Structured Family Caregiving (SFC) in Georgia is a service in the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP) that supports a family member who lives with a Medicaid waiver participant and provides their daily personal care. Published descriptions say it pays a daily (per diem) rate, with coaching and documentation attached. It is not open to every relative: the person receiving care must be enrolled in CCSP or SOURCE, and the arrangement must meet program rules. The Georgia Department of Community Health’s EDWP fact sheet, updated in 2025, lists Structured Family Caregiver among available services.
For a family in Macon-Bibb or elsewhere in Middle Georgia, the practical question is whether this service fits the relative’s assessed needs and living arrangement. Sharing a home and providing substantial help does not, by itself, establish eligibility. This page covers only SFC. For how CCSP and SOURCE work as a whole, who qualifies financially and what else they pay for, see Georgia Medicaid waivers, CCSP and SOURCE. This page is general information and not medical, legal or financial advice; the Georgia Department of Community Health administers EDWP and determines its program requirements.
What Structured Family Caregiving provides
SFC combines support for a live-in family caregiver with oversight of the care arrangement. It recognizes that assistance with bathing, dressing, eating and other personal tasks can shape the household’s entire day. The service involves care responsibilities and documentation, rather than simply a payment for being related to someone who needs help.
What the published descriptions establish
A DCH public notice dated December 13, 2018 proposed adding SFC to CCSP and SOURCE for services on or after March 1, 2019, pending federal approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. That notice described a live-in, unpaid family caregiver assisting a waiver participant with an assessed need of at least five hours of personal support daily.
The same DCH notice described ongoing support from a health coach by telephone or electronically, daily caregiver notes about changes or concerns, and payment on a per diem basis that offsets personal support hours. “Per diem” means a daily rate. Families should verify the current service definition and payment arrangement with the Area Agency on Aging, because a historical proposal does not establish every current operating detail.
Structured family caregiving Georgia requirements: who may be eligible
Eligibility involves both the person receiving care and the proposed caregiver. According to DCH’s EDWP fact sheet updated in 2025, the waiver considers functional impairment, unmet care needs, nursing facility level of care, physician approval of the care plan, and Medicaid eligibility or potential eligibility after admission. A diagnosis alone does not establish eligibility.
The same fact sheet explains that EDWP supports community living as an alternative to nursing facility placement. A participant does not have to be homebound. Verify current eligibility requirements with DCH and the Area Agency on Aging.
Which relatives can provide care?
A June 2026 article from the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities describes adult biological, adoptive and step-relatives living in the same residence as eligible to be paid. It says spouses and legal guardians are excluded. Confirm the caregiver relationship rules with the Area Agency on Aging because rules differ by program.
The historical DCH notice’s reference to an “unpaid” caregiver can be confusing alongside descriptions of caregiver payments. Families should ask how that term applies before enrollment and how the approved payment arrangement works. Existing unpaid care should not be assumed to create an entitlement to payment.
Caregiver background checks and training
Ask the waiver care team whether the proposed family caregiver must complete a criminal background check or any training before approval, since requirements can differ from those for agency employees. The guide to Georgia caregiver requirements for checks and training explains what applies to hired caregivers, which is a useful baseline for the questions to ask.
Questions the published sources can help answer
| Question | What the published sources say | Who to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Must the caregiver share the home? | DCH’s December 13, 2018 notice describes a live-in family caregiver. | The Area Agency on Aging, for current residence requirements. |
| How much help must the participant need? | The same DCH notice describes an assessed need of at least five hours of personal support daily. | The waiver assessment team, for how needs are evaluated. |
| What support accompanies caregiving? | The same notice describes health coach support by telephone or electronically and daily caregiver notes. | The waiver care team, for current responsibilities. |
| Can a spouse receive payment? | The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities’ June 2026 article says spouses and legal guardians are excluded. | The Area Agency on Aging, to confirm program-specific rules. |
| Is service immediately available? | DCH’s EDWP fact sheet updated in 2025 describes limited waiver capacity; a waiting list can apply. | The Area Agency on Aging, for current availability. |
Structured family caregiving Georgia application: how families in Macon-Bibb can ask about SFC
The Middle Georgia Area Agency on Aging, at 3661 Eisenhower Parkway in Macon according to the state’s Area Agency directory, serves Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Twiggs and Wilkinson counties. DCH’s EDWP fact sheet updated in 2025 identifies the Area Agency on Aging as the starting point for an assessment. As of November 2026, the Georgia Division of Aging Services lists a toll-free line, (866) 552-4464, for local services and information through the Aging and Disability Resource Connection.
- Contact the Area Agency on Aging serving Macon-Bibb. Ask for an EDWP assessment and explain that the household is interested in Structured Family Caregiving.
- Describe the actual care needs. Explain which personal tasks require help, what happens throughout the day, and what the family currently provides.
- Explain the household arrangement. Identify the proposed caregiver’s relationship to the participant and whether they share a residence.
- Ask about Medicaid status and availability. Clarify what financial review remains, whether a waiting list applies, and who handles the next step.
- Clarify the service before relying on payment. Ask about caregiver eligibility, documentation, coaching, payment terms and backup care.
A useful description includes what happens on difficult days as well as easier ones. Note where the person needs hands-on assistance, prompting or supervision, without overstating limitations. An assessment should reflect the person’s daily life. Families caring for someone with memory loss can also read about dementia care at home in Georgia to prepare specific examples of supervision needs, such as wandering or night-time waking.
Structured family caregiving Georgia pay rate and household responsibilities
A daily payment description does not establish what a particular caregiver would receive, and this page does not state a dollar rate because none was confirmed in the sources reviewed. Ask how the rate is determined, who receives the payment, what obligations accompany it, and how changes in the participant’s circumstances affect the arrangement. Request an explanation of how SFC relates to other personal support in the care plan, and ask to see the written care plan; the page on care plans and service agreements describes what a plan normally contains.
Caregiver compensation and the cost of purchasing outside care are different financial questions. This guide’s page on home care costs in Macon and Middle Georgia explains published survey figures; those figures do not establish an SFC payment rate.
Discuss backup help for illness, appointments and caregiver rest. The guide to respite care and caregiver support in Macon explains other support options. Ask the waiver care team which arrangements can fit the approved plan.
If SFC is not available or does not fit
Several other routes exist, each with its own rules. Georgia’s Division of Aging Services lists caregiver programs available through Area Agencies on Aging, including information and assistance, adult day and adult day health care, respite care, telephone counseling and other supportive services. These are listed as programs for caregivers; ask the agency whether any involves payment. Medicare does not generally cover long-term personal care at home, as explained in the page on whether Medicare pays for home care. VA caregiver support is a different program; the page on VA benefits for home care in Georgia explains the distinctions. The VA decides eligibility for its programs.
Sources for this page were last checked in November 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does caring for a parent automatically qualify someone for SFC?
No. The person receiving care must meet waiver requirements, and the proposed caregiver arrangement must satisfy the service’s rules.
Must the caregiver live with the participant?
Published DCH descriptions identify a live-in family caregiver. Confirm current residence requirements with the Area Agency on Aging.
Can a spouse or legal guardian be paid through SFC?
The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities’ June 2026 article says spouses and legal guardians are excluded. Confirm the applicable rules with the Area Agency on Aging.
Is SFC payment the same as an hourly home care wage?
DCH’s December 13, 2018 notice describes a daily payment that offsets personal support hours. Ask the waiver care team how the current payment arrangement works.
Where do I apply for structured family care in Georgia?
Start with the Area Agency on Aging for your county, since DCH’s EDWP fact sheet names it as the starting point for an assessment. Families in Bibb County use the Middle Georgia agency in Macon. The state’s toll-free Division of Aging Services line, (866) 552-4464, can also direct callers to local services.
Does the person receiving care have to be on Medicaid first?
They must be enrolled in CCSP or SOURCE to use SFC. DCH’s fact sheet describes the waiver as requiring Medicaid eligibility or potential eligibility after admission, so ask the Area Agency on Aging what financial review applies to your situation.