Find Caregivers in Kern County, CA
Independent caregivers for older adults across Kern County, hired directly by families without an agency mark-up. Post what you need for free, whichever town you are in, and compare the people who answer.
- Free to join, browse and post
- Hire directly, no agency mark-up
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How to find a caregiver in Kern County
Families in Kern County put together care from three sources. In-Home Supportive Services pays a caregiver of the family's choosing, often a relative, for the hours the county authorises; applications go through Aging and Adult Services on Truxtun Avenue. Adult day health centres in Bakersfield, Delano and Tehachapi are licensed Community-Based Adult Services providers under Medi-Cal, the daytime option for a working family. A private caregiver, hired directly, fills what those two leave: evenings, weekends, nights, and the hours a working daughter or son cannot be there. That third piece is what this site is for.
Where you live decides who will apply. In Bakersfield and Oildale a caregiver can reach you by Golden Empire Transit bus; everywhere else expect to hire someone with a car, and to pay for the drive. The northern valley towns (Delano, McFarland, Wasco, Shafter) draw caregivers from each other and from the north end of the metro; Taft, Tehachapi and the desert towns around Ridgecrest and Mojave are each a local pool. Language is the other filter: 40.1% of county residents speak Spanish at home, and in the northern towns a Spanish-speaking caregiver is the norm rather than the exception. No caregivers have joined from Kern County yet, so you are posting early; the cards above will fill as profiles are created, and your posting is what draws them.
Caregivers in Kern County
Independent caregivers with profiles on CaregiverConnect whose home base is within 60 miles. You agree on duties, schedule and pay directly with the person you hire.
No caregivers within 60 miles of Kern County have joined yet
We do not pad this page with distant profiles. Posting is free, and caregivers who join in Kern County see it immediately.
Counts come from live caregiver profiles on CaregiverConnect. Sample and test profiles are never shown here.
Are you a caregiver in Kern County?
Open postings and a free profile.
Find caregivers by city and town
Each page below has its own local research and shows live caregiver profiles near that place. Towns without a page yet are covered by this hub.
- Find caregivers in Bakersfieldpop. 422,853
- Find caregivers in Delanopop. 52,384
- Find caregivers in Shafterpop. 24,545
- Find caregivers in Wascopop. 25,806
- Find caregivers in Arvinpop. 19,795
- Find caregivers in Taftpop. 6,896
- Find caregivers in Tehachapipop. 11,800
- Find caregivers in Oildalepop. 34,687
The communities of Kern County
Where you post from changes who answers. The notes below say what each community has for families.
- Bakersfield (city)County offices, four hospitals, three adult day health centres, the Bakersfield Senior Center lunch programme and GET-A-Lift paratransit.
- Oildale (census-designated place)Unincorporated, north of the river, inside the GET service area; a higher share of households on fixed incomes than the city.
- Delano (city)City senior centre at 436 Jefferson Street, an adult day health centre, Adventist Health Delano and Dial-A-Ride that reaches the surrounding county area.
- Wasco (city)Dial-A-Ride inside city limits only ($1 for riders 62 and over); no hospital, so plan for drives to Delano or Bakersfield.
- Shafter (city)City Dial-A-Ride ($1.25 for riders 62 and over) plus Kern Transit routes 110 and 115 to Bakersfield.
- McFarland (city)Between Delano and Wasco; families here hire from the Delano pool. No page yet; post from this county page.
- Arvin (city)South valley; caregivers come from Arvin, Lamont and south-east Bakersfield.
- Taft (city)West side; a local pool of caregivers, with Bakersfield hospitals for appointments.
- Tehachapi (city)Mountain town with its own 25-bed hospital and the Tehachapi adult day health centre.
- Ridgecrest (city), California City (city) and Mojave (census-designated place)Desert communities two hours from Bakersfield; hire locally. No pages yet.
Types of in-home care families in Kern County arrange
All non-medical. For nursing tasks (injections, wound care, catheters) you need a licensed home health agency, not a private caregiver.
- Senior care at home: meals, reminders, housekeeping, errands, company.
- Personal care: bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, transfers.
- Companion care: conversation, walks, appointments, errands.
- Dementia care: routine-based support; ask for experience.
- Respite care: shifts so a family caregiver can rest or work.
- Overnight and live-in: night supervision or room-and-board arrangements.
- Post-surgery recovery: non-medical help after a hospital stay.
- Part-time and flexible: a few hours on set days is the usual start.
Evaluating caregivers in Kern County
Four credentials can be checked here. The state Home Care Aide Registry is mandatory for agency aides and voluntary for independents, and a listing means CDSS has cleared a background check. IHSS enrolment through the Kern County Public Authority means a Department of Justice fingerprint check and an in-person orientation. A Certified Nurse Assistant certificate from CDPH can be verified online; Bakersfield College and Cerro Coso train CNAs locally. Experience at one of the county's adult day health centres or hospitals is confirmed with a reference call. Beyond paperwork: interview with your relative in the room, phone two references, order a consumer-reporting background check with written consent, and pay for a trial shift before committing. CaregiverConnect does not run checks; a Verified badge only means a caregiver uploaded proof of one.
Questions families here ask at interview
- Which towns will you travel to, and how do you charge for the drive?
- Do you speak Spanish or another language with the person you care for?
- Are you enrolled with IHSS, on the Home Care Aide Registry, or a CNA?
- Have you cared for someone with dementia, and what did a hard afternoon look like?
- Would you take my mother to Kern Medical or Adventist Health Delano for appointments?
- Which days and time blocks can you commit to for the next six months?
- Who covers if you are ill or your car breaks down?
- What is your rate, and what is extra for nights or weekends?
Typical schedules and what care costs in Kern County
How the towns differ. Bakersfield families post the full range, from three weekday mornings to live-in; Oildale requests lean toward personal care for an older parent on a fixed income; Delano, Wasco and Shafter postings follow farm and prison shift patterns, with early starts and evening cover; Tehachapi and Taft families ask for a driver as much as a caregiver; Ridgecrest and the desert towns need someone already living there. Post from your own town and set the radius generously.
Across the county the common schedule is part-time weekday blocks with a weekend or overnight added later for dementia or after a hospital discharge. Respite for a family caregiver, a few hours at a time, is the other frequent request.
| Reference point | Hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employed aides, Bakersfield–Delano metro (Kern County) | $16.50 median | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| IHSS provider wage, Kern County | $17.90 | CDSS; effective July 1, 2026 |
| California minimum wage | $16.90 | effective January 1, 2026 |
| Agency non-medical home care, California median (CareScout 2025) | $40.00 | CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 |
Who is the employer. When you hire a caregiver directly, you are a household employer under California's Domestic Worker Bill of Rights. The state minimum wage ($16.90 an hour from 1 January 2026; some cities set more, for example $17.75 in the City of San Diego) is the legal floor, and a personal attendant earns overtime at 1.5× after 9 hours in a day or 45 in a week. The main exceptions are IHSS recipients and an employer's own parent, spouse or child. Source: California DIR, Domestic Worker Bill of Rights FAQ.
Kern's reference points are a $16.50 employed median, $17.90 for IHSS providers from July 2026 and a $40 statewide agency median. A private caregiver's rate usually sits between the IHSS figure and the agency figure, more for personal care, dementia, nights and driving, and in this county the drive is often the largest add-on. When you hire directly you are the employer: household taxes above the federal threshold, and overtime after nine hours a day or 45 a week for a personal attendant.
No agency tracks private rates. A caregiver you hire directly will usually expect more than the employed-aide median and less than an agency rate; every caregiver on this site lists an hourly rate on their profile, and the hiring guide covers taxes and overtime.
Caregiver resources for families in Kern County
- Kern County Aging and Adult Services5357 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, (661) 868-1000. IHSS applications, Family Caregiver Services, senior meals, HICAP Medicare counselling and Adult Protective Services; 24-hour abuse line (800) 277-7866.
- IHSS Public Authority registry5357 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, (661) 868-0987. Screened IHSS providers for recipients who do not have a relative to hire.
- Long-Term Care Ombudsman and MSSPOmbudsman (661) 323-7884 for care-facility concerns; Multipurpose Senior Services Program through Partners in Care Foundation, 5251 Office Park Drive, Suite 110, (661) 326-0105, care management for Medi-Cal seniors at risk of nursing-home placement.
- Adult day health centres (CBAS)Delano Adult Day Health Care Center, 1457 Glenwood Street, (661) 725-7070; Tehachapi ADHC, 123 W. F Street, (661) 863-9998; in Bakersfield, THV Enterprises, 3025 Fairfax Road, (661) 573-0150, Bakersfield Community Health Center, 1801 Oak Street, (661) 215-8218, and Ashram, 7500 District Blvd, (661) 282-8428.
- Dementia help after ADAKCThe Alzheimer's Disease Association of Kern County closed its adult day programme in April 2026 and ceased operations on 3 September 2026. It refers families to Aging and Adult Services and to the Alzheimer's Association 24-hour line, 1-800-272-3900.
- Transit for appointmentsGET-A-Lift ADA paratransit in metropolitan Bakersfield, $3.00 a trip, (661) 869-2438; Delano Area Dial-A-Ride (661) 721-3333; Shafter Transit (661) 746-2955; Wasco Dial-A-Ride (661) 758-7222. City services do not cross city limits.
- Hospitals and discharge planningBakersfield: Kern Medical (Level II trauma), Memorial (420 34th St, 661-327-4647), Adventist Health Bakersfield (2615 Chester Ave, 661-395-3000), Mercy Hospital Downtown (2215 Truxtun Ave, 661-632-5000). Delano: Adventist Health Delano (1401 Garces Hwy, 661-642-6800). Tehachapi: Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley (1100 Magellan Dr, 661-823-3000).
Hiring safely in Kern County
Put duties, hours, rate, overtime, mileage, notice and emergency contacts in a one-page agreement, keep a weekly timesheet, lock away valuables and set up bank alerts, and have a second person (the MSSP care manager, a day centre, a neighbour) who sees your relative each week. Everyone who cares for an older adult in California is a mandated reporter; report suspected abuse or neglect to Kern County Adult Protective Services at (800) 277-7866, or to the Ombudsman at (661) 323-7884 if it concerns a facility. The hiring guide covers screening, taxes and overtime.
How to find and hire a caregiver in Kern County
CaregiverConnect is a marketplace, not an agency: you hire the caregiver directly, which is why there is no agency mark-up on their hourly rate. That also means screening is your responsibility, and we tell you how.
Describe the care you need
Who, which tasks, which days and time blocks, budget, start date. About ten minutes, free.
Your posting goes live
Caregivers in range see it immediately. Edit or close it any time from your dashboard.
Review caregivers and applicants
Experience, care types, languages, rates, availability. Applicants appear under your posting.
Message and hire
Messaging and confirming a hire are part of Family Premium ($24.99/month, cancel anytime). Browsing, posting and applications are free.
Agree terms and pay directly
Rate, schedule and payment are between you and the caregiver. No percentage is taken.
What is free and what costs money
Free family account
- Browse profiles, post and edit care needs, receive applications
Family Premium
- Messaging, direct job requests, confirming a hire; cancel any time
No commission on what you pay the caregiver; payments are between you. Details on the pricing page.
Find caregivers near Kern County
Caregivers set a travel radius, so a caregiver based in a neighbouring town may well cover your home. These pages show who is nearby.
- Oildale, CA3 mi
- Find caregivers in Bakersfield, CA4 mi
- Shafter, CA12 mi
- Arvin, CA20 mi
- Wasco, CA26 mi
- Taft, CA27 mi
- Find caregivers in Delano, CA27 mi
- Find caregivers in Tulare County61 mi
Useful reading before you apply
California caregiver requirements: HCA registry, IHSS and CNA explained
Which rules apply to a caregiver in California depends on who pays them. A plain-language map of the Home Care Aide Registry, IHSS provider enrolment and CNA/HHA certification, with the official sources.
What caregivers earn in California and Arizona: BLS, IHSS and minimum wage (2026)
Median hourly pay for home health and personal care aides by metro area from the May 2025 BLS survey, county IHSS wages, state minimum wages, and how private rates relate to them.
How to hire a private caregiver: cost, screening, taxes and a written agreement
What a private in-home caregiver costs compared with an agency, how to screen and check references, the household-employer tax and overtime rules in California and Arizona, and what to put in writing.
Imperial County caregiver resources: training, job centres, IHSS, senior services and transport
A verified directory of the agencies and programmes caregivers and families in El Centro, Calexico, Brawley, Imperial, Holtville, Westmorland and Calipatria actually use, with addresses and phone numbers checked on 12 October 2026.
- California Department of Aging, Kern County services directory (PSA 33), including CBAS providers
- Kern County Aging and Adult Services
- Kern County IHSS Public Authority
- CDSS, IHSS wages by county
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Bakersfield-Delano, CA
- CareScout (Genworth) Cost of Care Survey 2025
- California DIR, Domestic Worker Bill of Rights
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 (DP02), Kern County
- Alzheimer's Disease Association of Kern County, closure notice
- Golden Empire Transit, GET-A-Lift and fares
- City of Delano, DART and Dial-A-Ride
- City of Shafter, Transit
- City of Wasco, Dial-A-Ride
- Kern Medical; Dignity Health Memorial and Mercy; Adventist Health Bakersfield, Delano and Tehachapi Valley
- CDSS, Home Care Aide Registry search
Hiring a caregiver in Kern County: frequently asked questions
Can one posting cover more than one Kern County town?
Yes. A posting carries your ZIP code and caregivers set their own travel radius, so a family in McFarland is seen by caregivers in Delano and Wasco who include it. Name the town in the posting so applicants can judge the drive.
Can a relative be paid to care for my parent in Kern County?
Through IHSS, yes, if your parent qualifies for Medi-Cal and the county authorises hours; the provider enrols through the Public Authority on Truxtun Avenue. Privately, you can hire anyone you choose and household-employer rules apply.
Is there daytime care that is not in the home?
Five Community-Based Adult Services centres operate in the county: three in Bakersfield, one in Delano and one in Tehachapi. They are a Medi-Cal benefit, and many families pair them with a private caregiver for evenings.
What happened to the Alzheimer's Disease Association of Kern County?
It closed its adult day programme in April 2026 and ceased operations on 3 September 2026. For dementia help, call Aging and Adult Services at (661) 868-1000 or the Alzheimer's Association at 1-800-272-3900, and post for an experienced dementia caregiver here.
What does CaregiverConnect charge a family?
Browsing, posting and receiving applications are free. Messaging and confirming a hire are part of Family Premium ($24.99 a month, cancel any time). Nothing is taken from the caregiver's pay.
Does CaregiverConnect check the caregivers?
No. Caregivers can upload proof of a background check for a Verified badge after review, but identity, references and history remain for you to confirm, using the registry, IHSS and reference checks described above.
Post your care need in Kern County
It is free, takes about ten minutes, and caregivers in Kern County can see it as soon as it is live.
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