How much do family caregivers get paid in Virginia?
Virginia doesn't publish one flat rate — and we won't invent one.
Your pay comes out of a care budget that Virginia sets from your relative's assessed needs. Any site quoting you a single Virginia hourly figure is guessing. We get you the real number before you enroll.
What Virginia pays family caregivers
Rates vary — check with the program.
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Virginia Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
What sets your number
no home-care agency; fully consumer-directed but a fiscal/employer agent is mandatory — PPL (Public Partnerships) or Consumer Direct Care Network depending on the member's managed-care plan, plus a services facilitator
- Spouse can be paid?
- Sometimes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Sometimes
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
Where the money comes from
This is Medicaid money, not a grant and not a charity. In Virginia it runs through CCC Plus Waiver consumer direction, LRI option (spouses & parents), administered by Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), Office of Community Living; CCC Plus Helpline 1-844-374-9159
1.5 million people in Virginia — 18% of the state — are 65 or older, spread across 133 counties. The programs on this page exist because caring for them at home costs the state far less than a nursing home does.
From first call to first paycheck
- 2 minutes
Check eligibility
Five questions tell you which Virginia program fits, and roughly what it pays.
- usually weeks
Medicaid + care assessment
Virginia confirms your relative qualifies and how much help they need. The hours in that assessment become your paid hours.
- after approval
Enrol and hire
Your relative enrols, then names you as their caregiver. Background check, paperwork, done.
- every pay period
Get paid
You log the hours you already work and are paid for them, like any job.
How to start in Virginia: Apply for Medicaid via Cover Virginia or the local Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) office and request a functional (nursing-facility level of care) screening through local DSS.
Virginia pay questions, answered honestly
How much do family caregivers get paid in Virginia?
Virginia does not publish a single rate. Pay is set from your relative's assessed needs and the program's budget. Anyone quoting you one flat Virginia number is guessing — we get you the real one before you enroll.
What decides my exact hourly rate?
Three things: how much help your relative is assessed as needing, which Virginia program they are on, and who administers the payroll. no home-care agency; fully consumer-directed but a fiscal/employer agent is mandatory — PPL (Public Partnerships) or Consumer Direct Care Network depending on the member's managed-care plan, plus a services facilitator
How many hours a week can I be paid for?
Hours come from the care assessment, not from how many you actually work. That is the single biggest thing families get wrong — an honest assessment is worth more than any negotiation later. We help you prepare for it.
Is family caregiver pay taxable?
Usually yes — it is normally treated as wages, with taxes withheld. One exception is worth asking about: the IRS difficulty-of-care rule can make some payments tax-free when the caregiver lives with the person receiving care.
Can I be paid to care for my spouse in Virginia?
limited — spouses payable only as Legally Responsible Individuals for 'extraordinary care' (ADLs only, not IADLs/supervision) when circumstances prevent a non-LRI caregiver; capped at 40 hrs/week; LRI rules updated eff. 7/1/2025 There is a full page on this: see spousal caregiver pay in Virginia.
Can a parent be paid for caring for their own child in Virginia?
limited — parents of minors payable under the same LRI rules (extraordinary care, ADLs only, up to 40 hrs/week per child); no respite allowed alongside a paid LRI
Is there a waitlist in Virginia?
not an entitlement — a waitlist can form when slots fill, though it has historically had no waiting list
How do I apply in Virginia?
Apply for Medicaid via Cover Virginia or the local Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) office and request a functional (nursing-facility level of care) screening through local DSS.
Married and caring for your husband or wife? Read the spouse rules for Virginia →
Sources: medicaidplanningassistance.org · dmas.virginia.gov · dmas.virginia.gov · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rates change — always confirm with the program.
Where most Virginia caregivers are
Counties with the most residents aged 65 and older. The rules are the same everywhere in Virginia — pick yours for the local picture.
Find out in 2 minutes
Answer 5 easy questions. See your programs and pay before you share any contact info.