California Home Help

For caregivers

Get paid to care for a parent or family in California through IHSS

Updated September 16, 2026. Reviewed September 16, 2026 against public CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, VA, and CareScout 2025 California tables. County wages, hours, and wait times still change. Official .gov pages decide.

In-Home Supportive Services lets many eligible people hire the helper they want, including an adult child, another relative, a friend, or a neighbor, to do the tasks a county social worker authorizes. The county and the state handle enrollment and payment.

Ask for help navigating care for a parent

Create a free account and share a few details if you want help organizing county forms, Medi-Cal, and the home visit so a parent can stay home. A California Home Help coordinator will follow up. Your county IHSS office and Medi-Cal decide eligibility and hours.

You can also call us at (650) 535-1802.

  • A coordinator follows up
  • County decides eligibility
  • You can stop anytime
  • Educational help

At least 8 characters. This creates a free account.

For example: starting an IHSS application, provider enrollment, or county forms. Keep medical records and diagnoses for the county packet.

An adult child can often be the provider

CDSS says care providers may include family members, friends, neighbors, or registered Public Authority providers. If you are helping a parent stay home, you are commonly allowed once you finish enrollment: county orientation, provider forms (including SOC 426 and the provider agreement), and a Department of Justice background check. A spouse, or a parent of a child under 18, can be paid under some IHSS sub-programs after enrollment. PCSP generally leaves those roles unpaid. CFCO, IPO, or IHSS-Residual can allow payment. Ask the county which program applies.

Your parent is the employer. The State issues the check.

The IHSS recipient hires, trains, supervises, and can fire the individual provider. When you are enrolled and hours are authorized, the State issues the payment. Hourly rates are set locally (unions and the county employer of record negotiate them) and change over time, so the county is the place to confirm the current rate. If the recipient has a Medi-Cal share of cost, CDSS says unpaid share of cost can come out of the provider warrant, and the recipient then pays that amount to the provider. Ask the county whether a share of cost applies.

Enrollment and timesheets are the usual blocker

Provider enrollment, timesheets (including Electronic Visit Verification), and county packets are where adult children often need the most help. Start enrollment when you know you will give the care, so the first authorized timesheet can move. Live-in providers who self-certify (SOC 2298) have different EVV steps. California Home Help can help you complete and track that paperwork alongside the county process.

Hourly pay by county

The hourly rate follows the county where the person receiving care lives. A 2026 sample shows how counties differ, along with overtime, paid sick leave, and the live-in federal tax note.

See IHSS caregiver hourly pay rates

Provider enrollment, in plain order

These steps sit beside the parent’s IHSS case. The assessment stays with the county social worker. Ask your county Public Authority or IHSS office which packet they use.

  • Complete the county provider orientation.
  • Submit provider enrollment forms, including SOC 426 and the provider agreement.
  • Complete a Department of Justice background check where required.
  • Ask whether EVV applies to you, and which method (ESP, telephone, or the EVV app).
  • If you live with your parent, ask about live-in self-certification (SOC 2298). Those EVV steps differ.
  • Paid hours start once enrollment and authorized hours are both in place.

Reviewed against CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, and CareScout public pages. We do not quote IHSS wages. County IHSS offices and Medi-Cal decide eligibility, hours, and pay. For current county wage rates, use the official CDSS wage page. CDSS county IHSS wage rates.

Official program pages: CDSS: In-Home Supportive Services, CDSS: IHSS for children, County IHSS offices, CDSS: IHSS providers, CDSS: county IHSS wage rates, CDSS: provider orientation, CDSS: Electronic Visit Verification, CDSS: Electronic Services Portal, DHCS: Medi-Cal, Apply for Medi-Cal, BenefitsCal, CDSS: hearing requests, CDSS: forms catalog, CDSS: IHSS overtime and workweek, DDS: regional centers.

Guides for family providers

Working with Sevah

Help with care at home, and with IHSS

California Home Help is how Sevah’s home care team helps families stay home and navigate IHSS. When you want a quieter kind of support, a coordinator can sit with you on the paperwork and talk through what care at home might look like. Some families work with Sevah while a family member stays the day-to-day helper. Your county still decides eligibility and hours.

Talk with Sevah

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is California Home Help a county or Medi-Cal office?

California Home Help is a private service operated by Sevah Robotics, Inc. Sevah’s home care team helps families stay home and navigate IHSS paperwork. Your county IHSS office and Medi-Cal decide approvals, hours, and payments.

Who decides if I am approved or paid?

Your county IHSS office and Medi-Cal decide eligibility, authorized hours, and provider enrollment. A Sevah coordinator can help you get the paperwork ready so they can review a complete file.

I am helping a parent. What should I do first?

Check whether they already have Medi-Cal. If they are still applying, start that application on BenefitsCal or with the county. Then submit the IHSS application (SOC 295) to the county IHSS office and get SOC 873 to a licensed health professional. SOC 873 is the medical piece to return, unless the county asks for a specific extra page. Your county decides eligibility and hours.

Can an adult child be paid to care for a parent?

Often yes, once you finish provider enrollment. Adult children, other relatives, friends, and neighbors are commonly allowed. A spouse, or a parent of a child under 18, can be paid under some IHSS sub-programs. PCSP generally leaves those roles unpaid. Check with the county which program applies.

How long does this take?

Timing varies by county. Medi-Cal (if it is still pending), the wait for a social worker, and provider enrollment are the usual slow stretches. Confirm the packet is complete, then wait for the scheduled visit unless the county asks for something else. Your county office can tell you what is typical locally.

Does the family ever pay the caregiver?

The State issues the provider check for authorized hours. If the recipient has a Medi-Cal share of cost, CDSS says unpaid share of cost can be deducted from that check and the recipient then pays the provider. Ask the county whether a share of cost applies. Your county Medi-Cal office can confirm the amount.

Is this the same as home health or a nursing facility?

IHSS is in-home personal and household help for people who can live at home. Skilled nursing and therapy are different Medi-Cal or Medicare benefits.

What belongs on the county forms?

Send the pages the county asked for. The medical piece IHSS asks for is SOC 873, or acceptable alternative documentation. Keep hospital records, lab results, and a diagnosis dump for later unless the county asked for a specific page. On the California Home Help form, a name and a way to reach you is enough. Keep medical records and Social Security numbers for the county packet.

What do you need from me to start?

A name, a way to reach you, your county if you know it, and whether you are an adult child helping a parent, the caregiver, or the person who needs care. Keep medical records and diagnoses for the county forms. A Sevah coordinator will follow up about the paperwork and, if you want, care at home.

We can walk through the county steps with you.

Adult children usually track Medi-Cal, assessments, and provider enrollment themselves. A Sevah coordinator can help you organize those steps and talk about care at home. Your county decides eligibility and authorizes hours.

Ask for help navigating IHSS