Adult Family Living Program Connecticut: Get Paid to Care for Your Parent at Home

What the Adult Family Living Program Actually Is

Adult Family Living (AFL) is a component of the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders that pays a tax-free stipend to a live-in caregiver — often an adult child — who provides daily personal care to an elderly parent in either the caregiver's home or the parent's home. The caregiver receives a stipend for the resident care arrangement while the parent remains in a community setting.

AFL operates under the CHCPE umbrella, meaning the parent must be enrolled in the program and meet its clinical and financial eligibility rules.

The critical distinction from other caregiver payment options: AFL is designed for a resident caregiver arrangement where the caregiver and the parent live together. The caregiver provides the live-in care arrangement within the household.

How Much AFL Pays

The AFL program pays a tax-free stipend to a resident caregiver. Ask the Access Agency what stipend amount applies to your parent's authorized care plan; do not assume a fixed rate.

The stipend is not a full-time salary replacement. Families should understand it as supplemental support rather than a standalone income.

Who Can Be an AFL Caregiver

An adult child or other family caregiver may serve as the resident caregiver, subject to program approval. Ask the Access Agency which requirements apply before approval:

• The caregiver and household must meet the Access Agency's approval requirements

How AFL Differs from Community First Choice

Connecticut families looking to get paid for caregiving often confuse AFL with Community First Choice (CFC). The programs serve different arrangements:

AFL pays a live-in caregiver a tax-free stipend. The caregiver and elder share a household. The payment structure is a stipend, not CFC's hourly wages.

CFC pays hourly wages to a personal care assistant hired by the elder (or their representative). The PCA can be a family member but does not need to live with the parent. CFC wages flow through GT Independence, the state's fiscal intermediary, with taxes withheld. CFC uses hands-on assistance with at least three ADLs as its clinical standard.

For a parent who already lives with you or is moving into your home, AFL is often the simpler path. For a parent staying in their own home with a family member visiting to provide hours-based care, CFC is the better fit.

How to Apply

AFL enrollment goes through the standard CHCPE intake process:

1. Contact the Alternate Care Unit at 1-800-445-5394 (Option 4) or submit a request through your parent's regional Access Agency
2. Complete the clinical assessment — an Access Agency care manager visits the home to evaluate your parent's functional needs
3. Discuss the AFL arrangement during care planning — tell the care manager you want to serve as the AFL provider
4. Complete the caregiver and household approval steps the Access Agency requires
5. Sign the AFL provider agreement and begin receiving the stipend once services are authorized

The care manager builds AFL into your parent's plan of care alongside any other CHCPE services the parent needs — respite care, adult day, or medical equipment. The stipend starts when the plan is authorized by the Department of Social Services.

The Financial Eligibility Question

Your parent must meet CHCPE financial criteria to receive AFL. The program has two relevant tiers:

Category 2 (state-funded): Assets up to $48,798 for a single person, no income cap but a 3% co-payment applies, and income above $2,660/month becomes applied income toward the cost of care.

Category 3 (Medicaid waiver): Assets capped at $1,600, income capped at $2,982/month. No co-payment, and a larger service package.

Many families start on Category 2 while spending down assets to qualify for Category 3's more generous coverage. The Aging in Place in Connecticut guide details the full spend-down process and how to protect assets legally during the transition between tiers.

What AFL Does Not Cover

AFL does not pay for skilled nursing care. If your parent needs wound care, IV therapy, or physical therapy, those services come through a licensed home health agency under Medicare or Medicaid — not through the AFL stipend.

AFL also does not cover respite care for the caregiver. If you need periodic breaks, the Connecticut Statewide Respite Care Program or the CHCPE's built-in respite hours are separate resources. Talk to the care manager about building respite into the overall care plan alongside AFL.

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