Family Caregiver Support Program Eligibility Checker
Check your eligibility for the National Family Caregiver Support Program and learn about paid caregiver options by state.
The National Family Caregiver Support Program offers free services, respite care, counseling, and support, to family caregivers, with no income test. It doesn't pay you directly. Getting paid as a caregiver is a separate question, handled through your state's Medicaid program instead.
There are two different questions people usually mean by "family caregiver support": qualifying for free support services, or getting paid to provide care. This tool checks the first one and clearly explains the second.
Check Your NFCSP Eligibility
NFCSP provides services, not payment
- Information about available services and assistance applying for other benefits
- Individual counseling, support groups, and training
- Respite care — temporary relief, in-home, adult day services, or short overnight stays
- Supplemental services — minor home modifications, assistive devices, personal emergency response systems, transportation
Looking to get PAID as a family caregiver instead?
That's a different question. Getting paid to provide care is governed by state Medicaid self-directed care programs (like CDPAP in New York or IHSS in California), based on the care recipient's Medicaid status and needs — not your age as the caregiver. This tool doesn't calculate that eligibility. Ask your state Medicaid agency or Area Agency on Aging specifically about "consumer-directed" or "self-directed" care options.
NFCSP is administered locally through Area Agencies on Aging. Use this site's Area Agency on Aging Locator to find yours and apply.
The National Family Caregiver Support Program has four separate paths to eligibility, and you only need to qualify through one. Most caregivers qualify through the first path: being 18 or older and caring for someone 60 or older. A second path removes the age limit on the person receiving care entirely, if they have Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. The other two paths are for older relatives, 55 or older, who aren't the parent but are raising a grandchild, or who are caring for an adult between 18 and 59 with a disability. None of these paths involve an income or asset test. What you actually get through NFCSP is support, not payment: respite care to give you a break, counseling and support groups, help accessing other benefits, and sometimes small supplemental services like home modifications or emergency response systems. If what you're really looking for is getting paid to provide care for a family member, that's a genuinely different program, usually a state Medicaid self-directed care option, and eligibility there depends on the person receiving care, not you as the caregiver.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for the National Family Caregiver Support Program?
Adults 18+ caring for someone 60 or older or someone with Alzheimer's/dementia of any age, or relatives 55+ (not the parent) caring for a grandchild, or relatives 55+ caring for an adult 18-59 with a disability.
Does the National Family Caregiver Support Program pay caregivers directly?
No. It provides services like respite care, counseling, and support groups, not direct cash payment.
Is there an income limit for the National Family Caregiver Support Program?
No. Eligibility is based on age and caregiving role only, not income or assets.
How do I get paid to be a family caregiver?
That's a different question than NFCSP eligibility. Paid family caregiver arrangements are typically handled through state Medicaid self-directed care programs, based on the care recipient's Medicaid enrollment and needs, not the caregiver's age. Check with your state Medicaid agency.
What is respite care?
Temporary relief from caregiving duties, which can include in-home care, adult day services, or short overnight stays, giving family caregivers a break.
How do I apply for the National Family Caregiver Support Program?
Through your local Area Agency on Aging, which administers NFCSP services in your area.
This tool provides a general eligibility check for the National Family Caregiver Support Program based on federal Older Americans Act rules and does not constitute a determination of eligibility. Specific services and availability vary by local Area Agency on Aging. Paid family caregiver arrangements are governed by separate state Medicaid rules not covered by this tool. For an official determination, contact your local Area Agency on Aging or state Medicaid agency.