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

Usually not for autism on its own. Georgia pays a parent to care for their child through GAPP’s Family Caregiver Option, and that pays only for approved personal support hours, which depend on medically necessary hands-on care rather than a diagnosis. The GAPP policy manual directs members with autism to Georgia Medicaid’s Autism Spectrum Disorder program, which pays for therapy, not for a parent’s time. An autistic child who also needs daily hands-on care because of other medical needs may still qualify on those needs.

This is one of the most searched questions by Georgia parents, and most of the results that come back say yes. Many of them describe programs in other states, or Structured Family Caregiving, which is a different Georgia program. This page is the Georgia answer, with the conditions left in.

When GAPP can pay a parent of an autistic child

GAPP, the Georgia Pediatric Program, is the Medicaid program that can pay a parent. All of these have to be true:

1. Your child has full Georgia Medicaid. Children on PeachCare for Kids are not eligible for GAPP.
2. GAPP approves personal support hours. Approval is based on medically necessary care, judged on your child’s overall medical condition, the equipment they use, and the level and frequency of care they need (GAPP manual §702.1.1). Personal support means hands-on help with feeding, bathing, dressing, hygiene, meals, light housekeeping and moving and walking (§604.2).
3. You are a parent or other legally responsible adult who lives with your child. Foster parents are not eligible (§604.2, §604.3).
4. The agency hires you. Fingerprinting, a background check, CPR certification and the agency’s training, with a nurse supervising the care every two weeks (§604.3, §919).

The children this most often fits are autistic children who also have medical needs that call for hands-on care every day: seizures, tube feeding, mobility needs, or other conditions. Those children are reviewed on those needs, like any other child.

What GAPP will not pay a parent for

• Behavioral support. GAPP added a behavioral support aide service in April 2023, but the Family Caregiver Option does not cover it (§604.2, §604.3).
• Supervision on its own. Keeping a child safe is not on the manual’s list of personal support tasks.
• Nursing. Skilled nursing always needs a licensed nurse.

What Georgia offers autistic children instead

The Autism Spectrum Disorder program

Since January 1, 2018, Georgia Medicaid has covered autism assessment and treatment for members under 21. Your child needs a documented autism diagnosis from a licensed physician, psychologist or other licensed professional, and the treatment, called adaptive behavior services, is delivered by board certified behavior analysts according to medical necessity. It pays for therapy. It does not pay parents.

Katie Beckett, if your family’s income is too high

Katie Beckett (also called TEFRA) is a route into Medicaid for children 18 and under with disabilities who live at home. It ignores family income and looks at the level of care the child would need in an institution. Medicaid then opens the door to the Autism Spectrum Disorder program. You can apply online at gateway.ga.gov, through any DFCS office, or by calling the Katie Beckett team at 678-248-7449. Our Katie Beckett guide covers who qualifies and every form.

The NOW and COMP waivers

NOW and COMP are Medicaid waivers for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, including autism, that began in childhood. You apply through the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), online through its IDD Connects system or with help from a DBHDD Regional Field Office. People found pre-eligible are placed on a planning list, and DBHDD prioritizes it by need rather than by how long someone has waited. Ask your Regional Field Office what services and caregiver arrangements apply to your child.

Structured Family Caregiving

Many “get paid to care for a family member in Georgia” ads are about Structured Family Caregiving. It is part of the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program, which serves frail elderly and disabled Georgians who need a nursing facility level of care, and it has its own rules and application. It is not part of GAPP.

If your child is autistic and also needs hands-on care every day, tell us about your child. We will tell you honestly whether Village Care could fit, and point you elsewhere if it will not. The full rules are in our GAPP guide.

Common questions

Does Georgia pay parents to care for an autistic child?

Not for autism on its own. Georgia pays parents through GAPP's Family Caregiver Option, which covers approved personal support hours based on medically necessary hands-on care, not on a diagnosis. An autistic child who also needs daily hands-on care because of medical needs may qualify on those needs.

Does the Autism Spectrum Disorder program pay parents?

Georgia Medicaid's Autism Spectrum Disorder program covers assessment and treatment for members under 21 with a documented autism diagnosis, delivered by board certified behavior analysts. It is therapy coverage. It is not a program that pays parents for their time.

Can my autistic child get GAPP?

GAPP is based on medically necessary skilled nursing, personal support or behavioral support aide services, judged on the child's overall medical condition, equipment and the level and frequency of care they need. The GAPP manual directs members with autism to the Autism Spectrum Disorder program, so for many autistic children GAPP is not the route.

Can the NOW or COMP waiver help my autistic child?

Possibly. NOW and COMP serve people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, including autism, that began in childhood. Eligible applicants are placed on a planning list that is prioritized by need, not by time waited. Ask your DBHDD Regional Field Office what services and caregiver arrangements apply.

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.
5. Georgia Medicaid, Autism Spectrum Disorder.
6. Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Apply for DD Services.
7. Georgia Medicaid, TEFRA/Katie Beckett.

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.