How to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in New Mexico

Yes — New Mexico pays family caregivers. If your family member has an intellectual or developmental disability (iDD) and qualifies for New Mexico Medicaid's Developmental Disabilities (DD) Waiver or Mi Via Waiver, a family member can be their paid caregiver. This guide explains who qualifies, which relatives can be paid, how much caregivers earn, and exactly how to apply.

Who qualifies for the DD Waiver?

New Mexico regulation (NMAC 8.290.400) sets the medical criteria. Your family member qualifies if they have either:

• an intellectual disability — an IQ of 70 or below with related deficits in adaptive behavior, appearing before age 18, or
• a related condition that appeared before age 22 and substantially limits three or more areas of major life activity (self-care, language, learning, mobility, self-direction, independent living, or economic self-sufficiency).

They must also need an institutional (ICF/IID) level of care — the waiver exists so they can receive that level of support at home instead — and meet Medicaid financial criteria.

Which family members can be paid?

This is the part families most often get wrong, because the rule hinges on the DD Waiver's definition of a "legally responsible individual" (LRI): the parent of a minor child, the guardian of someone under 18, or a spouse. The DD Waiver Service Standards (effective July 1, 2024) state plainly that an LRI does not include the parent of an adult — even if that parent is the legal guardian.

• Parent of an adult child (18+): can be the paid Family Living provider. This is the most common arrangement.
• Siblings, grandparents, other relatives, and friends: can be paid caregivers if they meet the same training and background-check standards as any caregiver.
• Parent of a minor, or a spouse (LRIs): cannot be the DD Waiver's Family Living provider, but can be paid in other ways. In February 2026 New Mexico received permanent CMS approval to pay LRIs: on Mi Via they can be paid for nearly all services, and on the DD Waiver for services like Customized In-Home Supports and respite. LRI care is capped at 40 hours per 7-day week, with personal care allowed only under "extraordinary care" circumstances.

Our philosophy at Lift is simple: the best caregiver is whoever the participant and their family choose — a parent, a sibling, a friend, a trusted neighbor. We'll always support hiring the people you already know and trust. And when family isn't available, or you'd rather not go that route, we help you find, vet, and train additional caregivers and supports.

How much do family caregivers get paid?

Start with the official numbers. New Mexico Medicaid's current published fee schedules set:

• DD Waiver Family Living: a flat $191.71 per day reimbursed to the provider agency (effective July 1, 2024). The agency employs the caregiver and pays them from that rate — at Lift Family Care, primary caregivers receive up to $144/day, over $4,380/month, paid daily.
• Mi Via In-Home Living Supports: a negotiated daily rate between $26.33 and $191.48 (effective October 1, 2024), set within the participant's budget. Lift caregivers on Mi Via earn up to $191/day — the top of the state range — paid daily.

Most agencies pay monthly; Lift pays every day, directly to your bank account. These rates follow the increases New Mexico adopted after a 2023 rate study approved by CMS; a newer 2025–2026 rate study has proposed further increases, but those are not yet funded or in effect.

What is Family Living?

Family Living is the DD Waiver's residential service for people who live with family. The participant lives in the same home as their paid caregiver (sometimes called the Family Living Provider, or FLP), who provides support up to 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Two details worth knowing:

• Substitute care: the agency must provide or arrange up to 750 hours per year of substitute coverage so the primary caregiver can take sick leave and time off (1,000 hours for former Jackson class members). At Lift, when sub care works part of a day, the day rate is simply split by hours worked.
• Age limit: Family Living is generally not available to children under 18 without state approval for extraordinary circumstances.

DD Waiver or Mi Via — which one?

The DD Waiver is agency-directed: the agency employs the caregivers and handles hiring, training, and compliance. Mi Via is self-directed: the family manages an individual budget and hires caregivers directly, with a vendor agency handling payroll and compliance. See our full DD Waiver vs. Mi Via comparison for how pay, paperwork, and flexibility differ.

How to apply, step by step

1. Request the application packet from the Developmental Disabilities Supports Division (DDSD) — online, by mail, or at a regional office. Forms are available in English and Spanish.
2. Gather clinical documentation (testing that shows intellectual or adaptive limitations, or medical reports for a related condition). You have 60 days to return supporting documentation; your application date is the day the completed packet is received.
3. Registration decision: the Central Registry Unit reviews your application. A match places your family member in the allocation queue by application date. The good news: the DD Waiver's historic waitlist — once more than 13 years — has been effectively eliminated, falling from about 4,100 people in 2022 to roughly 111 in fiscal year 2024. Since August 2025, the state has run continuous allocations: offers go out on the 15th of every month as people apply, instead of waiting on annual funding events.
4. Allocation: you receive a Letter of Interest and a Primary Freedom of Choice form for choosing between the DD Waiver (with a case management agency) and Mi Via (with a consultant agency). Respond immediately — official documents cite a 30-to-45-calendar-day window before the allocation may close.
5. Final eligibility: financial eligibility through the HSD 100 Application for Assistance, and medical (level of care) eligibility through your medical provider's documentation.
6. Pick your agency and start: once approved, you choose providers — this is where Lift Family Care helps you build your care team, complete caregiver training and background checks, and start getting paid.

An expedited allocation process exists for crisis situations — for example substantiated abuse or neglect, or the death or serious decline of a primary caregiver.

Frequently asked questions

Can a parent get paid to care for an adult child with disabilities in New Mexico?

Yes. Under the DD Waiver, a "legally responsible individual" does not include the parent of an adult — even if the parent is the legal guardian. That means a parent can be the paid Family Living provider for their adult son or daughter.

Can I get paid to care for my minor child or my spouse?

Yes, especially on Mi Via. Parents of minors and spouses are "legally responsible individuals" (LRIs). In February 2026, New Mexico received permanent federal approval to pay LRIs: on the Mi Via Waiver they can be paid for nearly all services, and on the DD Waiver for services like Customized In-Home Supports and respite (though not Family Living). LRI care is capped at 40 hours per 7-day period, and personal care is payable only under extraordinary-care circumstances.

Do I need a certification to become a paid family caregiver?

No special license — but every paid caregiver, related or not, must complete the same background checks and training required of any direct support professional. An agency like Lift Family Care handles that training and compliance for you.

How much can family caregivers earn in New Mexico?

At Lift Family Care, primary caregivers on the DD Waiver earn up to $144 per day as Family Living providers — over $4,380 a month — and Mi Via caregivers providing In-Home Living Supports earn up to $191 per day, paid daily.

Sources

• NM DDSD — DD Waiver Service Standards (effective July 1, 2024): Family Living §10.3.9, substitute care §10.3.9.2.2, LRI rules §4.6, intake process Ch. 1.
• NMAC 8.314.5 — DD Home and Community-Based Services Waiver (effective July 1, 2024).
• NMAC 8.290.400 — waiver eligibility criteria (amended May 1, 2021).
• NM Health Care Authority — DD Waiver application and eligibility.
• NM Health Care Authority — waiver fee schedules: DD Waiver Fee Schedule (effective July 1, 2024) and Mi Via Waiver Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2024).

This guide summarizes state rules for families and isn't legal or benefits advice. Program rules change — confirm current details with DDSD or with us before making decisions.