Consumer Direct Care Network Washington: How CDWA Works for Family Caregivers

Your parent qualified for Medicaid home care hours through the CARE assessment, and now DSHS tells you that a company called "CDWA" handles everything from here. You've never heard of them. You don't know what forms to file, how you'll get paid, or what happens if you miss a training deadline.

Consumer Direct Care Network Washington (CDWA) is the single employer of record for all Individual Providers (IPs) in Washington State. They don't provide care — they handle the employment infrastructure so family members like you can legally get paid to care for your parent.

What CDWA Actually Does

CDWA operates as a "Consumer Directed Employer" under contract with DSHS. Your parent remains the "Managing Employer" — they choose who provides their care, set the schedule, and direct the work. CDWA handles the legal employment side: payroll processing, tax withholding, background checks, benefits enrollment, and union compliance with SEIU 775.

This structure exists because DSHS cannot legally pay individual caregivers directly. The consumer directed model gives your parent control over their care while meeting federal employment and audit requirements.

How to Become an Individual Provider

The enrollment process has specific steps that must happen in order:

Step 1: Get authorized. Your parent's DSHS case manager must formally authorize you as their chosen caregiver. This happens after the CARE assessment determines care hours.

Step 2: Complete the CDWA Employment Packet. This includes Form I-9 (employment eligibility), W-4 (tax withholding), direct deposit authorization, and SEIU 775 registration forms.

Step 3: Pass the background check. CDWA submits your fingerprints and background check at no cost to you — the state covers this expense. Results typically take 5-10 business days.

Step 4: Complete Orientation and Safety Training (5 hours). You must finish this before providing any paid care. This covers basic safety protocols, infection control, and your rights as an employee.

Step 5: Start working and begin the 120-day training clock. As an adult child caring for a parent, you need 30 hours of basic training completed within 120 days of your hire date. Non-family providers need 70 hours.

Payroll and Timesheets Through CareAttend

All care hours must be logged electronically through the CareAttend Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) system. This isn't optional — federal regulations require real-time location and time verification for all Medicaid-funded home care.

CareAttend works through a mobile app or landline check-in. You clock in when you arrive and clock out when you leave. The system records GPS coordinates, time stamps, and the specific services provided. CDWA processes payroll based on these verified entries.

Pay periods are biweekly. Starting wages for Individual Providers range from $23.54 to $27.28 per hour depending on experience and certifications, structured under the SEIU 775 collective bargaining agreement. You're also eligible for health benefits and paid time off that accrues at 1 hour for every 23 hours worked.

Training Requirements by Category

Your training timeline depends on your relationship to the care recipient:

• Adult child caring for parent: 5 hours orientation + 30 hours basic training within 120 days. No HCA credential exam required.
• Non-relative or friend: 5 hours orientation + 70 hours basic training within 120 days. Must pass the Prometric HCA exam within 200 days.
• Limited service provider (20 hours/month or less): 5 hours orientation + 30 hours basic training. No HCA credential required.

All non-exempt caregivers must complete 12 hours of continuing education annually, due on your birthday. Missing this deadline triggers an administrative hold — CDWA blocks you from logging hours until you're compliant.

What Happens If You Miss Deadlines

CDWA enforces training timelines strictly. If you don't complete your 30-hour basic training within 120 days, you'll be placed on administrative hold. That means no logged hours, no payroll, and no pay until the deficiency is resolved. Your parent would need to find temporary alternative coverage.

The same applies to continuing education. Set calendar reminders well before your birthday deadline.

The Spousal Exclusion (and the WA Cares Workaround)

One critical limitation: spouses cannot be paid as Individual Providers under Washington Medicaid rules. If your mom needs care and your dad wants to provide it, the IP pathway through CDWA isn't available for him.

However, starting July 2026, the WA Cares Fund provides an exception. Families can use WA Cares benefits to train and pay a spouse — a pathway that Medicaid's consumer directed model has always excluded.

Common Questions About CDWA

Can I work for multiple clients? Yes. An Individual Provider can serve more than one Medicaid recipient simultaneously — each client has their own authorized hours, and you log time separately for each through CareAttend.

What if my parent's case manager changes the authorized hours? Your pay adjusts with the new authorization. If hours are reduced and you disagree, your parent can appeal within 90 days of the Planned Action Notice.

Can I take vacation? IPs accrue paid time off. You can also designate a backup provider — another person who completes the same CDWA onboarding — to cover your absences without disrupting your parent's care.

What happens when my parent passes away or enters a facility? Your employment as an IP ends when Medicaid-funded home care services end. There's no severance, but your accrued PTO is paid out.

CDWA Contact Information

• Main enrollment line: 866-214-9899
• CareAttend EVV support: Available through the CDWA portal
• SEIU 775 member services: 866-371-3200

For a complete walkthrough of CDWA enrollment, training timelines, EVV setup, and the full paid caregiving pathway in Washington, the Washington Home Care Guide maps every step from CARE assessment authorization through your first paycheck.

See more Washington guides →