As Wayne County's seat and Michigan's largest city, Detroit has the state's biggest population of families researching paid family caregiving. Detroit's mix of longtime residents and multigenerational households means self-directed care is often already the default arrangement families fall into — Home Help simply makes it possible to get paid for what many families are already doing.
The Home Help Program works the same way across all of Wayne County — Detroit residents apply through the same county MDHHS office, go through the same MDHHS-5534 home assessment, and are paid at the same statewide rate of $17.13/hr once approved and enrolled in CHAMPS. What differs city to city isn't the program rules, it's the local context families are navigating around it.
If you're in Detroit and think a parent, grandparent, or other loved one might qualify, the fastest way to find out is our full eligibility checklist, which covers the 2026 asset limits and the functional ADL test MDHHS uses. If you're specifically wondering whether you personally could become the paid caregiver, our self-direction guide covers exactly who can and can't be paid.
For your local MDHHS office's current contact details, MDHHS's own directory is the most reliable source — see our Wayne County guide for the direct link, plus more on what makes care planning in Wayne County a little different.
Both paths are available to Detroit families. A self-directed family caregiver keeps the full hourly rate and keeps care inside the family; a licensed provider agency takes on hiring, payroll, and backup coverage in exchange for a share of the billing. Our family vs. agency comparison breaks down the trade-offs plainly.
We'll help Detroit families figure out the right next step — no obligation.
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