Caregiver in San Marcos, CA
about 36 mi from Novato · 10+ yrs experience
$30/hrSee full profile
Novato, California · Marin County
In-Home Caregivers in Novato, CA
Describe your parent's routine in a free post and use the Novato ZIP code of their home, 94945, 94947 or 94949, so the caregivers who see it are the ones within reach.
- Free to join, browse and post
- Hire directly, no agency mark-up
- You stay in control of screening
Start here
How to find an in-home caregiver in Novato
Hiring directly in Novato makes you a household employer. The city has its own minimum wage, but its higher tiers ($17.46 and $17.73) apply only to businesses with 26 or more employees; a family employing one caregiver falls in the small-employer tier, where California's $16.90 is the floor. Applicants are most likely to come from Novato itself, from San Rafael along Highway 101, or from Petaluma just north. Because many Novato homes sit away from the 49, 57 and 71 bus routes, say whether a driver is needed and where to park.
About a third of Novato residents five and older (31.5%) speak a language besides English at home, and one in five speaks Spanish, per ACS 2020–2024. Put your relative's preferred language near the top of the post. Profiles shown on this page start with the caregiver closest to the ZIP code you enter, and the list grows as people sign up.
Available now
Private in-home caregivers near Novato, CA
Independent caregivers with profiles on CaregiverConnect whose home base is within 50 miles. You agree on duties, schedule and pay directly with the person you hire.
1 of 1 available caregiver within 50 miles of Novato, nearest first. Names, photos, bios, references and the Verified badge details are shown once you create a free family account; this public page keeps caregivers anonymous.
Are you a caregiver in Novato?
Open postings and a free profile.
What you can post
Types of in-home care families in Novato 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 · Personal care · Companion care · Dementia care · Respite care · Overnight and live-in · Post-surgery recovery · Part-time and flexible
Choosing well
Evaluating caregivers in Novato
Check whatever credentials a caregiver claims. Marin IHSS providers have completed PA Marin's enrollment and a Department of Justice fingerprint clearance, and registry members were interviewed by PA Marin staff. Aides sent by licensed agencies are on the Home Care Aide Registry; registration is optional for independents. A CNA is certified by CDPH, and College of Marin trains them at its Indian Valley Campus in Novato. After that, rely on your own checks: two reference calls, a conversation at the house in which your parent takes part, and a paid trial shift. CaregiverConnect does not perform background checks; to get one, have the caregiver consent in writing and order it yourself.
Questions families here ask at interview
- Will you be driving, and from which part of town or which city?
- Have you worked with patients discharged from Novato Community Hospital or Kaiser San Rafael?
- Are you a Marin IHSS provider, or certified as a CNA?
- Could you take my father to his card group at the Margaret Todd Senior Center?
- What would you do in the first five minutes if you found him on the floor?
- Can you speak Spanish with my mother?
- Would you be willing to work a longer shift on weekends?
Schedules and cost
What in-home care costs in Novato: hourly rates and schedules
Novato posts often ask for weekday mornings to help with the shower, clothes and a first meal; afternoon outings to the senior center or appointments; early-evening visits to serve supper and set out pills; and live-in or overnight help when a parent can no longer be alone at night.
| Reference point | Hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employed aides, San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont metro (includes Marin County) | $17.28 median | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| IHSS provider wage, Marin County | $20.40 | CDSS; effective February 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.
For a household, the legal minimum in Novato is $16.90 an hour. Across the wider metro, aides earned a $17.28 median (BLS), Marin IHSS pays $20.40, and CareScout's statewide survey puts agency non-medical care at a $40 hourly median; a private arrangement usually lands between those last two. If you use an agency with 26 or more workers in Novato, the aides it sends must be paid at least the city's higher tier, which shows up in the agency's price. A personal attendant is owed overtime for hours beyond nine in one day or beyond 45 in one week. A parent with full-scope Medi-Cal may qualify for IHSS: ring 415-473-4636 first, then work out how many paid private hours remain.
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.
Local help
Caregiver resources for families in Novato
- Margaret Todd Senior Center1560 Hill Road, (415) 899-8290, mtsc@novato.gov, weekdays 9 to 5. City-run classes, game groups such as bridge, poker and bocce, special events and outreach; an annual membership is required. Novato residents 50 and older can get help with half of a program fee, up to $100 a fiscal year.
- Marin AccessFor Marin residents 65 and over or with a disability: door-to-door paratransit when the bus is not usable, volunteer-driver mileage reimbursement (STAR and TRIP), travel training and fare assistance. Eligibility decisions can take up to 21 days. Travel Navigators, 415-454-0902.
- Vivalon ridesCarePool volunteer drivers at no charge for walking riders 65 and older, escorted medical rides without charge for people 60 and up when money allows, and accessible paid trips starting at $21.26. Book on 415-454-1098.
- Marin IHSS and PA MarinIHSS intake 415-473-4636. Approved recipients can ask PA Marin, (415) 499-1024, for a list of registry caregivers matched on location, language and schedule, and for an emergency backup provider when the regular one cannot come.
- County Information and Assistance415-473-INFO, weekdays 9 to 4; social workers refer families to meal, caregiving, transport and housing help, in Spanish and Vietnamese as well as English.
Safety
Hiring safely in Novato
Before the first shift, write down duties, pay, overtime, mileage and notice, and have both of you sign weekly timesheets. Lock up checkbooks, cash and any pills that carry a risk of misuse. Concerns about abuse or neglect go to Marin Adult Protective Services, 415-473-2774, at any hour, or 911 in an emergency; the Long-Term Care Ombudsman, 415-473-7446, handles care-facility complaints. See the hiring guide for payroll steps.
How it works
How to hire a private caregiver in Novato (no agency)
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
- Your posting goes live
- Review caregivers and applicants
- Message and hire
- Agree terms and pay directly
Pricing, plainly
What is free and what costs money
Browsing, posting and receiving applications are free. Messaging and confirming a hire are part of Family Premium ($24.99/month, cancel any time). No commission on what you pay the caregiver; see the pricing page.
Widen your search
Find caregivers near Novato
Caregivers set a travel radius, so a caregiver based in a neighbouring town may well cover your home. These pages show who is nearby.
Novato is part of Marin County; the hub pages list every town and area they cover.
Guides
Useful reading
How to become a caregiver in California: requirements, HCA registry, IHSS and CNA explained · How much do caregivers make in California and Arizona? BLS, IHSS and minimum wage (2026) · How to hire a private caregiver: cost, screening, taxes and a written agreement · Imperial County caregiver resources: training, job centres, IHSS, senior services and transport
Sources (checked 2026-10-15):
- City of Novato, minimum wage (archived September 17, 2026)
- City of Novato, Margaret Todd Senior Center (archived May 19, 2026)
- Marin Transit, paratransit and local routes
- Marin Transit, Marin Access
- Vivalon, Rides for Health
- IHSS Public Authority of Marin, find a care provider
- IHSS Public Authority of Marin, provider enrollment
- Marin County HHS, In-Home Supportive Services (archived May 8, 2026)
- Marin County HHS, Information and referrals (archived May 8, 2026)
- Marin County HHS, Adult Protective Services (archived May 8, 2026)
- College of Marin Career Education, CNA / Home Health Aide
- CDSS, IHSS wages by county
- BLS OEWS May 2025, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
- California DIR, Domestic Worker Bill of Rights
- CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025, median cost data tables
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year profile, Novato city (via MCDC)
- HCAI facility profiles (Novato Community Hospital, Kaiser San Rafael, MarinHealth Medical Center)
Questions
Hiring a caregiver in Novato: frequently asked questions
Does the Novato minimum wage apply to my family as an employer?
Not the higher tiers. They cover employers with 26 or more workers; with 25 or fewer, the state minimum of $16.90 applies. The ordinance counts anyone working more than two hours a week in the city.
Is there a hospital in Novato?
Yes. Novato Community Hospital at 180 Rowland Way has 47 licensed beds according to HCAI. Kaiser San Rafael (116 beds) and MarinHealth in Greenbrae (327) are further south, so ask caregivers whether they will drive there.
Where can my mother spend part of the day with other people?
The Margaret Todd Senior Center on Hill Road runs weekday classes and game groups for members. Novato residents 50 and over can apply for help paying program fees.
My father gave up his car keys. How does he reach the doctor?
Enroll him with Marin Access through a Travel Navigator on 415-454-0902; depending on his needs that may mean paratransit, a volunteer driver he chooses, or fare help. For a rider 65-plus who manages a car without help, Vivalon's CarePool volunteers are a no-cost choice too.
What does CaregiverConnect cost a Novato family?
Posting a request is free. For $24.99 a month, Family Premium lets you write to applicants and record the person you hire. The platform does not screen caregivers, so the checks are yours to make.
Post your care need in Novato
It is free, takes about ten minutes, and caregivers in Marin County can see it as soon as it is live.
Create your free family account