Yes, parents can get paid to care for a disabled child in Indiana, most often through Structured Family Caregiving (SFC), which Medicaid funds through a waiver. Attendant Care is the other program, and it pays hourly. Paid Care serves Indiana families and can check where your household fits.
Parents Can Get Paid to Care for a Disabled Child in Indiana Through SFC
Structured Family Caregiving is the program many Indiana parents look at first, and it pays differently than a typical hourly job. Qualified caregivers receive a flat, daily stipend that is tax-free, and the amount depends on the level of care your child needs. SFC is funded through Medicaid and supported by a Medicaid waiver, and it's built for families who want a loved one to stay at home instead of moving to a nursing home or residential setting. It covers people of all ages and disabilities, so a child isn't a special exception.
Parents often ask what the stipend is for. It pays you for the daily care you already give, such as help with hygiene, medication, housekeeping, and habilitation. Alongside the stipend, SFC includes supportive services for the caregiver, so you're not handling the paperwork and the care plan alone.
Your child has to qualify before you can be paid. Paid Care checks eligibility across Indiana's Medicaid and home and community based services programs and works with you on the qualification and training steps. If your child doesn't have Medicaid or a waiver yet, our team helps with those applications and stays with you through enrollment, approval, and payment. Medicare by itself isn't enough to get paid as a family caregiver under current state rules, so that's worth knowing before you apply anywhere.
Early on, your child's eligibility is checked first and your pay follows from it. Then you complete training and build a care plan with a care coach, and Paid Care facilitates the payments so the administrative work comes off your plate.
Our Structured Family Caregiving in Indiana page explains the program in more detail, and the Indiana caregiver eligibility guide walks through who qualifies.
When Attendant Care Applies
Attendant Care (ATTC) offers financial support to family or friend caregivers who help people with disabilities, or seniors who need daily care, instead of sending them to a nursing facility. Eligible caregivers receive hourly compensation rather than a flat daily amount, so your pay follows the hours of care you provide. The income is taxable, and it can be full time or part time.
The structure also differs in one practical way. Caregivers don't have to live with the person they care for. That matters if your child needs a lot of attention but you or your co-parent live in a separate household.
Your child's needs and your household's situation decide which program is the right match, and Paid Care reviews both when it checks eligibility. That review settles SFC versus ATTC, so you don't have to guess which one to ask for.
Because hourly pay depends on hours, the way you record your time matters. The Paid Care app lets caregivers clock in and out for care services and take notes in one place, and it works on a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Caregivers are paid weekly by direct deposit. For example, a parent covering the 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. block on school days would log those six hours each day.
If your child's needs don't clearly point to one program, bring a description of a typical day. Note who helps, at what times, and with which tasks. That gives the care team something concrete to work from. The Indiana family caregiver pay guide shows how the programs compare in the state.
When Both Parents Provide Care
If both parents provide care, ask the care team how each parent's role fits a program before anyone logs paid hours. SFC pays a flat, tax-free daily stipend and suits the caregiver who lives with your child and handles daily routines. ATTC pays hourly, and the caregiver doesn't have to live in the home, so it can fit a parent who lives elsewhere or covers a different part of the day.
Care time shouldn't be counted twice. Keep each parent's hours clearly separate and recorded in the app, so the records show who provided which care and when.
Before you decide who takes which role, work through a few questions with your care coach. Which parent provides most of the daily care, and does that parent live with your child? Does your child need extra hands-on help beyond a daily routine? Can each parent record their own hours without overlap?
Bring a simple weekly picture of who covers mornings, evenings, overnights, and appointments. That tells the team how your family's roles map onto Indiana's programs, and they'll explain what's allowed for your situation.
Steps to Qualify and What to Have Ready
Qualifying starts with your child's eligibility, so the first move is to find out whether your child already has Medicaid or a home and community based services waiver. If they do, the care team can check their coverage against Indiana's programs. If they don't, we help with the Medicaid, Medicare Transition, and Medicaid Waiver applications and stay with your family through enrollment, approval, and payment.
The path runs in four steps, in this order:
Step 1. Check eligibility for your child and for you as the caregiver, which you can do through the Paid Care app or with our team.
Step 2. Complete your training and certification. The program combines virtual and in-person sessions, and hands-on training happens at onsite locations.
Step 3. Build your personalized care plan with a care coach, who also explains how best to care for your child.
Step 4. Download the app, start logging your shifts, and receive pay each Friday.
A little preparation makes the first conversation faster. Have your child's Medicaid or waiver information on hand if they have it, along with a list of their diagnoses and the daily tasks you handle, such as bathing, medication, and meals. If a second parent will also provide care, add that parent's schedule so the team can see where the hours fit.
You won't pay Paid Care for any of this, and access to a care coach is included at no cost. You'll also find free online caregiver and personal care courses in the training library.
If you aren't sure whether your child's paperwork is complete, start the eligibility check anyway. The team can tell you what's missing and which application to file next.
Working With Paid Care's Indiana Offices
Paid Care has offices in Bloomington, Indianapolis, and Warsaw, so the person helping you works within Indiana's rules. We serve Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois only, which means families in other states need to look for a local provider.
When you reach out, the team starts by asking about your child and your household. Expect questions about whether your child has Medicaid or a waiver, who provides care now, and what a typical day looks like. From there, a care coach stays with you through qualification, training, and your care plan.
The office closest to you matters most for the in-person part of training, since hands-on sessions happen at onsite locations. Everything else can run through the Paid Care app, where you can chat with experts, build your care plan, and track your hours.
Pay depends on the program and on the level of care your child needs, so there's no single number to quote. Your care team can tell you what applies after your eligibility is reviewed. Paid Care is an Indiana Structured Family Caregiving and Attendant Care provider with offices in Bloomington, Indianapolis, and Warsaw, so the person helping you works within Indiana's rules and not a generic national checklist.
To talk with someone about your child's situation, call us at (812) 247-6017 or use the Contact Us page, and have your child's Medicaid or waiver details nearby if you have them.
Common Questions
Can I get paid to care for an aging parent or a spouse in Indiana?
Yes, Indiana's programs also cover elderly and disabled adults as well as children. Seniors with Medicare, Medicaid, or Supplemental Security Income and adults with disabilities, including mental health conditions, can be eligible recipients. The same rule applies as for children: your loved one has to qualify through Medicaid first, and your pay follows from that.
Can a friend or a non-family caregiver be paid?
Yes, Structured Family Caregiving covers both family and non-family caregivers. Attendant Care is open to family or friend caregivers who help a person with a disability or a senior who needs daily care. The care team reviews each arrangement individually.
Do veterans and people receiving a pension qualify?
They can. Veterans and people receiving a pension are among the groups Indiana's family caregiver program lists as eligible recipients. Paid Care also checks veteran directed care programs when it reviews eligibility. Bring any benefit paperwork you have to your first conversation, and the team will tell you which programs apply.
What if my family lives in Michigan or Illinois instead?
Paid Care serves Michigan and Illinois as well as Indiana, but the programs and rules differ by state. If you live in one of those two states, the care team checks eligibility against that state's Medicaid and home care programs. Families in any other state need to look for a local provider.