CDCS, Consumer Directed Community Supports, is the most flexible self-directed option Minnesota offers. It lets you, or a family member, take charge of how your home and community-based services are delivered. You hire the caregivers. You set the schedule. You decide what supports matter most, within an approved budget. Most importantly for our clients: CDCS allows parents of minor children and spouses to be paid caregivers in many situations.
The two basic requirements
To be eligible for CDCS in Minnesota, a person must:
- Be enrolled in Medical Assistance (MA), Minnesota's Medicaid program, and
- Be on one of the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers that allows the CDCS option.
If both of those are true, CDCS is on the table.
Which waivers allow CDCS?
- DD Waiver (Developmental Disabilities)
- CAC Waiver (Community Alternative Care)
- CADI Waiver (Community Access for Disability Inclusion)
- BI Waiver (Brain Injury)
- EW (Elderly Waiver)
Who CDCS works for
In practice, CDCS works well for:
- Parents caring for children with developmental or intellectual disabilities, one of the largest groups we serve. CDCS lets parents formally become paid caregivers for work they've often done for years.
- Spouses caring for each other, particularly common when one spouse has a brain injury, chronic illness, or has aged into needing significant support.
- Adult children caring for aging parents under the Elderly Waiver.
- People with disabilities who direct their own care and want a stable team of trusted caregivers rather than rotating agency staff.
The paid parent and spouse piece
CDCS allows spouses and parents of minor children to be paid as caregivers in many situations, but it isn't automatic and it isn't unlimited. The rules depend on which waiver you're on, the age of the participant, the type of support being provided, and whether the family member is also serving as the legal representative.
Some categories of support can be paid to a parent or spouse. Some can't. Your case manager will tell you exactly what your specific situation allows, and we help families structure the family-employer and family-employee relationship correctly.
One big rule: in most cases, the same person can't be both the legal representative and the paid caregiver. So if you're a parent of a minor child, you might need another family member to serve as the representative while you take the paid caregiver role, or vice versa.
What CDCS isn't
- It isn't a cash payment. The funds are held by your FMS provider, that's where Aspen comes in, and we pay caregivers, vendors, and approved goods on your behalf.
- It isn't unlimited. Your budget is calculated based on your assessed needs and waiver allocation.
- It isn't do whatever you want. Spending has to align with your approved service plan.
How do I find out for sure?
- Talk to your case manager. They can confirm your CDCS eligibility and walk through the next steps.
- Call us. If you're not sure who your case manager is or haven't started the waiver process, give Aspen a call. We'll point you in the right direction.