How to Get Children's Waiver Services in New York, Step by Step
New York's Children's Waiver pays for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) that help children with serious emotional, behavioral or medical needs live at home and take part in their community. Here is how a family gets from the first call to services, including the changes the state made in 2026.
Step 1: Check the basics
Your child must be:
- Under 21 years old
- Enrolled in Medicaid, or eligible for it. For some children the waiver allows Family of One budgeting, which counts only the child's income.
- In one of four target groups: serious emotional disturbance (SED), medically fragile, developmental disability and medically fragile, or developmental disability and in foster care
A developmental disability alone does not qualify. The child must also be medically fragile or in foster care, and be eligible for OPWDD services. Every child must also need the level of care the waiver is built for, which the eligibility assessment decides.
Step 2: Get the eligibility check
Who does the check depends on whether your child has Medicaid:
- Your child has Medicaid: a Health Home care manager completes the HCBS eligibility determination. Since January 2026, the state sends children with Medicaid who may qualify for HCBS to a Health Home.
- Your child does not have Medicaid: C-YES (Children and Youth Evaluation Services), now run by the New York State Department of Health, handles the check. Call 1-833-861-4467 or email CYESConnect@health.ny.gov.
Families who do not want Health Home care management can choose HCBS-only care coordination from a qualified individual the state identifies, along with their Medicaid managed care plan if they have one.
Step 3: Build the plan of care
Once your child is found eligible, the care manager works with you on a plan of care that lists the services your child will receive and how often, and you choose the providers.
Step 4: Start services
The waiver's services in 2026 include:
- Community habilitation
- Caregiver/Family Advocacy and Support Services (CFASS)
- Respite, planned and crisis
- Pre-vocational services and supported employment
- Adaptive and assistive technology
- Environmental and vehicle modifications
- Palliative care
- Non-medical transportation
Day habilitation is no longer one of them: the state stopped paying for it on March 1, 2026.
How Yeled Long Island can help
We provide Health Home care management and several waiver services: CFASS, respite, community habilitation and pre-vocational services. For background on the waiver itself, read our comprehensive guide to the Children's HCBS Waiver. To get started, make a referral or call (516) 900-6454.