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

Oregon: Who Can Be a Paid Family Caregiver Under Medicaid

Oregon lets a Medicaid in-home services consumer employ a relative or friend as a homecare worker, with the state acting as payroll agent or, since 2026, an Agency with Choice as employer; a spouse is paid only through the Spousal Pay or Independent Choices programs under strict criteria, and a parent of a minor only through a slot-limited children's program.

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, other relatives, friends and neighbors enrolled as homecare workers; a spouse who meets the Spousal Pay Program's eligibility rules or works under the Independent Choices Program; a parent of a minor child only through the Children's Extraordinary Needs Program.

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

Medicaid in-home services — Consumer-Employed Provider program (homecare workers) under the K Plan, plus Agency with Choice since July 2026

Administered by Oregon Department of Human Services, Aging and People with Disabilities.

  • Who employs the caregiver: Agency or self-directed
  • Waitlist: No waitlist
  • Type: State plan entitlement (serves everyone who qualifies)
  • The consumer is the employer and the Department acts as payroll agent; under Agency with Choice an agency is the employer

Spousal Pay Program and Independent Choices Program

Administered by Oregon ODHS Aging and People with Disabilities.

  • Who employs the caregiver: Self-directed (participant is the employer)
  • Waitlist: No waitlist
  • Type: State plan entitlement (serves everyone who qualifies)
  • The only in-home options that allow payment to a spouse, under strict care criteria and Department approval

Children's Extraordinary Needs Program

Administered by Oregon ODHS Office of Developmental Disabilities Services.

  • Who employs the caregiver: Self-directed (participant is the employer)
  • Waitlist: Waitlist
  • Pays parents and guardians of enrolled children; slot-limited with a waitlist

How to apply in Oregon

We do not yet have partner agencies in Oregon. Start with the program's administering agency — Oregon Department of Human Services, Aging and People with Disabilities — 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 Oregon

Can a spouse be paid to care for their husband or wife in Oregon?
In defined cases. Oregon 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 Oregon?
Adult children, other relatives, friends and neighbors enrolled as homecare workers; a spouse who meets the Spousal Pay Program's eligibility rules or works under the Independent Choices Program; a parent of a minor child only through the Children's Extraordinary Needs Program.
Is there a waitlist for Medicaid home care in Oregon?
Medicaid in-home services — Consumer-Employed Provider program (homecare workers) under the K Plan, plus Agency with Choice since July 2026: no waitlist (The consumer is the employer and the Department acts as payroll agent; under Agency with Choice an agency is the employer). Spousal Pay Program and Independent Choices Program: no waitlist (The only in-home options that allow payment to a spouse, under strict care criteria and Department approval). Children's Extraordinary Needs Program: waitlist (Pays parents and guardians of enrolled children; slot-limited with a waitlist).
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.