state's Medicaid home-care benefits. Community First Services and Supports (CFSS) pays a support worker the person chooses, including a family member, to help with daily tasks like bathing, eating and grooming., Minnesota CFSS family caregiver pay starts with an assessment: ask your county or tribal nation for one.

Who Can Get Minnesota CFSS Family Caregiver Pay?

CFSS is a Minnesota Medical Assistance program run by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. CFSS began on Oct. 1, 2024, and replaces PCA and the Consumer Support Grant (CSG) as people reach their yearly reassessment. DHS says people can "Have family members and people using CFSS serve as your workers."

Your relationship Can you be paid?
Adult child or other family member Yes, unless you hold a barred role below
Spouse Only for tasks beyond ordinary care, up to 60 hours in seven days
The person's CFSS representative No
Paid legal guardian No
Licensed foster care provider Only if you live in the same home
Relative who lives with the person Not stated; ask the program
Power of attorney Not stated; ask the program

For adult children, the representative bar matters most: a person who can't direct their own care needs a CFSS representative, and that representative can't also be the paid CFSS worker.

The Rules for Paying a Spouse

DHS's manual says a spouse or a minor's parent can be paid to help "with tasks beyond what is considered ordinary responsibility" in PCA, the CFSS agency model and the CFSS budget model.

  • Hours: Minn. Stat. 256B.85 limits a paid spouse to 60 hours of medical assistance home and community-based services in a seven-day period.
  • Budget-model pay cap: a spouse's wages, benefits and payroll taxes together can't exceed the established CFSS unit rate.
  • Review: in CFSS, the case manager or care coordinator reviews a spouse's services every six months.

Does Your Parent Qualify for CFSS?

CFSS uses PCA's eligibility rules. To qualify for CFSS, your parent must:

Unlike CSG, CFSS serves people on a waiver, on Alternative Care, or 65 or older in a managed care organization. CFSS covers the same main services as PCA, including health-related tasks, shopping, cooking and laundry.

Agency Model or Budget Model: Who Is the Employer?

In both models your parent has a say in choosing the worker, including a spouse.

Agency model Budget model
Employer The agency recruits, hires, trains, supervises and pays workers Your parent hires, trains and supervises, with a financial management services (FMS) provider handling payroll
What's authorized The same number of units they would have had under PCA A budget instead of units
Your parent's job Finalize the plan; review and approve your time records Run the employer duties below

An agency must make a reasonable effort to honor a request for a preferred worker, so ask it to hire you. Budget-model employer duties include confirming worker competency, setting the pay rate, following the FMS provider's hour-verification process, and complying with the SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa collective bargaining agreement. Both models get a state worker training and development budget.

What Minnesota CFSS Family Caregiver Pay Looks Like

This is real income you can plan around: effective Jan. 1, 2026, DHS requires CFSS budget-model and PCA Choice workers to be paid at least $20.00 an hour. Minnesota's 2026 CFSS budget-model and PCA Choice wage floor steps up with total PCA or CFSS hours worked since July 1, 2017: $20.90 an hour after 1,000 hours, $21.40 after 2,000, $22.10 after 6,000 and $22.90 after 10,000, so a returning worker may start above $20.00. Budget-model employers may always pay more.

In the CFSS agency model, ask the agency what it pays. Minnesota Medical Assistance's CFSS reimbursement rate, $6.22 to $7.01 per 15 minutes from Oct. 1, 2026, is what the program pays for the service, not your wage.

How to Start Getting Paid Through CFSS

1
Step 1

Make sure your parent has Medical Assistance

; see how to apply for Minnesota Medicaid.

2
Step 2

Call your county or tribal nation

for a CFSS assessment. Minnesota Aging Pathways, 800-333-2433, can point you to local help.,

3
Step 3

Choose a model

an agency that will hire you, or the budget model with an FMS provider.

4
Step 4

Settle the roles

the paid worker can't hold a barred role from the table above.

5
Step 5

Get hired and log your hours

with the agency or FMS provider.,

If Your Family Uses the Consumer Support Grant

CSG is closed to new families. Current users move to CFSS at their next assessment, with six months of CSG authorized while they decide. DHS states: "All people must transition to CFSS by Sept. 30, 2027." CSG pays only the state share (roughly PCA units times the PCA rate, divided by two), and DHS says that in the budget model, "The person's CFSS budget will be approximately twice as large as it was in CSG."

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my parent need workers' compensation if I'm the worker?

In the CFSS budget model, your parent's budget can pay workers' compensation premiums, and the FMS provider must help obtain that coverage if needed. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry says a patient who hires their own child isn't required to insure that child, but must insure a cousin or grandchild. See workers' comp for family caregivers.

Is CFSS pay taxable?

Maybe. IRS Notice 2014-7 covers payments under a state Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services waiver; CFSS and CSG aren't established as excludable by it alone, so ask a tax preparer. See whether Medicaid caregiver payments are taxable.

Learn More

CaregiverHow to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in MinnesotaHow to get paid to care for a family member in Minnesota in 2026: CFSS budget and agency models that pay a spouse or parent, plus CDCS and VA options. CaregiverHow to Get Paid to Care for Your Spouse in MinnesotaCan you get paid to care for your spouse in Minnesota? Yes, within limits, through CFSS or CDCS, plus the VA. See the hour cap, pay floor and how to apply. CaregiverCaregiver Programs in MinnesotaEvery caregiver program in Minnesota: CFSS paid pathways (spouses can be paid), Elderly Waiver, respite, NFCSP grants, VA benefits, and taxes for 2026. MedicaidHow to Apply for Minnesota MedicaidHow to apply for Minnesota Medicaid in 2026: the MNsure online application, paper forms DHS-6696 and DHS-3876, why ApplyMN isn't listed, documents, and appeals.

Find personalized help getting paid as a CFSS support worker in Minnesota 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.

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