NJ Caregiver Programs 2026: Money, Hours, Respite, Legal

If you are caring for a parent, spouse, or aging loved one in New Jersey, you are not alone, and you are not on your own. New Jersey has roughly 1.76 million unpaid family caregivers providing 1.19 billion hours of care annually, valued at $28 billion at AARP's $23.68/hour replacement rate. The catch is that the help that exists for those caregivers is fragmented across a dozen state agencies, hundreds of statutes, and dozens of helplines. Most NJ family caregivers do not know what they qualify for, and even fewer know which program belongs in which sequence, so this guide maps the New Jersey caregiver programs by what you need first.

This guide is the 2026 directory of the New Jersey caregiver programs that actually pay or help you, not a brochure list. We have organized it by what you need in the moment: money, hours of in-home help, training, respite, legal protection, crisis support, disease-specific community, faith and cultural community, workplace leave, and tax relief. Every dollar figure, statute, and helpline below is current as of May 29, 2026.

If you are looking for a single program by name, use the table of contents. If you are looking for "what is the first call for my mom in New Jersey," skip to The 60-Second Version, the answer is usually the same number: NJ ADRC, 1-877-222-3737.

The 60-Second Version

The single most leveraged New Jersey caregiver programs are these:

1. NJ ADRC (1-877-222-3737), your statewide front door. One call routes to your county Area Agency on Aging, which screens for everything below.
2. NJSave (1-866-NJSAVE-5 / 1-866-657-2835), single combined application that screens for at least 12 NJ benefits in one filing: PAAD, Senior Gold, Lifeline Credit, HAAAD, Medicare Savings Programs, Extra Help, SNAP, LIHEAP, USF, Senior Freeze, Tenant Lifeline, and more. The single highest-leverage thing you can do in 30 minutes.
3. NJ SHIP (1-800-792-8820), free Medicare counseling. NJ SHIP counselors find Medicare Savings Programs (QMB/SLMB/QI) and Extra Help (Part D copay relief) that many eligible NJ households miss simply because they were never screened. NJ has 300+ trained SHIP counselors in all 21 counties.
4. Stay NJ + Senior Freeze + ANCHOR (PAS-1 combined application), the single combined property-tax-relief application now covers all three. Stay NJ pays 50% of property tax up to $6,500/yr for homeowners 65+ with gross income under $500K. Stay NJ went live February 9, 2026 with first-installment checks averaging $637 to ~430,000 households. Application deadline November 2, 2026.
5. NJ FLI (1-609-292-7060), paid family leave covering caregiving for a sick family member. 2026 max weekly benefit $1,119, up to 12 weeks. Funded by 0.23% employee contribution, no employer share. Read your pay stub for "FLI" to confirm you've been paying in.
6. NJ Family Leave Act (NJFLA), expanded January 17, 2026 to cover employers with 15+ employees effective July 17, 2026 (down from 30+), and to require TDI/FLI job protection for the first time. The biggest expansion of NJ caregiver workplace protections in a decade.
7. CMS GUIDE Model, for dementia caregivers whose loved one has Original Medicare. Four NJ participating organizations in 2026: Morristown Medical Center (Atlantic Health), Virtua Health, Lizzy Care, and Harmonic Medical Group of NJ. Includes up to $2,500/year of respite for moderate and high-complexity dyad tiers.
8. VA Caregiver Support Line (1-855-260-3274), free for any caregiver of any veteran. Routes to your NJ VA Caregiver Support Coordinator (Jennifer Adams-Barsch LCSW lead, Peterson Pierre-Paul MSW LCSW deputy at VA NJ Health Care System).
9. AARP NJ Caregiving Resource Line (877-333-5885 English / 888-971-2013 Spanish), 7 a.m.–11 p.m. ET, Monday–Friday. Free print copy of NJ-specific Family Caregiver Guide.
10. Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline (1-800-272-3900), free, confidential, 200+ languages, automatically routed to your local NJ chapter (Greater NJ Chapter for 14 northern/central counties, Delaware Valley Chapter for the 7 South Jersey counties).

If you do nothing else, make those ten calls.

Money: NJ Caregiver Programs That Pay or Reimburse

NJSave, the "one application, twelve programs" front door

The single highest-leverage form a NJ caregiver can complete in 2026 is NJSave or by calling 1-866-NJSAVE-5 (1-866-657-2835). NJSave is the consolidated NJ benefits screener, analogous in function to PA's COMPASS, but specific to senior and disability benefits.

NJSave screens, in a single filing, at least 12 NJ programs:

1. PAAD (Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged & Disabled)
2. Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program
3. Lifeline Credit ($225/year electric or gas bill credit)
4. HAAAD (Hearing Aid Assistance)
5. Medicare Savings Programs (QMB / SLMB / QI, pay your loved one's Part B premium, deductibles, and copays)
6. Low-Income Subsidy / Extra Help (federal Part D copay relief)
7. SNAP (food assistance) referral
8. LIHEAP referral
9. USF (Universal Service Fund) referral
10. Senior Freeze (Property Tax Reimbursement) referral
11. Tenant Lifeline Assistance
12. Other NJ state benefits per DoAS

If you do nothing else from this guide today, complete NJSave online with your loved one's last year's federal tax return and a list of monthly bills. It takes about 30 minutes and routinely uncovers benefits NJ households were missing simply because no one had screened them.

PAAD, Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged & Disabled

Under NJ DoAS, PAAD wraps Medicare Part D for low-to-moderate-income NJ residents. 2026 income limits: less than $54,943/year (single) or $62,390/year (married/civil union). Copays: $5 generic, $7 brand. PAAD pays everything above that for covered drugs, including the Part D plan premium for CMS benchmark plans.

Eligibility: age 65+, or ages 18–64 receiving SSDI; NJ resident; enrolled in Medicare Part D (PAAD wraps). Apply via NJSave or call 1-800-792-9745. Canonical: nj.gov/humanservices/doas/services/l-p/paad/.

Senior Gold, the "$10K window above PAAD"

If your loved one's income is just above PAAD's limit, Senior Gold is the structural answer. Senior Gold's 2026 income band: $54,943–$64,943 single / $62,390–$72,390 married, a $10,000 window above PAAD. Copays: $15 plus 50% of the remaining drug cost per prescription. Once member out-of-pocket exceeds $2,000 single / $3,000 married in an eligibility year, the copay drops to a flat $15 for the remainder of that year.

Apply via NJSave or 1-800-792-9745. Canonical: nj.gov/humanservices/doas/services/q-z/senior-gold/.

HAAAD, hearing aid assistance

The Hearing Aid Assistance to the Aged & Disabled program, administered by the NJ Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, uses the same 2026 income limits as PAAD ($54,943 single / $62,390 married). Benefit: up to $500 reimbursement for one hearing aid OR up to $1,000 for two hearing aids per calendar year. Eligibility prerequisite: enrollment in PAAD or Lifeline (or apply via NJSave first). Canonical: nj.gov/humanservices/ddhh/services/hearingaid/haaad/.

Stay NJ, LIVE since February 9, 2026

The most consequential property-tax relief expansion in NJ history is Stay NJ under P.L. 2023 c.75. As of May 2026, Stay NJ is LIVE. First-installment quarterly checks were distributed February 9, 2026, with average payments of $637 to approximately 430,000 NJ households. The second installment is scheduled May 15, 2026; the third in August 2026 (subject to FY27 appropriation).

Benefit: 50% reimbursement of the property-tax bill, capped at $6,500 per year (50% of the first $13,000 in property taxes).

Eligibility: age 65+ in the application year, gross income under $500,000, owned and lived in primary residence for 12 months of 2025.

Application: the PAS-1 combined form, this single form covers Stay NJ + Senior Freeze + ANCHOR. Deadline: November 2, 2026 (for 2025 tax year).

If your aging parent owns a home in NJ and is 65+, this is a free $6,500/year hiding in plain sight. The PAS-1 application takes about an hour.

Senior Freeze, Property Tax Reimbursement

The Senior Freeze program reimburses NJ homeowners 65+ (or receiving SS / RR disability) for the increase in property taxes since their "base year." 2025 income limit (the most recent year for current applications): $172,475 (up from $168,268 in 2024). Eligibility additionally requires NJ residency 10+ consecutive years and home ownership 3+ years; primary residence only.

2026 payments begin July 15, 2026. Hotline 1-800-882-6597. Same PAS-1 application as Stay NJ + ANCHOR.

ANCHOR, homeowner and renter property-tax relief

ANCHOR is NJ's broader-eligibility property-tax relief program. Homeowner benefit: up to $1,500 with a +$250 senior bump for filers 65+ or SS-disability filers. Renter benefit: up to $450 with a senior bump.

Income caps: $250,000 homeowner / $150,000 renter.

Critical for senior caregivers: ANCHOR auto-files for most filers, but seniors 65+ and SS-disability filers MUST use the combined PAS-1 application instead of the auto-file in order to receive ANCHOR alongside Senior Freeze and Stay NJ in a single 2026 cycle. Distribution begins September 15, 2026.

LIHEAP, USF, and Lifeline, energy & utility relief

NJ runs a layered energy-and-utility relief stack for low-to-moderate-income seniors:

• LIHEAP (FY 2026), income test 60% State Median Income (~$96,165 family of 4); benefits include Heating $118 min / $1,278 max, Cooling $118 min / $1,278 max, Winter Crisis up to $800, and Weatherization referral up to $13,497. Hotline 1-800-510-3102. Canonical: nj.gov/dca/dhcr/offices/hea.shtml.
• Universal Service Fund (USF), same SMI test as LIHEAP; $20–$200/month energy bill credit; combined electric + gas cap of $1,800/year. Canonical: nj.gov/bpu/residential/assistance/usf.html.
• Lifeline Credit, distinct from federal phone Lifeline. $225/year credit on electric or gas bill for senior and disabled homeowners and tenants. Eligibility: 250% FPL OR receipt of LIHEAP / TANF / SSI / PAAD / GA / Section 8. Tenants who pay utilities indirectly through rent qualify via the Tenant Lifeline Assistance track.

All three apply through NJSave.

Federal, Aid & Attendance Pension (VA)

For wartime veterans and surviving spouses, VA Aid & Attendance enhanced pension provides 2026 maximum annual pension rates (effective 12/1/2025–11/30/2026, 2.5% COLA): veteran no dependents $29,093/year ($2,424/mo); veteran with one dependent $34,496/year ($2,874/mo); surviving spouse no dependents $18,696/year ($1,556/mo).

Net-worth limit $163,699 including annual income; 3-year asset look-back under 38 CFR §3.276. Apply via your NJ County Veteran Service Officer (CVSO), 1-844-SERV-VET, or VA Form 21P-527EZ. No fees: for-profit pension consultants charging fees are committing a federal felony under 38 USC §5905. A&A funds may be used to pay any caregiver, including a family member.

Federal, tax credits and deductions for NJ caregivers

A working NJ caregiver supporting an aging parent at >50% may claim:

• Credit for Other Dependents (IRC §24(h)(4)), $500 nonrefundable per qualifying-relative dependent (gross income under ~$5,200 in 2026).
• Child & Dependent Care Credit (IRC §21), 20–35% of up to $3,000 ($6,000 for two qualifying individuals) of dependent-care expenses for an adult unable to self-care.
• Dependent Care FSA (IRC §129), up to $5,000/year pre-tax for dependent-care expenses (employer-sponsored).
• Medical Expense Deduction (IRC §213), itemized medical and qualifying long-term-care expenses exceeding 7.5% AGI, including doctor-prescribed home modifications and licensed home-health-aide wages.

NJ also offers a state Child & Dependent Care Credit and a $250 senior property-tax deduction stackable with Stay NJ + Senior Freeze + ANCHOR.

Federal, IRC §131(c) Medicaid Waiver Caregiver Wage Exclusion (NJ status: UNCONFIRMED)

Under IRC §131(c) and IRS Notice 2014-7, a caregiver paid through a Medicaid waiver to care for a family member who lives in the caregiver's home may exclude those wages from federal taxable income. Pennsylvania does not conform to §131(c), its flat 3.07% Personal Income Tax still taxes those wages.

New Jersey's status is unconfirmed as of May 2026. NJ has its own Gross Income Tax statute that does not automatically conform to all federal exclusions. We are flagging this as a high-priority verification item for any NJ family caregiver paid through Personal Preference Program (PPP), MLTSS Self-Direction, or NJ DDD Self-Directed Employee respite. Before relying on this exclusion for NJ state tax purposes, consult an NJ-licensed tax preparer or contact NJ Division of Taxation directly.

NJ Caregiver Tax Credit, pending bill status

NJ does NOT currently have an enacted caregiver income-tax credit (matches Pennsylvania). The active legislation is A1581 / S2303, the Caregiver's Assistance Act, which would create a 22.5% credit on up to $3,000 of qualified care expenses (max $675/year), refundable, with income cap $50,000 single / $100,000 joint. Qualifying senior must be a family member age 60+ OR age 50+ on SSDI.

Status as of May 2026: pending technical review; not enacted. AARP NJ is the lead 501(c)(4) advocate citing $28 billion in unpaid family caregiving in NJ as the case for the credit. Track at AARP NJ at publication.

NJ Caregiver Programs for In-Home Help Hours

If your loved one is over Medicaid's MLTSS limits but under approximately 365% of the Federal Poverty Level, JACC is the program you are missing. If they are within MLTSS limits, MLTSS is the workhorse, and the Personal Preference Program (PPP) is the way to be paid as a family caregiver. Both are covered exhaustively in the NJ paid-caregiver pathways guide; this section indexes the front-door program structure.

Jersey Assistance for Community Caregiving (JACC)

State-funded Medicaid-alternative for adults who do not qualify for MLTSS but need NF-LOC-equivalent in-home help. 2026 income limit: ≤365% FPL ($4,855/mo single / $6,582/mo couple). Asset limit: $40K single / $60K couple. Aggregate cap: $1,090/month per participant. Sliding 0–25% copay.

Crucially, JACC permits relatives to be paid as 'qualified participant-employed providers', meaning the same family member who is the caregiver can be paid for some of the in-home hours. JACC is mutually exclusive with MLTSS and SRCP. Access via your county AAA / ADRC.

MLTSS, Managed Long-Term Services and Supports

NJ FamilyCare's MLTSS is the Medicaid-financed home-and-community-based services package. 2026 income limit: $2,982/month single. Asset limit: $2,000 countable. CSRA: up to $157,920. MMMNA: up to $3,948.50/month. Penalty divisor: $402.74/day (effective 4/1/2025 per DMAHS Comm 25-04). Personal Needs Allowance: $117.05/month. Five MCOs: Aetna Better Health, Fidelis Care, Horizon NJ Health, UnitedHealthcare, Wellpoint.

Personal Preference Program (PPP), pay a spouse as PCA

The buried lede of NJ Medicaid for caregivers: NJAC 10:60-3.8(g)(1) permits a SPOUSE to be hired as a paid Personal Care Assistant under PPP. (Federal rule prohibits parent-of-minor PCAs but does not prohibit spouses or adult children of adult recipients.) 2025 PPP rates: $31–$47/hour, average ~$35/hour. Cap: 40 hours/week. Fiscal Intermediary split, Palco for Horizon NJ Health (1-877-710-0457), PPL for Aetna / Fidelis / UnitedHealthcare / Wellpoint (1-844-880-8702).

NJ DDD waiver, Self-Directed Employee respite

For NJ households where the care recipient has an intellectual or developmental disability, the NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities Supports Program v10.0.1 and Community Care Program v7.0.1 (September 2025 update) explicitly permit parents, spouses, and legal guardians to be paid as Self-Directed Employees for Respite, only Supports Brokerage prohibits parents/spouses/guardians. 2026 wages: $25/hr standard, $36.50/hr enhanced, $51.50/hr RN-only.

CMS GUIDE Model, for dementia families on Original Medicare

If your loved one has dementia and Original Medicare, ask whether they can enroll in the CMS GUIDE Model. Four NJ organizations participate in 2026:

• Morristown Medical Center / Atlantic Health, Established Track. GUIDE Program Manager Rebecca Abenante LSW ASW-G. Morris County and surrounding NJ catchment.
• Virtua Health, Established Track. GUIDE Dementia Care Navigator Erin Grimley LSW. Burlington / Camden / Gloucester catchment. HQ 303 Lippincott Drive, Marlton 08053.
• Lizzy Care, New Track. Telehealth-forward. Patient line (234) 567-9449 / info@hilizzy.com. Requires Original Medicare.
• Harmonic Medical Group of New Jersey, P.C., New Track. NJ presence at 316 Berrhill Dr., Williamstown. Self-referral at enroll@harmonichealth.com.

GUIDE provides a dedicated dementia care navigator, 24/7 access to a care team, comprehensive care plan, structured caregiver education, and up to $2,500/year of respite for Moderate Dyad and High Dyad tiers (not for either Individual tier or for Low Complexity Dyad). Excludes Medicare Advantage, hospice, long-term NF, ESRD enrollees.

NJ Title III-E, National Family Caregiver Support Program

The federal Older Americans Act Title III-E NFCSP funds five core service categories for family caregivers: information, access, counseling/training/support groups, respite, and supplemental services. Federal FY 2026 NFCSP appropriation is $209 million (Senate Approps figure). NJ deploys Title III-E through its 21 county AAAs.

NJ's exact FY 2026 NFCSP allocation is not publicly itemized in the DoAS Programs Side-by-Side document; NJ also runs state-funded caregiver supports that complement Title III-E (JACC, SRCP, AADS, NJ Statewide Respite Care Program, covered in the NJ respite-care guide).

NJ ADRC and your county AAA, the federated front door

NJ's Aging & Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) is a federated system: state-level intake at 1-877-222-3737 routes callers to their county Area Agency on Aging, which serves as the local ADRC lead. NJ has 21 designated AAAs, one per county.

The county AAA is your one-call front door for: SRCP (Statewide Respite Care Program), AADS (Alzheimer's Adult Day Services Program), JACC, Title III-B in-home services, congregate nutrition, home-delivered meals, transportation, ADRC information-and-referral, NJ SHIP Medicare counseling, elder-rights and legal services, and NJSave application help.

Master directory: nj.gov/humanservices/doas/assistance/county-offices/.

Training for NJ Caregivers

NJ does not run a single statewide caregiver-training credential like Pennsylvania's CareKit. Instead, NJ caregivers stack training from several sources:

• Caregivers of New Jersey (800-372-6510), a Family Resource Network affiliate that operates many of NJ's county-level caregiver coalitions and provides direct support, training, and respite-stipend program access.
• United Way of Northern NJ Caregivers Coalition, regional umbrella for Morris / Sussex / Warren / Passaic, offers Powerful Tools for Caregivers, Savvy Caregiver, Healthy IDEAS, and TCARE assessment.
• Bergen County Caregiver Coalition, county-run; check with Bergen County AAA.
• Alzheimer's Association Greater NJ Chapter (Florham Park, 973-437-3931), runs Savvy Caregiver, dementia conversation curriculum, support groups, and the NJ Walk to End Alzheimer's events. Covers the 14 northern/central counties.
• Alzheimer's Association Delaware Valley Chapter, covers the 7 South Jersey counties (Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem).
• Alzheimer's New Jersey (1-888-280-6055), independent NJ-only nonprofit running free education, support groups, and the GUIDE Model panel programming. NJ has a unique three-organization dementia-nonprofit landscape that families routinely confuse for a single entity.
• VA REACH-VA through VA New Jersey Health Care System, the federal-grade dementia-caregiver behavioral training, available through your VA Caregiver Support Coordinator.

Respite, covered in detail in the NJ respite-care guide

The full NJ respite-care landscape is the subject of its own flagship guide at /caregiver/new-jersey/respite-care. Briefly:

• NJ Statewide Respite Care Program (SRCP), N.J.S.A. 30:4F-1 et seq. (1987, predates the federal Lifespan Respite Care Act by 19 years). 2026 income limits $2,982/$5,964/mo; asset limits $40K/$60K; sliding 0–25%; primary caregiver MUST be unpaid (substitute is paid); mutually exclusive with MLTSS / JACC / AADS / Congregate Housing.
• Alzheimer's Adult Day Services Program (AADS), NJ DoAS state-funded dementia-day program. 21 contracted centers in 14 counties, 7 NJ counties have NO AADS provider. Sliding 20–100% (a 20% floor, higher than SRCP's 0% floor). Contact 609-438-4733 / aadp@dhs.nj.gov.
• Medicare hospice Inpatient Respite Care, FY 2026 per-diem $532.48/day; 5 consecutive days at a time; 5% coinsurance ~$26.62/day.
• VA PCAFC respite, generally up to 30 days/year through your VA medical center; confirm your veteran's current authorized length with their VAMC Caregiver Support Coordinator.
• CMS GUIDE Model respite, $2,500/year for Moderate Dyad and High Dyad tiers only.

Read the NJ respite-care guide for the full eight-rail framework.

Legal Protection, POAs, Advance Directives, POLST, Guardianship

NJ Power of Attorney, N.J.S.A. 46:2B-8.1

NJ has not adopted the Uniform Power of Attorney Act. NJ POAs operate under the Revised Durable Power of Attorney Act, N.J.S.A. 46:2B-8.1 (L. 2000 c. 109). POA execution requires the principal to understand the nature and effect of the document at the time of signing. Mild-stage MCI generally retains capacity to execute, but documenting capacity contemporaneously (physician note, attorney memo) is strongly recommended.

Use NJ-specific forms reviewed by an NJ-licensed elder-law attorney, generic online POA templates from non-NJ states often fail under NJ banks' acceptance protocols.

NJ Advance Directives for Health Care, N.J.S.A. 26:2H-53

NJ recognizes three forms of advance directive: a Proxy Directive (designating a healthcare representative), an Instruction Directive (specifying treatment preferences), and a Combined Directive (both). Signature plus 2 witnesses OR notarization. Activates upon attending physician + 1 other physician determining lack of decisional capacity.

NJ POLST, N.J.S.A. 26:2H-129

The NJ Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) is a portable medical order signed by an attending physician, APN, or PA after discussion with the patient (if capacity) or the patient's surrogate. Recommended for advanced chronic progressive illness or life expectancy under 5 years; moderate-to-advanced dementia is the canonical indication. Original signed POLST travels with the patient across care settings.

NJ Guardianship, Title 3B Chapter 12

If your loved one's capacity becomes contested without prior POA execution, NJ guardianship under N.J.S.A. 3B:12-1 et seq. is the path. Limited guardianship under N.J.S.A. 3B:12-24.1 authorizes the court to tailor guardianship to specific decision areas where the person lacks capacity, preserving rights in others, central to mild-to-moderate dementia.

Procedural rule R. 4:86. Filing fee $200; total typical NJ guardianship action $5,000+ (plaintiff attorney + court-appointed counsel + two physicians' certifications + possible trial). R. 4:86-4(e) gives the court discretion to assess fees against the estate of the alleged incapacitated person.

Watch item: S2836 (221st Legislature) would establish a Guardianship Monitoring Program in the Office of Public Guardian for Elderly Adults, pending as of May 2026.

NJ LTC Ombudsman, facility-resident advocacy

If your loved one is a resident of an NJ nursing home, AL, ALP, or CPCH, complaints about abuse, neglect, exploitation, or quality-of-care concerns route to the NJ Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly (OOIE) at 877-582-6995 / ombudsman@ltco.nj.gov. Three-month complaint window after incident. OOIE is an independent state agency reporting to the Governor and Legislature, not part of DoAS.

Crisis Support

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

988 is the universal three-digit suicide and crisis lifeline. NJ routes 988 calls to a network of NJ call centers that connect to Mobile Crisis Outreach Response Teams (MCORTs), 2-person field teams (a peer + a bachelor's-level mental-health professional) with masters-level remote supervision, deployable to home, public space, or other community location. Statewide MCORT rollout completed in 2025.

NJ 988 monthly call volume grew from 3,758 (2022) to 8,635 (H1 FY 2026).

County PESS and the new Crisis Receiving Stabilization Centers

Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services (PESS) operate at the county level and escalate from MCORT for higher level of care or involuntary commitment screening. Crisis Receiving Stabilization Centers (CRSCs) are a new build-out: NJ's first CRSC opened in Essex County in March 2026 (Rutgers ribbon-cutting), functioning as an alternative to the ER for non-acute psychiatric crisis. Expect more CRSCs to open through 2026–2027.

NJ MentalHealthCares, info & referral (NOT crisis)

The Mental Health Association in NJ operates NJ MentalHealthCares at 1-866-202-HELP (4357), 7 days/week 8 a.m.–8 p.m. Information and referral, not a crisis line. Offers virtual caregiver support groups. For active crisis, call 988 instead.

VA Caregiver Support Line

For caregivers of veterans: VA Caregiver Support Line, 1-855-260-3274, 8 a.m.–10 p.m. ET weekdays, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. ET Saturdays. NJ-specific Caregiver Support Coordinators: Jennifer Adams-Barsch LCSW (lead, Jennifer.Adams-Barsch@va.gov) and Peterson Pierre-Paul MSW LCSW (deputy) at VA New Jersey Health Care System (East Orange + Lyons). South Jersey veterans flow through VA Wilmington (DE) Caregiver Support at 800-461-8262 / 302-994-2511.

Vet2Vet NJ

NJ-specific peer-support line for veterans and their families: 1-866-838-7654 (1-866-VETS-NJ-4).

Disease-Specific Community

Alzheimer's and dementia (covered in detail in the NJ dementia-care guide)

NJ has a bifurcated nonprofit landscape for dementia caregiving, three organizations families routinely confuse:

• Alzheimer's Association Greater New Jersey Chapter (Florham Park), covers the 14 northern/central counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, Warren.
• Alzheimer's Association Delaware Valley Chapter, covers the 7 South Jersey counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem.
• Alzheimer's New Jersey (1-888-280-6055), independent NJ-only nonprofit; runs the GUIDE Model NJ panel programming, free education, and support groups.

National 24/7 Helpline 1-800-272-3900 routes to whichever chapter your ZIP code falls in. Read the NJ dementia-care guide for the full landscape.

Parkinson's

Parkinson's Foundation NJ/PA Chapter, 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636). Runs the annual NJ-PA Symposium, support groups across NJ and Eastern PA, exercise programs, and care-partner education.

Multiple Sclerosis

National MS Society divides NJ into three chapters: NJ Metro (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union, Warren); Central NJ (Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean); and Greater Delaware Valley (South Jersey + Eastern PA). Each chapter runs care-partner support groups and family caregiver education.

Cancer

• CancerCare Hopeline, 800-813-HOPE (800-813-4673). NY-headquartered but free virtual support including a "Connecting With Caregivers" group and oncology social-worker counseling.
• American Cancer Society, 1-800-227-2345, 24/7. ACS Hope Lodge in NJ provides free lodging for cancer patients traveling for treatment with their family caregivers.

Hospice & palliative care

• NJ Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NJHPCO), state affiliate of NHPCO. Member directory of NJ hospice providers; family-and-caregiver education resources at njhpco.org.
• Goals of Care Coalition of NJ, NJ-specific advance-care-planning nonprofit. Free goals-of-care conversation tools; community education events; provider training.

Heart, stroke, and chronic disease

NJ caregivers of stroke survivors should look first to the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association caregiver resources at stroke.org/en/help-and-support/for-family-caregivers and the NJ-specific support-group calendar through the AHA Eastern States affiliate.

Cultural, Faith, and LGBTQ+ Community

NJ is one of the most diverse states in the country. Caregiver-specific cultural-and-faith resources include:

• Hudson Pride Connections Center / SAGE Jersey City, LGBTQ+ 50+ programming in northern NJ, including a friendly visitor program, congregate meals, support groups, and cultural-competence-trained intake.
• SAGE LGBT Elder Hotline, 24/7, English/Spanish/180-language translation. National hotline; routes NJ callers to local SAGE affiliates.
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark, Hispanic Older Adult Services, language-and-cultural-barrier navigation for Spanish-speaking elders and their family caregivers.
• FOCUS Newark, Hispanic senior programming.
• Morris County Organization for Hispanic Affairs (MCOHA) Senior Citizen Program, bilingual case management and senior nutrition site.
• Monmouth Adult Day Health Services LGBTQ+ services, first NJ LGBTQ+-affirming adult day program (Monmouth County).
• Faith communities, most NJ houses of worship maintain a Stephen Ministry or pastoral-care visiting team that can supplement secular caregiver support. Ask your loved one's congregation directly.

Workplace Leave for NJ Caregivers

If you are a working NJ caregiver, you have one of the strongest workplace-leave stacks in the country.

NJ Family Leave Insurance (FLI), paid family leave

NJ FLI 2026 is one of the most generous paid family leave programs in the United States.

• Maximum weekly benefit: $1,119
• Wage replacement: 85% of average weekly wage up to the cap
• Duration: up to 12 weeks in any 12-month period
• Funding: 100% employee, 0.23% of wages to the wage base of $171,100; maximum worker contribution $393.53/year
• Employers do NOT contribute to FLI

FLI covers caregiving for a family member with a serious health condition, bonding with a new child, or qualifying domestic-violence leave. FLI is a wage-replacement program, not a job-protection program. You pair FLI with NJFLA (below) for full job protection.

Apply via the NJ DOL myleavebenefits portal or call 609-292-7060.

NJ Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI)

NJ TDI is the parallel program for the worker's own serious health condition (rather than caregiving for a family member). Same $1,119/week maximum 2026 cap; up to 26 weeks; jointly funded by employer + employee.

NJ Family Leave Act (NJFLA), expanded January 17, 2026

The most consequential 2026 NJ workplace-leave change: A3451 / S2950, signed by Governor Murphy on January 17, 2026, dramatically expands NJFLA. Three changes that matter for NJ caregivers:

1. Employer threshold lowered. Effective July 17, 2026: drops from 30+ employees worldwide to 15+ employees. Effective July 17, 2027: drops to 10+. Effective July 17, 2028: drops to 5+ employees worldwide.
2. Employee eligibility threshold lowered. Effective July 17, 2026: from 12 months / 1,000 hours to 3 months / 250 hours.
3. NEW: TDI/FLI job protection. For the first time, NJ requires covered employers to reinstate employees returning from TDI or FLI to the same or equivalent position. Previously, FLI was wage-replacement only.

NJFLA itself remains 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in any 24-month period for caregiving for a serious health condition of a family member. The law's expansion brings hundreds of thousands of NJ workers under FLI job protection for the first time. This is the biggest expansion of NJ caregiver workplace protections in a decade.

NJ Earned Sick Leave Law (NJESLL)

NJESLL is the workhorse for short-duration caregiver absences. Accrual: 1 hour per 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per benefit year. Employers may frontload 40 hours at start of year. Carryover up to 40 hours.

Critical: NJESLL applies to ALL employers regardless of size, full-time, part-time, and temporary workers all covered. Sick leave can be used for caregiving for a family member's illness or injury, in addition to the employee's own care. This is the single most-used family-caregiver workplace protection in NJ because it has no employer-size threshold.

NJ workplace anti-discrimination + whistleblower stack

• NJ Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD, N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 et seq.), does not explicitly enumerate "caregiver status" as a protected class, but covers familial-status, sex, pregnancy, age, and physical/mental disability of an associate; caregiver-discrimination claims typically pleaded under sex/familial-status theories.
• NJ Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (2014, expanded 2023), requires reasonable accommodations for pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding (15+ employees). The federal PWFA (June 2023) layers on top.
• Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA, N.J.S.A. 34:19-1 et seq.), whistleblower protection for employees who refuse to participate in or report activity reasonably believed to violate law. Relevant to caregivers retaliated against for asserting NJFLA rights.

Kinship Caregivers, When You're Raising a Relative's Child

Many NJ family caregivers are raising a relative's child, a niece, nephew, or grandchild, alongside caring for an aging parent. NJ runs a Kinship Navigator Program providing information, referral, and one-time financial assistance for relative caregivers raising minor children. Access via 2-1-1 NJ or NJ DCF Office of Adoption Operations.

The Kinship Legal Guardianship (KLG) subsidy is a monthly per-child subsidy from the County Board of Social Services, income-tested, available to relative caregivers who obtain a KLG order in NJ Superior Court Family Part. KLG creates a permanency status short of adoption that preserves the parent's right to seek future return of the child. Operations Manual: Rutgers School of Social Work.

Canonical: nj.gov/dcf/families/support/kinship/ and nj.gov/njfosteradopt/klg/.

What's Coming in 2026–2027 for NJ Caregivers

A few moving pieces NJ caregivers should track:

• A1581 / S2303 Caregiver's Assistance Act, pending; would create a 22.5% refundable NJ income-tax credit (max $675/year) for qualified care expenses.
• S2665 NJ Alzheimer's Disease Master Plan Study Commission, introduced 2/12/2024; not enacted as of May 2026; would establish a 15-member commission to develop a state Alzheimer's master plan.
• S2836 Guardianship Monitoring Program, pending; would establish a Guardianship Monitoring Program in the Office of Public Guardian for Elderly Adults.
• Stay NJ second + third installments, May 15 and August 2026 (third subject to FY27 appropriation).
• NJFLA continued expansion, July 17, 2027 (employer threshold drops to 10+) and July 17, 2028 (drops to 5+).
• NJ FamilyCare community-based palliative care benefit, newly cited April 2026 launch. Verify scope and caregiver respite/training inclusion at point of enrollment.

Where to Start

If you only do one thing this week, do this: Call NJ ADRC at 1-877-222-3737 OR start the NJSave application (or 1-866-NJSAVE-5).

If you have an hour, do these five things in order:

1. Call the ADRC (1-877-222-3737) to be routed to your county AAA.
2. Complete NJSave, 12 programs in one filing.
3. Call the AARP NJ Caregiving Resource Line (877-333-5885 / Spanish 888-971-2013) for a printed NJ Family Caregiver Guide.
4. If your loved one owns a home and is 65+, complete the PAS-1 combined application for Stay NJ + Senior Freeze + ANCHOR.
5. If your loved one has dementia, call Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline (1-800-272-3900) AND Alzheimer's New Jersey (1-888-280-6055), two different organizations with non-overlapping NJ programming.

If you are a working caregiver, also:

6. Read your last two pay stubs for the FLI line item ("FLI" or "Family Leave Insurance"). If you've been paying in, you can claim NJ FLI when the time comes.
7. If your employer has 15–29 employees, mark July 17, 2026 on your calendar, you will become eligible for NJFLA job protection and TDI/FLI reinstatement that day.

About This Guide

This guide is a 2026 directory of New Jersey caregiver-facing programs. Every dollar figure, statute, helpline, and effective date is current as of the verification date above. Where research access was blocked or where 2026 numbers had not yet been published by the responsible agency at verification time, that gap is flagged in our atomic-facts watch list and updated on a rolling basis.

We are tracking, in particular: NJ Gross Income Tax conformity to IRC §131(c) (Notice 2014-7) for caregivers paid through PPP / MLTSS Self-Direction / DDD Self-Directed Employee respite (high-priority); A1581/S2303 Caregiver's Assistance Act legislative posture; the exact NJ FY 2026 Title III-E NFCSP allocation; full 21-county AAA phone numbers; KLG subsidy 2026 monthly per-child amount; and Stay NJ third-installment status post-FY27 appropriation.

If a specific program or rule you depend on is not reflected here, contact us at caregiver-help@brevy.com.

Learn More

• Medicaid Self-Direction and Consumer-Directed Services
• The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP): A Complete Guide
• How to Get Paid to Care for a Family Member in New Jersey
• New Jersey Caregiver Respite Care
• New Jersey Dementia Care
• Family Caregiving in New Jersey

Find personalized help navigating New Jersey caregiver programs 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.