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

Wisconsin: Who Can Be a Paid Family Caregiver Under Medicaid

Wisconsin's IRIS program lets the participant hire family members, including a spouse, as participant-hired workers paid through a fiscal employer agent, and Family Care members can pay family through the Self-Directed Supports option; both programs are statewide with no waitlist.

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

Who can be paid: Spouses, adult children, other relatives and friends hired by the participant under IRIS or Self-Directed Supports, or employed by a Family Care network agency; whoever acts as the participant's IRIS representative cannot also be the paid worker.

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

IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct)

Administered by Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

  • Who employs the caregiver: Self-directed (participant is the employer)
  • Waitlist: No waitlist
  • Type: State plan entitlement (serves everyone who qualifies)
  • 1915(c) self-directed waiver; the participant hires workers paid through a fiscal employer agent; IRIS Self-Directed Personal Care rides 1915(j)

Family Care / Partnership / PACE

Administered by Wisconsin Department of Health Services (managed care organizations).

  • Who employs the caregiver: Agency or self-directed
  • Waitlist: No waitlist
  • Type: State plan entitlement (serves everyone who qualifies)
  • Managed long-term care; members may use network agencies or the Self-Directed Supports option to hire their own workers

How to apply in Wisconsin

We do not yet have partner agencies in Wisconsin. Start with the program's administering agency — Wisconsin Department of Health Services — 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 Wisconsin

Can a spouse be paid to care for their husband or wife in Wisconsin?
Yes. Wisconsin allows a spouse to be the paid caregiver under the program rules cited below.
Who can be the paid caregiver in Wisconsin?
Spouses, adult children, other relatives and friends hired by the participant under IRIS or Self-Directed Supports, or employed by a Family Care network agency; whoever acts as the participant's IRIS representative cannot also be the paid worker.
Is there a waitlist for Medicaid home care in Wisconsin?
IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct): no waitlist (1915(c) self-directed waiver; the participant hires workers paid through a fiscal employer agent; IRIS Self-Directed Personal Care rides 1915(j)). Family Care / Partnership / PACE: no waitlist (Managed long-term care; members may use network agencies or the Self-Directed Supports option to hire their own workers).
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.