Family Caregiver Pay Map · North Carolina · Verified October 19, 2026

North Carolina: Who Can Be a Paid Family Caregiver Under Medicaid

North Carolina's CAP/DA waiver pays relatives and friends through a home care agency, consumer direction or the Coordinated Caregiving live-in stipend; a spouse is paid only under defined extraordinary circumstances, and the waiver keeps a waitlist.

Spouse

In defined cases

Adult child / other relatives

Yes

Friends / neighbors

Yes

Parent of a minor child

In defined cases

Who can be paid: Adult children, siblings, other relatives, friends and neighbors, as agency aides, consumer-directed assistants or live-in Coordinated Caregiving caregivers; a spouse or the parent of a minor child only under the state's extraordinary-circumstances rules.

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

Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA), including CAP/Choice consumer direction and Coordinated Caregiving

Administered by NC Medicaid (Division of Health Benefits).

Who employs the caregiver: Agency or self-directed
Waitlist: Waitlist
1915(c) waiver renewed Nov 2024 through Oct 2029; provider-led aide services through a home care agency, consumer direction through a financial management service, or a live-in caregiver stipend paid by a Coordinated Caregiving agency

How to apply in North Carolina

We do not yet have partner agencies in North Carolina. Start with the program's administering agency — NC Medicaid (Division of Health Benefits) — using the official sources below; the state determines eligibility and enrolls participants.

Official sources

Approved CAP/DA 1915(c) waiver application NC.0132.R08.00 (PDF) (accessed October 19, 2026)
NC Medicaid Clinical Coverage Policy 3K-2 — CAP/DA, amended Sept 2025 (PDF) (accessed October 19, 2026)
NC Medicaid — Community Alternatives Program FAQs (accessed October 19, 2026)
NC Medicaid — Waitlist for the CAP/DA program (Mar 2024) (accessed October 19, 2026)
NC Medicaid CAP/C — Requirements for legally responsible individuals as paid caregivers (accessed October 19, 2026)

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 North Carolina

Can a spouse be paid to care for their husband or wife in North Carolina?

In defined cases. North Carolina allows a spouse to be the paid caregiver only under conditions written into its rules; see the summary and sources on this page.

Who can be the paid caregiver in North Carolina?

Adult children, siblings, other relatives, friends and neighbors, as agency aides, consumer-directed assistants or live-in Coordinated Caregiving caregivers; a spouse or the parent of a minor child only under the state's extraordinary-circumstances rules.

Is there a waitlist for Medicaid home care in North Carolina?

Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA), including CAP/Choice consumer direction and Coordinated Caregiving: waitlist (1915(c) waiver renewed Nov 2024 through Oct 2029; provider-led aide services through a home care agency, consumer direction through a financial management service, or a live-in caregiver stipend paid by a Coordinated Caregiving agency).

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.