What is the National Family Caregiver Support Program?

Updated October 18, 2026 · General information, not professional advice

What the program is

The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) is run by the Administration for Community Living, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Congress created it in 2000 as part of the Older Americans Act. Federal money goes to each state based on its share of people 70 and older, and states pass it to local Area Agencies on Aging and community groups that deliver the services.

It is not a paycheck for caregivers. It pays for services and support that make caregiving more manageable, so you can keep caring for your parent at home longer and protect your own health.

Who qualifies

According to the Administration for Community Living, these caregivers are eligible:

• Adult family members or other informal caregivers, such as friends or neighbors, who care for someone 60 or older.
• Adult family or informal caregivers of a person of any age with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia.
• Older relatives (not parents), 55 or older, raising a child under 18, such as grandparents raising grandchildren.
• Older relatives, including parents, 55 or older, caring for an adult age 18 to 59 with a disability.

You usually don't need to live with the person you care for. There's no federal income limit to get information and referrals, but because funding is limited, local agencies may have waiting lists or set priorities for services such as respite.

The five types of help

1. Information about services available in your area.
2. Help getting services, such as someone who can walk you through options, applications and providers.
3. Counseling, support groups and caregiver training, for example classes on dementia care, safe transfers or managing stress.
4. Respite care, which gives you a temporary break. It may be in-home help for a few hours, adult day care, or a short stay in a care facility.
5. Supplemental services, offered on a limited basis. Depending on the area, these may include items like home safety equipment or incontinence supplies.

What's offered, how much and how often varies by state and county.

How to apply

1. Find your Area Agency on Aging. Call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 (weekdays, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern) or search eldercare.acl.gov by ZIP code. Use the ZIP code where your parent lives.
2. Ask for the family caregiver program. Some agencies call it the caregiver support program or give it a state name.
3. Expect a short assessment. Staff may ask about your parent's needs, your caregiving hours and what would help most.
4. Ask about other programs too, such as Medicaid home and community-based services, VA caregiver support if your parent is a veteran, and state respite programs.

Other help for family caregivers

• Medicaid waiver programs in many states can pay for in-home care, and some let family members be paid as caregivers.
• VA caregiver programs may help if your parent is a veteran.
• Medicare doesn't pay for ongoing custodial care, but it can cover hospice respite stays for people in hospice.

Tell seniorcare.si your ZIP code to see local help near you, including your Area Agency on Aging. This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Programs and funding change, so confirm details with your local agency.