Get Paid for
Giving Care
The direct care workforce shortage means families often can't hire outside help. Learn how to navigate hiring a family member, set fair compensation, and create the right payment structure for your situation.
Register for the Planning SessionWhy This Conversation Matters
For decades, family caregiving has been invisible labor — expected but unpaid. As the shortage of professional home care workers grows, more families are turning to a solution: paying a family member to provide care.
But this creates complex questions. How do you set fair compensation? What are the legal implications? How do you maintain family relationships while establishing professional boundaries? What tax and benefit considerations apply? These questions deserve expert guidance.
This planning session addresses the complexity and helps you create a solid foundation for paying family care.
Could You Be Paid for the Care You Give?
Before the planning session, take 3 minutes to explore your eligibility. Answer a few questions about your caree and situation — we'll point you toward programs and paths that may apply, from Medicaid self-direction to VA benefits to formal family care agreements.
- Personalized results based on your specific situation
- Covers Medicaid, VA programs, and private pay paths
- Includes direct links to resources for your caree's benefits
- Takes about 3 minutes
personalized results
Getting paid for family caregiving involves financial, legal, and emotional complexity. This 60-minute planning session helps you think through hiring options, payment structures, and next steps with an expert facilitator.
Explore Your Options
Learn different ways to structure payment for family care — from informal arrangements to Medicaid programs to VA benefits to formal employment.
Understand Legal & Financial Implications
Get clarity on tax considerations, contracts, benefit implications, and what documentation you'll need. Know what questions to ask your attorney or accountant.
Create Your Plan
Use our planning tool to map out your specific situation: who gets paid, how much, from what funding source, and what comes next.
Know Your Next Steps
Leave with clarity about what professional help you need — attorney, accountant, elder law specialist — and how to prepare for those conversations.
Session Details
You'll leave with:
- A completed Paying Family Planning Tool for your specific situation
- Clarity on payment structure options that could work for you
- Understanding of legal, tax, and benefit implications
- A list of resources specific to your state and situation
- Knowledge of what professional help you need and how to find it
- Connection to other families navigating similar decisions
Share Your Situation
Tell us about your caree, your family dynamics, and why you're considering paying a family member. What's driving this decision?
Explore Payment Options
Learn about different structures: informal payment, formal employment, Medicaid programs, VA benefits, and other funding sources available in your situation.
Understand Implications
Get clear information about taxes, contracts, benefit implications, and what documentation matters. Learn what questions to ask professionals later.
Plan Your Approach
Using our planning tool, work through your specific scenario. Who gets paid? How much? From what source? What happens next?
Identify Professional Help
Determine which professionals you need to consult — elder law attorney, accountant, financial planner, Medicaid specialist — and how to prepare for those conversations.
Connect & Continue
Leave with access to our community and the option to schedule a follow-up consultation with a Certified Caregiving Consultant to further personalize your plan.
Before joining, gather a few key pieces of information and explore our tools:
Take the Eligibility Tool
Our new interactive tool helps you understand which payment options may apply to your situation — personalized to your caree and your relationship. Takes about 3 minutes.
Find Out If You Qualify →Download the Planning Tool
The Paying Family Planning Tool is the core document you'll work through during the session. Download it now so you can follow along and take notes.
Download Planning Tool →Tell Us About Your Situation
Complete our short pre-session form so Denise can prepare for your specific questions. Your answers help shape what gets covered in the session.
Share Your Situation →Gather Key Information
Think about: your caree's age and condition, current care situation, family members involved, available funding sources, and what concerns you most about paying family.
Denise M. Brown
Founder, The Caregiving Years Training Academy
Denise's Expertise
- 35 years of personal caregiving experience
- Founder of The Caregiving Years Training Academy (est. 2020)
- Published expert on compensating family caregivers
- Featured in Wall Street Journal: "Caring for Family Doesn't Have to be Unpaid Work"
- Quoted in New Republic on the need to compensate family caregivers
- Led 2021 national advocacy campaign to increase state funding for caregiver compensation programs
- Creator of the Paying Family Planning Tool and methodology
Medicaid Programs
- Medicaid Self-Directed Services Find your state's self-direction program
- Structured Family Caregiving Program Daily stipend programs available in some states
VA Benefits
Contracts & Legal
- Sample Domestic Worker Contracts Chicago model — useful starting point for any family care agreement
- Find an Elder Law Attorney (NAELA) An elder law attorney can draft a valid care agreement
Tax & Benefits Guidance
- Gift Tax Information (IRS) Understand the difference between gifts and compensation
- BenefitsCheckUp (NCOA) Free tool to screen for benefits eligibility
- 6 Steps to Financial Assistance Options
State-Specific Programs
- New Mexico: New MexiCare Program
- Family Caregiver Alliance — State Resources State-by-state guide to services and paid family caregiver programs
Do I need a lawyer before attending this session?
No. This planning session helps you understand what questions to ask a lawyer and what information to bring to that conversation. You'll know what professional help you need after this session.
What if I don't have any funding source? Can family still get paid?
This is a common question. We'll explore various funding sources — Medicaid, VA benefits, family resources, and more — and discuss what's possible in your situation. Some families do informal payment arrangements; others adjust tax situations accordingly. This is where professional guidance becomes important.
Is this session appropriate if I'm just beginning to think about this?
Absolutely. This session is designed for family caregivers at all stages — from "we're just thinking about this" to "we're ready to implement." Come with your questions, and we'll help you think it through.
What if there's family conflict about paying one family member?
This is a real and important concern. During the session, we address family dynamics and help you think through how to have conversations with siblings or other family members about compensation for care.
Can I follow up after the session if I have more questions?
Yes. You'll have access to our Caring Our Way community for ongoing support. You can also schedule a follow-up consultation with a Certified Caregiving Consultant to further personalize your plan.
How does this session compare to consulting with an attorney or accountant?
This session provides education and helps you plan. A lawyer can give you legal advice specific to your situation. An accountant can address tax implications. After this planning session, you'll know which professionals you need to consult and what to bring to those conversations.
Get Clarity on Paying Family for Care
This is complex, but you don't have to navigate it alone. Join us for a planning session with an expert facilitator who understands the legal, financial, and family dynamics involved. Leave with clarity, a plan, and knowledge of your next steps.
Register for the Planning SessionNot sure if you're eligible? Take the eligibility tool first →
Join Us on the Second Friday
The direct care shortage is real. More families are turning to paying family members for care. If you're considering this option, you need clarity and support.
Join us on the second Friday of the month at 2 p.m. ET · 1 p.m. CT · 11 a.m. PT for a free planning session that will help you navigate this complex decision.
Register Now
