Waivers, PCA/CFSS and CDCS: home support for your child
Beyond therapy, Minnesota funds in-home help, respite and family-directed budgets. A plain-language map of the waiver system.
Minnesota funds home and community supports for children with disabilities through county-assessed programs: PCA (now CFSS) for hands-on daily help, disability waivers like CADI and DD for broader services such as respite and in-home support, and CDCS, which lets families direct their own budget. It all starts with a MnCHOICES assessment from your county.
Key takeaways
- Every program starts with a MnCHOICES assessment requested through your county or tribal nation.
- PCA is being replaced by CFSS (Community First Services and Supports).
- CADI and DD waivers can fund respite, in-home supports and home modifications.
- CDCS lets families manage a flexible support budget themselves.
Start at the county
All of these supports start with an assessment from your county (often called MnCHOICES). You can call your county's human services intake line — in Hennepin County it's the “Front Door” at (612) 348-4111 — and say: “I'd like to request an assessment for children's disability services.”
PCA / CFSS
Personal Care Assistance (PCA) — which Minnesota is transitioning to a new program called CFSS (Community First Services and Supports) — pays for hands-on help with daily activities. Children qualify based on assessed needs, through Medical Assistance. Agencies in our PCA & waiver services category recruit and manage the support staff; some families hire their own staff through the agency.
Disability waivers
Waivers fund supports beyond what regular MA covers. For autistic children the two most common are the Developmental Disabilities (DD) waiver and the Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) waiver (formerly Community Alternatives for Disabled Individuals). Waivers can pay for respite, in-home supports, skills training, home modifications, and more.
CDCS
Consumer-Directed Community Supports (CDCS) is an option within the waivers that gives your family a budget you direct yourselves — hiring your own support staff (including, in some cases, relatives), buying approved services and goods, and designing supports around your child. It's more paperwork, but families who want control often love it.
Family Support Grant & respite
Smaller programs matter too: the Family Support Grant provides cash grants to families of children with disabilities, and county respite programs can fund short breaks even without a full waiver. Ask your assessor to walk through everything your child may qualify for — not just one program.
This guide is general information, not legal or benefits advice. Programs and names change (PCA→CFSS is in progress); confirm current details with your county or the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a disability waiver for my child in Minnesota?
Contact your county or tribal nation's human services intake and request a MnCHOICES assessment. The assessor determines which programs your child is eligible for, such as PCA/CFSS or the CADI or DD waiver. Your child also generally needs to be eligible for Medical Assistance.
What is the difference between the CADI and DD waivers?
The DD waiver serves people with developmental disabilities or related conditions who need the level of care provided in an intermediate care facility (ICF/DD). CADI serves people with disabilities who need nursing-facility level of care. Your MnCHOICES assessment shows which one your child may qualify for.
What is CDCS?
Consumer-Directed Community Supports (CDCS) is an option within Minnesota's waivers that gives families an individual budget to direct. Families can hire their own support staff and buy approved services and goods, with help from a support planner and a financial management service.
Is PCA still available in Minnesota?
Minnesota has been transitioning PCA to a new program called CFSS (Community First Services and Supports). Families typically move over at their next assessment. Confirm your child's current program and timing with your county or the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
Find providers in Minnesota
Sources & official resources
General information for Minnesota families, not medical, legal or benefits advice. Programs change — confirm details with your provider, insurer, county or the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
Search by service and city — or send one request and let matching providers contact you.