Adult Day Services in Minnesota

Minnesota statute defines adult day care and adult day services as programs operating fewer than 24 hours a day that provide functionally impaired adults with an individualized and coordinated set of services including health services, social services, and nutritional services. That is the legal bar: a program that only offers socializing, exercise, or a meal is not adult day services under the statute. Programs run during daytime hours, and the person returns home at the end of the day.

Source: Minn. Stat. § 245A.02 subd. 2a — adult day care definition

Genworth's 2024 Cost of Care Survey put the Minnesota median at $30,550 per year for adult day care, against a national median of $26,000 — making it one of the most affordable forms of paid care. Programs price by the day or half-day, often with transportation and meals included or added separately, so ask for the daily rate, what it includes, and whether attendance minimums apply.

Source: Genworth, 2024 Cost of Care Survey — Minnesota

Yes — adult day services are a covered service under Minnesota's home and community-based waivers, including the Elderly Waiver, and DHS publishes the rate limits it will pay for a day of service. Eligibility runs through a MnCHOICES assessment at your county or Tribal lead agency. Many programs also take private pay, some long-term care insurance, and Veterans Affairs funding — ask each program what it accepts.

Source: Minnesota DHS, Long-Term Services and Supports Service Rate Limits effective April 1, 2026 (DHS-3945-ENG)

Center-based adult day care is licensed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services under Minnesota Rules parts 9555.9600 to 9555.9730, which set requirements for staffing ratios, individual service planning, participant rights, safety, and physical space. You can verify any license through the DHS Licensing Information Lookup, and every RightCare MN listing shows the license number we hold on file.

Source: Minn. Rules parts 9555.9600–9555.9730 — adult day center licensure

Adult day services fit people who need supervision or help during the day — because of dementia, a disability, or frailty — but who live at home and do not need 24-hour placement. Families typically use them to keep working, or to get regular respite. Visit in person: look at the staff-to-participant ratio, ask how they handle medical needs and behaviors, and whether they serve people with the specific condition your family member has.

Source: Minn. Rules parts 9555.9600–9555.9730 — adult day center licensure