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Get paid to care for a family member in New York

New York pays family caregivers through CDPAP. A friend or relative can be your paid personal assistant unless they are your spouse, your designated representative, or the parent of a consumer under 21.

Carevo editorial team Updated October 27, 2026 Source checked by Carevo editorial team, October 27, 2026

In New York, a family member can be paid to care for you through the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), if you are a Medicaid member who qualifies for home care. The Department of Health says your assistant cannot be your spouse, your designated representative, or the parent of a consumer under 21.

The program that pays family

CDPAP is a New York State Medicaid program run by the Department of Health. It lets Medicaid members who are eligible for home care choose and hire their own personal assistant. The Department says the assistant can be a friend or family member. Our CDPAP page covers the whole program. This page is about the family part.

Who can and cannot be paid

According to the Department of Health, your assistant can be a friend or family member as long as they are not:

  • the Medicaid member's spouse;
  • the member's designated representative; or
  • the parent of a CDPAP consumer under the age of 21.

An adult child, a grandchild, a sibling, a niece or a nephew is not on that list. Neither is the parent of an adult consumer. If you are the person receiving care, you or your designated representative recruit, hire, train, supervise and terminate the assistant. A designated representative cannot also be the assistant.

What has to be true for the person receiving care

The Department lists these conditions. The member must:

  • be eligible for New York State Medicaid;
  • have a stable medical condition;
  • have a determined need for home care services using a state approved assessment tool;
  • meet the Minimum Needs Requirements, if 21 or older; and
  • be capable of self-directing, or have a designated representative who can make decisions for them.

Since September 1, 2025, adults 21 and older must be assessed as needing at least limited assistance with physical maneuvering with more than two activities of daily living, or at least supervision with more than one if they have a dementia or Alzheimer's diagnosis. People who were authorized or receiving CDPAP or personal care services, or continuously enrolled in a managed long term care plan, as of September 1, 2025, continue under the previous criteria.

How a relative gets paid

  1. The member gets assessed. For adults, the Department says the New York Independent Assessor Program (NYIAP) does the community health assessment and clinical appointment.
  2. The member's plan or local department of social services authorizes services.
  3. The relative registers with Public Partnerships LLC (PPL), the Statewide Fiscal Intermediary. The Department says PPL processes the assistant's wages and benefits and income tax and other withholdings, and keeps employment records.
  4. The relative follows PPL's timekeeping and payroll steps. The Department's page links to PPL's CDPAP resources, which cover timekeeping, payroll and benefits.

The Department's CDPAP page lists PPL's phone number for all inquiries, 1-833-247-5346, and also says you can ask your managed care plan or local department of social services for help.

Pay

We do not state a rate. The Department's page points to a separate CDPAP rates page that we did not read. Ask PPL or your managed care plan.

Things people get wrong

  • CDPAP is not available to everyone. The member has to be on Medicaid and meet the assessment criteria.
  • Being a family member does not decide the hours. The assessment and plan of care decide what is authorized.
  • Older guidance may be wrong. New York moved CDPAP to a single statewide fiscal intermediary in 2025. Pages that describe choosing among many fiscal intermediaries are out of date.

Where to start

Ask your local department of social services or managed care plan about CDPAP, and read the New York program overview. If you need an agency aide instead, see home care providers in New York. Carevo is a connection platform and directory. We do not enroll anyone in CDPAP, run payroll or advise on eligibility.

Looking for care?

Tell us your ZIP code and the type of care, and we will show providers that serve your area.

Common questions

Can I be paid to take care of my mother in New York?

Possibly, through CDPAP. If your mother is a Medicaid member who qualifies for home care, she can choose you as her personal assistant. The Department of Health says the assistant can be a family member, unless they are the member's spouse, designated representative or the parent of a consumer under 21.

Can a spouse be a paid CDPAP assistant?

No. The Department of Health lists the Medicaid member's spouse as one of the people who cannot be the personal assistant.

Can a parent be paid to care for a child on CDPAP?

Not for a consumer under 21. The Department excludes the parent of a CDPAP consumer under the age of 21. A parent of an adult consumer is not excluded by that rule.

Do I have to work with PPL?

Yes. The Department says PPL is the Statewide Fiscal Intermediary and all CDPAP recipients are required to work with it. Personal assistants need to be registered with PPL to be paid.

Who sets the pay?

The Department's CDPAP page points to a separate CDPAP rates page, which we did not read, so we do not state a rate. Ask PPL or your managed care plan.

Is a family caregiver paid for every hour they care for me?

No. Services are authorized through an assessment and a plan of care, and the Department says the personal assistant provides the services the member is authorized for. Ask your plan how many hours are authorized.

Sources

Review status: Carevo checked this page against the primary sources listed above. It has not been professionally reviewed by a registered nurse, licensed social worker, benefits counselor or attorney. See our editorial standards.

This page is general information, not financial, legal or medical advice. Rules and services vary by state and by individual circumstances. Use the official sources and decision-maker named on the page. Carevo is a connection platform, not a care provider.