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How to Get Paid to Care for a Parent in New Jersey (2026): The Personal Preference Program

How to get paid to care for a parent in New Jersey: the Personal Preference Program pays family, even a spouse, from a monthly budget. Who qualifies and how.

By ElderHearth Editorial Team · July 30, 2026 · 8 min read

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ElderHearth offers general information, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Program rules and pay change, so confirm the details with NJ FamilyCare or the Personal Preference Program.

If you are caring for an aging parent in New Jersey, the state's Medicaid program pays family caregivers, and it is one of the states that allows a spouse. The main route to get paid to care for a parent in New Jersey is the Personal Preference Program (PPP), a participant-directed program that gives your parent a monthly budget to hire and direct their own caregiver. This guide covers how PPP works, who qualifies, what it pays, and how to apply.

How to get paid to care for a parent in New Jersey: the Personal Preference Program

The Personal Preference Program (PPP) is the participant-directed option within NJ FamilyCare (New Jersey Medicaid) for older or disabled adults who need personal care. Instead of an agency choosing the aide, your parent gets a monthly budget they manage, hiring and directing their own personal care assistant, with a fiscal management service handling payroll and taxes.

New Jersey is broad about who can be paid: a spouse, adult child, parent of an adult, sibling, in-law, niece, nephew, friend, or neighbor can be hired as the paid caregiver. The inclusion of spouses sets New Jersey apart from the many states that prohibit spousal caregiving.

What New Jersey pays

Under PPP, the monthly budget is based on the number of authorized personal-care-assistant hours multiplied by the current Medicaid reimbursement rate. Your parent then uses that budget to pay the caregiver. Because the rate and authorized hours drive the amount, confirm the current figures when you enroll.

Who qualifies

Eligibility runs through your parent:

  • Your parent must be eligible for NJ FamilyCare (Plan A) and be approved for Personal Care Assistant services, with a need for that care expected to last at least six months.
  • Your parent must be able to self-direct their services (choosing the caregiver, approving timesheets), or name an authorized representative to do so on their behalf.
  • You, the caregiver, can be an adult child, a spouse, or another relative, friend, or neighbor.

How to apply in New Jersey

The process runs through NJ FamilyCare and its managed care plan:

  1. Make sure your parent is enrolled in NJ FamilyCare and its Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) benefit.
  2. Request Personal Care Assistant services and the Personal Preference Program through your parent's managed care plan.
  3. Complete the assessment, which sets the authorized hours and the monthly budget.
  4. Enroll the caregiver with the fiscal management service so you can be paid from the budget.

Other ways to get paid to care for a parent in New Jersey

PPP is the main path, but not the only one:

  • VA programs, if your parent is a veteran, can pay a family caregiver through Veteran-Directed Care or the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.
  • A personal care agreement, if your parent can pay from their own savings, sets the hours, duties, and pay in writing, which matters for family clarity, taxes, and any future Medicaid application.

For the full national picture of every program and how they compare, see our main guide to how to get paid to care for an elderly parent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get paid to care for my parent in New Jersey? Often, yes. The main way is the Personal Preference Program under NJ FamilyCare, which gives your parent a monthly budget to hire and direct their own caregiver, including an adult child or a spouse. Your parent must qualify for NJ FamilyCare Plan A and be approved for personal care assistance.

Can a spouse be paid to care for a parent in New Jersey? Yes. New Jersey's Personal Preference Program allows a spouse to be a paid caregiver, along with an adult child and other relatives or friends, which distinguishes it from states that prohibit spousal caregiving.

How much does the Personal Preference Program pay in New Jersey? The monthly budget is based on the authorized personal-care-assistant hours multiplied by the current Medicaid rate, and your parent uses that budget to pay the caregiver. Confirm the current figures when you enroll.

Does New Jersey Medicaid pay family caregivers? Yes, through the Personal Preference Program under NJ FamilyCare, which pays an adult child, a spouse, or another relative from a participant-directed monthly budget. The VA also pays family caregivers of eligible veterans.

Where to start

The fastest first step is to make sure your parent is enrolled in NJ FamilyCare and its MLTSS benefit, then ask their managed care plan about Personal Care Assistant services and the Personal Preference Program. If your parent is a veteran, look at the VA programs in parallel. Getting set up to get paid to care for a parent in New Jersey is a realistic way to keep aging in place affordable.

If you would like help figuring out where to begin, you are welcome to reach out.

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