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Family Caregiver Pay Map · Arkansas · Verified October 19, 2026

Arkansas: Who Can Be a Paid Family Caregiver Under Medicaid

Arkansas pays relatives and friends as personal assistants under the self-directed IndependentChoices program or as agency aides under ARChoices and state-plan personal care; no pathway pays the spouse, a legal guardian or an attorney-in-fact, and the ARChoices waiver starts a waiting list once its slots fill.

Spouse
No
Adult child / other relatives
Yes
Friends / neighbors
Yes
Parent of a minor child
No

Who can be paid: Adult children, siblings, other relatives, friends and neighbors hired by the participant under IndependentChoices or employed by a home care agency; not a spouse, legal guardian, attorney-in-fact or representative payee.

The Home Care Agency is a free enrollment matching service — not a home care agency, not a Medicaid plan, and not a government agency. This research is educational. Eligibility, authorized hours and payment are always determined by the state program and, where applicable, the managed care plan.

The programs behind the answer

IndependentChoices (1915(j) self-directed personal assistance)

Administered by Arkansas DHS Division of Provider Services and Quality Assurance.

  • Who employs the caregiver: Self-directed (participant is the employer)
  • Waitlist: No waitlist
  • Type: State plan entitlement (serves everyone who qualifies)
  • Participant is employer of record; a monthly allowance pays the caregiver through the financial management services vendor

ARChoices in Homecare waiver

Administered by Arkansas DHS Division of Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services.

  • Who employs the caregiver: Agency or self-directed
  • Waitlist: Capped enrollment
  • Attendant care through a licensed agency or self-directed through IndependentChoices; a waiting list starts once slots fill

State plan Personal Care

Administered by Arkansas DHS Division of Medical Services.

  • Who employs the caregiver: Agency employs the caregiver
  • Waitlist: No waitlist
  • Type: State plan entitlement (serves everyone who qualifies)
  • Agency aide cannot be the spouse, a minor's parent, guardian or attorney-in-fact

How to apply in Arkansas

We do not yet have partner agencies in Arkansas. Start with the program's administering agency — Arkansas DHS Division of Provider Services and Quality Assurance — using the official sources below; the state determines eligibility and enrolls participants.

Official sources

Facts on this page were last reviewed October 19, 2026 against the sources above. Program rules change; confirm with the program before making decisions. Method: how the Pay Map is verified.

Questions

Questions About Paid Family Caregiving in Arkansas

Can a spouse be paid to care for their husband or wife in Arkansas?
No. Arkansas's rules exclude the spouse from being the paid caregiver; other family members usually can be.
Who can be the paid caregiver in Arkansas?
Adult children, siblings, other relatives, friends and neighbors hired by the participant under IndependentChoices or employed by a home care agency; not a spouse, legal guardian, attorney-in-fact or representative payee.
Is there a waitlist for Medicaid home care in Arkansas?
IndependentChoices (1915(j) self-directed personal assistance): no waitlist (Participant is employer of record; a monthly allowance pays the caregiver through the financial management services vendor). ARChoices in Homecare waiver: capped enrollment (Attendant care through a licensed agency or self-directed through IndependentChoices; a waiting list starts once slots fill). State plan Personal Care: no waitlist (Agency aide cannot be the spouse, a minor's parent, guardian or attorney-in-fact).
Who decides eligibility?
The state program, never The Home Care Agency. The Home Care Agency is a free enrollment matching service — not a home care agency, not a Medicaid plan, and not a government agency. This research is educational. Eligibility, authorized hours and payment are always determined by the state program and, where applicable, the managed care plan.