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Can a parent be paid to care for their child in Georgia?

Short answer: in some circumstances, yes, and only for one of the two kinds of care GAPP funds. Here is the honest version, including when the answer is no.

By the ARZN Care team Last reviewed

In some circumstances, yes. Legally responsible individuals, which includes parents, are permitted to provide medically necessary personal care services to a child under 21 who is enrolled in the Georgia Pediatric Program. It applies to personal care support only, never to skilled nursing, and whether it applies to your family depends on the circumstances of the case.

This is one of the most searched questions by Georgia parents of children with disabilities, and it is usually answered badly: either with a flat no, which is wrong, or with a yes that quietly skips the conditions. Here is the version with the conditions left in.

Why the kind of care decides the answer

Where a paid family caregiver fits A child must first be enrolled in GAPP, which requires Georgia Medicaid and a medical necessity determination. If the approved care includes personal care support, a legally responsible individual such as a parent may in some circumstances be the paid caregiver. Skilled nursing hours cannot be delivered by a parent and must be delivered by a licensed nurse. Where a paid family caregiver fits Child enrolled in GAPP Georgia Medicaid plus a medical necessity determination Personal care support Help with daily activities A parent may be paid for this Skilled nursing Clinical tasks under physician orders A licensed nurse only Whether a parent can be paid depends on the circumstances of the case.
Being paid is tied to the kind of care approved, not to the wish to provide it.

GAPP funds two different things. Skilled nursing care is clinical work under physician orders and it has to be delivered by a licensed nurse, so a parent cannot be paid for it. Personal care support is help with the activities of daily living, and that is the side where a trained family caregiver can be the person providing the care.

So the real question is not “can I be paid?” but “does my child have approved personal care support hours, and can I be the person who provides them?”

What has to be true first

  1. The child has full Georgia Medicaid. Eligibility for Medicaid itself is decided by the Division of Family and Children Services. Children on PeachCare for Kids are not eligible for GAPP.
  2. The child is enrolled in GAPP. That requires approval through the state’s medical review, based on care that is medically necessary: skilled nursing, personal support or a behavioral support aide.
  3. The approved care includes personal care support. If a child is approved only for skilled nursing hours, there is nothing a parent can be paid to deliver.
  4. The arrangement fits the circumstances of the case. This is the part no article can answer for you, and anyone who tells you otherwise online is guessing.

About autism specifically

A large share of the people asking this question are parents of autistic children, so it deserves a direct answer rather than a careful silence.

GAPP does not work from a list of qualifying diagnoses. It works from the care a child needs that is medically necessary: skilled nursing, personal support or a behavioral support aide. The GAPP policy manual also directs members with autism to Georgia Medicaid’s Autism Spectrum Disorder program, and for many autistic children GAPP will not be the right program.

That is not the whole picture, though. A child who is autistic and also has medical needs, such as seizures, tube feeding or other conditions that need nursing or hands-on care, should ask an agency to look at those needs specifically.

If GAPP is not the right fit, Georgia runs other programs, including the Autism Spectrum Disorder program and the NOW and COMP waivers, each with separate rules and separate applications. We have written the fuller answer in Can I get paid to take care of my autistic child in Georgia?

What being the paid caregiver actually involves

It is a real job with real requirements, and families are sometimes surprised by that. Under GAPP’s Family Caregiver Option, the parent or other legally responsible adult must live with the child and is hired by the agency as an employee, which means fingerprinting, a background check, CPR certification, the agency’s training, documentation of the care you provide, and regular supervision. Foster parents are not eligible. Those requirements exist because the care is funded by Medicaid and has to be accountable.

What it does not involve is you becoming a stranger in your child’s routine. You already know the routines, the small changes, what brings your child comfort. The training is about the paperwork and the standards, not about teaching you your own child.

In short

  • Yes, in some circumstances, and only for personal care support.
  • Never for skilled nursing, which requires a licensed nurse.
  • The child must have Georgia Medicaid and be enrolled in GAPP first.
  • A diagnosis does not decide it. The care the child needs does.

If you want to know whether this could apply to your family, read about the Village Care Program or tell us about your child. We will give you a straight answer either way.

Common questions

Can I get paid to take care of my disabled child in Georgia?

In some circumstances, yes. Legally responsible individuals, which includes parents, are permitted to provide medically necessary personal care services to a child under 21 who is enrolled in the Georgia Pediatric Program. Whether it applies to your family depends on the circumstances of the case.

Can I be paid for skilled nursing care for my own child?

No. Skilled nursing care under GAPP must be delivered by a licensed nurse. Only the personal care support side of the program can be delivered by a family caregiver.

Can I get paid to care for my autistic child in Georgia?

Through GAPP, only if your child is approved for GAPP personal support hours, which depends on medically necessary care rather than a diagnosis. The GAPP policy manual directs members with autism to Georgia Medicaid's Autism Spectrum Disorder program, so for many autistic children GAPP will not be the route. A child who is autistic and also has nursing or personal care needs should ask an agency to look at those needs.

Is this the same as Structured Family Caregiving?

No. Structured Family Caregiving is a separate Georgia Medicaid program with its own rules and its own eligibility requirements. It is worth asking about separately if GAPP is not a fit.

Sources

  1. Georgia Department of Community Health, Part II Policies and Procedures for Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP) In-Home Nursing, July 1, 2025 edition, published on GAMMIS under Provider Manuals.
  2. Georgia Department of Community Health, Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP) provider presentation, June 2023, published on the Georgia Medicaid Management Information System portal.
  3. Georgia Medicaid, Waiver Programs.
  4. Georgia Department of Community Health, Community Based Services.

Please read. This article is general information about a public program, not medical, legal or financial advice, and it is not a decision about your child. Program rules change. Confirm anything that matters with the Georgia Department of Community Health or with a GAPP participating agency before you rely on it.