Connecticut Home Care Agency Startup Guide
The full roadmap for starting a home care agency in Connecticut, whether you plan a non-medical homemaker-companion agency (DCP) or a licensed home health care agency (DPH). Every fee, phone number, and website is checked against official sources and cited.
Preview of the product.
What's included
- 30-page PDF plus an editable Word (.docx) version, 18 chapters
- Side-by-side comparison of the DCP homemaker-companion registration and the DPH home health license
- Business setup in order: Secretary of the State LLC filing ($120), free EIN, DRS myconneCT registration, DOL unemployment insurance, workers' compensation
- DCP registration walk-through: the $375 fee, the Oct 31 renewal, the $10,000 bond/insurance, required notices, contracts, and background checks
- DPH licensure steps: staffing qualifications, fees, and what to expect
- Getting paid: private pay, Medicaid/CHCPE and Gainwell enrollment, access agencies, veterans programs, long-term care insurance
- Employment law: minimum wage, live-in overtime, CT paid sick leave, CT Paid Leave
- Startup budget, timeline, and a master launch checklist
- Contact directory of state agencies, payers, and help, plus a sources and verification log that marks anything we couldn't confirm
Who it's for
Nurses, caregivers, and entrepreneurs planning a home care agency in Connecticut, whether non-medical or skilled.
Why a Connecticut-specific startup guide
Most advice on how to start a home care agency is national and generic. Connecticut splits the path in two: non-medical homemaker-companion agencies register with the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), while agencies that provide skilled nursing or home health aide services need a home health care agency license from the Department of Public Health (DPH). The fees, bond and insurance rules, staffing requirements and timelines differ, and so does the order you should do things in.
This guide lays out the Connecticut steps in sequence, from forming your LLC and registering with DRS and DOL to DCP registration or DPH licensure, payer enrollment and your first hires. It cites the official source for each requirement so you can confirm it's still current. Rules do change: for example, Public Act 26-50 adds paid caregiver training requirements for homemaker-companion agencies starting January 1, 2027.
Table of contents
| Chapter | Page |
|---|---|
| How to Use This Guide | 3 |
| Choose Your Path: Non-Medical (DCP) vs. Medical (DPH), with a side-by-side comparison | 4 |
| Phase 1: Plan Your Agency | 6 |
| Phase 2: Form and Register Your Business (SOTS, EIN, DRS myconneCT, DOL unemployment, workers' comp) | 7 |
| Path A: DCP Homemaker-Companion Agency Registration | 9 |
| Path B: DPH Home Health Care Agency Licensure | 12 |
| Getting Paid: private pay, Medicaid/CHCPE, Gainwell enrollment, access agencies, veterans, long-term care insurance | 14 |
| Insurance and Bonding | 15 |
| Employment Law Essentials (wage and hour, live-in overtime, CT paid sick leave, CT Paid Leave) | 16 |
| Staffing, Hiring, and Training | 18 |
| Policies, Forms, and Records | 19 |
| Client Intake and Service Delivery | 20 |
| Marketing Your Agency | 21 |
| Startup Budget Estimate | 22 |
| Timeline | 24 |
| Master Launch Checklist | 25 |
| Contact Directory (state agencies, payers, aging services, small-business help) | 27 |
| Sources and Verification Log | 29 |
Related resources
- Care Documentation Template Pack ($19)
- Policies & Procedures Manual Template ($49)
- Complete Agency Bundle: all three for $79
- Sample previews of the templates and the CT roadmap
- Connecticut caregiver training law (PA 26-50)
- Frequently asked questions