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Family Caregiver Pay Map · New Jersey · Verified October 19, 2026

New Jersey: Who Can Be a Paid Family Caregiver Under Medicaid

New Jersey's Personal Preference Program lets a NJ FamilyCare member who qualifies for personal care assistance hire a spouse, relative, friend or neighbor as the paid worker, with a fiscal/employer agent handling payroll and no home care agency required.

Spouse
Yes
Adult child / other relatives
Yes
Friends / neighbors
Yes
Parent of a minor child
In defined cases

Who can be paid: Spouses, adult children, other relatives, friends and neighbors aged 18 or older, hired by the participant; the participant's authorized representative cannot be the worker, and a parent of a minor child is paid only for care beyond ordinary parental responsibility.

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 program behind the answer

Personal Preference Program (PPP)

Administered by NJ Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (through NJ FamilyCare plans).

  • Who employs the caregiver: Self-directed (participant is the employer)
  • Waitlist: No waitlist
  • Type: State plan entitlement (serves everyone who qualifies)
  • Self-directed alternative to state-plan personal care assistance; the participant is employer of record and a vendor fiscal/employer agent runs payroll

How to apply in New Jersey

We do not yet have partner agencies in New Jersey. Start with the program's administering agency — NJ Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (through NJ FamilyCare plans) — 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 New Jersey

Can a spouse be paid to care for their husband or wife in New Jersey?
Yes. New Jersey allows a spouse to be the paid caregiver under the program rules cited below.
Who can be the paid caregiver in New Jersey?
Spouses, adult children, other relatives, friends and neighbors aged 18 or older, hired by the participant; the participant's authorized representative cannot be the worker, and a parent of a minor child is paid only for care beyond ordinary parental responsibility.
Is there a waitlist for Medicaid home care in New Jersey?
Personal Preference Program (PPP): no waitlist (Self-directed alternative to state-plan personal care assistance; the participant is employer of record and a vendor fiscal/employer agent runs payroll).
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.