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: the CCC Plus waiver's consumer-directed services pay an adult child, with no waitlist. Who qualifies and how.
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 Virginia pays
Under CCC Plus consumer direction, pay is an hourly wage, commonly in the range of $11 to $15 an hour, with the authorized hours set by your parent's assessed needs. Confirm the current rate when you enroll.
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.
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? Under CCC Plus consumer direction, pay is an hourly wage, commonly around $11 to $15 an hour, with the authorized hours based on your parent's assessed needs. Confirm the current rate when you enroll.
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 help figuring out where to begin, you are welcome to reach out.
Sources
- Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, CCC Plus Waiver / Cardinal Care.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Caregiver Support Program.