If you’re helping a parent, grandparent, sibling, or close friend with everyday tasks such as bathing, dressing, meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, grocery shopping, or companionship, you may be wondering whether you can get paid for the care you already provide.
For eligible Medi-Cal members, the answer may be yes.
As a loved one’s needs increase, many family members find themselves taking on the role of caregiver. It’s often at this point that families start researching family caregiver California requirements, exploring their options, and wondering whether it’s possible to become a paid caregiver for someone they already support at home.
Through 24 Hour Home Care’s Community Supports program, eligible members can choose a caregiver they already know and trust. Rather than receiving care from an unfamiliar caregiver, members can select a family member, friend, neighbor, or other trusted person from their community. Through our Agency With Choice model, 24 Hour Home Care handles hiring, onboarding, training, and payroll while the caregiver focuses on providing support.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- Family caregiver California requirements
- How to become a certified paid caregiver for a family member
- Whether caregiver certification is required
- How Agency With Choice works
- Who can become a paid caregiver
- How to get started
Can You Get Paid to Care for a Family Member in California?
Many families already provide unpaid care for loved ones every day. They prepare meals, assist with personal care, provide supervision, help around the home, and offer companionship.
Through Community Supports, eligible Medi-Cal members may be able to choose someone they already know and trust to provide this care. Once approved, that caregiver can be hired, trained, and paid through 24 Hour Home Care.
This allows members to receive care from someone familiar while helping caregivers receive compensation for the support they provide.
What Is Agency With Choice?
Agency With Choice is 24 Hour Home Care’s model that allows eligible Medi-Cal members to choose their own caregiver.
Instead of being matched with a caregiver from an agency roster, members can select a trusted family member, friend, neighbor, or other person from their community.
24 Hour Home Care takes care of:
- Hiring
- Background checks
- Onboarding
- Training
- Payroll
- Ongoing support
The result is a caregiving experience built on an existing relationship rather than one that starts with a stranger entering the home.
Why Agency With Choice Is Different
In traditional home care, an agency typically assigns a caregiver to a member. While many caregivers provide excellent care, building trust takes time. If a caregiver leaves, changes assignments, or simply isn’t the right fit, the member may need to start over with someone new.
Agency With Choice takes a different approach.
Instead of assigning an unfamiliar caregiver, eligible Medi-Cal members choose someone they already know and trust. Because the relationship comes first, care feels more natural, more comfortable, and more sustainable from the very beginning.
“I thank God for putting me in the right spot at the right time. I truly see them as family.” — Maria, 24 Hour Home Care Caregiver
See Agency With Choice in Action
Bernardo and Josafina’s family experienced firsthand how choosing their own caregiver changed everything. Rather than welcoming a stranger into their home, they were able to select someone they already knew and trusted.
Watch their story >
Family Caregiver California Requirements
To become a paid caregiver through 24 Hour Home Care, caregivers must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Pass a background check
- Complete onboarding and training requirements
- Be selected by an eligible Medi-Cal member
No previous caregiving experience is required.
How to Become a Certified Caregiver for a Family Member
Many people search for information about becoming a certified caregiver for a family member. For non-medical in-home caregiving through Community Supports, formal caregiver certification is generally not required.
24 Hour Home Care provides the onboarding and training necessary to prepare caregivers for their role. This allows family members and other trusted individuals to provide care without pursuing professional healthcare licenses or certifications.
Who Can Be Chosen as a Caregiver?
Eligible members may choose:
- Adult children
- Siblings
- Extended family members
- Friends
- Neighbors
- Other trusted members of their community
The caregiver is chosen by the member, not assigned by an agency.
What Does a Paid Family Caregiver Do?
Caregivers provide non-medical Personal Care & Homemaker support that helps members remain safely and independently at home.
Services may include:
- Personal care, such as bathing, grooming, and dressing
- Meal preparation
- Light housekeeping and laundry
- Medication reminders
- Companionship and supervision
Every caregiving situation is different. For some members, support may involve meal preparation and household tasks. For others, it may mean assistance with personal care, mobility, or supervision.
The goal is always the same: helping the member remain safe, healthy, and independent at home.
What If Your Loved One Has Applied for IHSS?
Many families discover Community Supports while waiting for an In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) determination.
If your loved one has applied for IHSS but has not yet been approved, they may still qualify for Personal Care and Homemaker Services through 24 Hour Home Care, filling the care gap while families wait for an IHSS approval or reauthorization.
Community Supports may also be available to members who have exhausted their authorized IHSS hours and need additional support.
Member Eligibility Requirements
To receive care through 24 Hour Home Care Community Supports, members generally must:
- Be enrolled in Medi-Cal
- Live at home (not in a facility)
- Need assistance with daily activities
- Be approved by their Medi-Cal managed care plan
Services are provided at no cost to eligible members.
How to Get Started
Step 1: The Member Chooses a Caregiver: The process begins when an eligible Medi-Cal member identifies someone they know and trust to provide care.
Step 2: Eligibility and Authorization: 24 Hour Home Care works directly with the member’s managed care plan to verify eligibility and obtain service authorization.
Step 3: Caregiver Onboarding: The selected caregiver completes onboarding, training, and employment requirements.
Step 4: Care Begins: Once approved, care can begin with someone the member already knows and trusts.
Care That Starts with Trust
The best care often comes from someone who already understands a person’s routines, preferences, and daily life. When care starts with trust, everyone benefits.
