How to Get Paid to Care for a Parent in Virginia (2026): CCC Plus
How to get paid to care for a parent in Virginia: CCC Plus pays $17.97 an hour in Northern Virginia and $13.88 in the rest of the state, with no waitlist.
ElderHearth offers general information, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Program rules and pay change, so confirm the details with Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) or your Services Facilitator.
If you are caring for an aging parent in Virginia, the state's Medicaid program pays family caregivers, and unusually for this kind of program, there is no waiting list. The main route to get paid to care for a parent in Virginia is the Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus (CCC Plus) waiver, whose consumer-directed services let your parent hire and direct their own caregiver, and an adult child can fill that role. This guide covers how it works, who qualifies, what it pays, and how to apply.
How to get paid to care for a parent in Virginia: CCC Plus
The Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus (CCC Plus) waiver funds home care so an adult can stay out of a nursing facility. Its Consumer-Directed (CD) Services option makes your parent the employer: they hire, schedule, and direct their own attendant, while a Fiscal/Employer Agent handles payroll and taxes. Many members now receive these services through Cardinal Care managed care.
Virginia lets a fairly broad range of relatives be the paid caregiver, including an adult child, sibling, grandchild, or other relative. A spouse is generally excluded, though a spouse can sometimes be paid under Virginia's narrow legally-responsible-individual rules. A notable advantage: the CCC Plus waiver has no waiting list, which is unusual, so eligible families can start without waiting years for a slot.
What does CCC Plus pay a family caregiver in Virginia?
Virginia publishes the number, and it depends on which part of the state your parent lives in. The CCC Plus rate file effective July 1, 2025 lists the Northern Virginia line as "Consumer Directed Personal Assistance/Attendant Care $17.97 Hour" and the rest of the state as "Consumer Directed Personal Assistance/Attendant Care $13.88 Hour". Respite is paid at those same two rates.
That figure is what Medicaid pays for the service, not what lands in your account. The fiscal employer agent "pays the attendant on behalf of the individual receiving services, less applicable taxes, patient pay deductions, and other withholdings, if appropriate", and issues "paychecks to attendants every two weeks" once shifts are submitted and signed. Ask the fiscal employer agent what the rate works out to as your take-home hourly wage before you plan around it.
One rule surprises families more than the rate does: you cannot negotiate it, and your parent cannot top it up. The employer of record manual states that "The pay rate is determined by the Virginia General Assembly and is not negotiable" and that "Attendants may not be paid any extra amount above this rate". It repeats the point where it matters most, at hiring: "The hourly rate is determined by the Virginia General Assembly and not by the EOR, SF, or the F/EA". So the interview conversation is about hours and fit, never about pay.
Who qualifies
Eligibility runs through your parent:
- Your parent must be on Virginia Medicaid and enrolled in the CCC Plus waiver, which requires a nursing-facility level of care. Because there is no waiting list, the process can move as fast as the paperwork allows.
- You, the caregiver, can be an adult child, sibling, grandchild, or other relative. A spouse is generally excluded except under narrow rules.
- You enroll as the paid attendant through the Services Facilitator and Fiscal/Employer Agent, completing the required paperwork.
How to apply in Virginia
The process runs through Medicaid and a managed care plan:
- Apply for Virginia Medicaid for your parent if they are not already enrolled.
- Request a CCC Plus waiver screening, which determines the level of care and services.
- Ask for Consumer-Directed Services so your parent can hire you; their health plan assigns a Services Facilitator to set up the arrangement and authorize monthly hours.
- Enroll as the attendant with the Fiscal/Employer Agent, so your hours can be paid.
Other ways to get paid to care for a parent in Virginia
CCC Plus is the main path, but not the only one:
- VA programs, if your parent is a veteran, can pay a family caregiver (including a spouse) through Veteran-Directed Care or the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, which is one route when a spouse needs to be the caregiver.
- 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. Paying yourself for care and paying for home changes often go together; here is help with a stair lift in Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get paid to care for my parent in Virginia? Often, yes. The main way is the CCC Plus waiver's Consumer-Directed Services, which let your parent hire and direct a family caregiver such as an adult child, paid hourly. A notable plus is that CCC Plus has no waiting list. Your parent must be on Virginia Medicaid at a nursing-facility level of care.
Can an adult child be paid to care for a parent in Virginia? Yes. Under CCC Plus consumer direction, an adult child, sibling, grandchild, or other relative can be the paid attendant. A spouse is generally excluded except under narrow rules.
How much does Virginia pay family caregivers? Virginia sets the rate rather than leaving it to the family. The CCC Plus rate file effective July 1, 2025 pays consumer-directed attendant care at $17.97 an hour in Northern Virginia and $13.88 in the rest of the state, before taxes and any patient pay deduction. The rate is set by the General Assembly and is not negotiable.
Does Virginia Medicaid pay family caregivers? Yes, through the CCC Plus waiver's Consumer-Directed Services, which pay an adult child or other relative, with no program waiting list. 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 Virginia Medicaid, then request a CCC Plus waiver screening and ask for Consumer-Directed Services. Because there is no waiting list, the process moves as fast as the paperwork. If your parent is a veteran, or if a spouse needs to be the caregiver, look at the VA programs. Getting set up to get paid to care for a parent in Virginia is a realistic way to keep aging in place affordable.
If you would like someone to listen, you are welcome to write to us.
Sources
- Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, CCC Plus Waiver.
- Virginia DMAS, CCC Plus waiver rates effective July 1, 2025, the consumer-directed attendant care rate by region.
- Virginia DMAS, Consumer-Directed Employer of Record Manual, rate setting, payroll, and what an attendant may not be paid.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Caregiver Support Program.