If you're researching care options for an adult family member with a disability, you've probably run into a wall of Minnesota program names: 245D, ICS, adult family home, HCBS, waiver-funded services. They all sound similar, and the differences actually matter for what kind of support your loved one receives and how it's paid for.
What "245D" means. Minnesota Statute 245D is the state's licensing framework for home and community-based services (HCBS) — services that help people with disabilities live in the community rather than in an institutional setting. A 245D license covers a range of service types, from supportive housing to in-home supports to employment services. Any agency operating under 245D has gone through state licensing and is subject to ongoing DHS oversight, background studies for staff, and documented person-centered planning requirements.
What "Integrated Community Supports (ICS)" means. ICS is one specific service line under 245D. It provides supportive housing along with the day-to-day assistance a person needs — help with daily living activities, medication support, transportation, and connection to community activities — in a home-like setting rather than an institution. ICS is tied to a provider-controlled setting, which is what separates it from in-home support — ICS or Individualized Home Supports? walks through that distinction.
What "adult family home" typically means. This term often refers to a smaller residential setting, licensed to serve a limited number of adults, providing a family-style living environment with support built around each resident's needs. In Minnesota, many adult family home arrangements for adults with disabilities are themselves licensed under 245D, which is why the terms overlap in searches — the "adult family home" is the setting, and 245D is the regulatory license that governs the services provided there.
How it's paid for. Services under 245D are typically funded through Minnesota Medicaid and home and community-based waivers — Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI), Brain Injury (BI), Developmental Disabilities (DD), and Community Alternative Care (CAC) are the most common. A county case manager determines waiver eligibility and helps coordinate which services a person qualifies for. CADI is the most common of these for adults with disabilities; if that is the one you are looking at, CADI waiver eligibility in Minnesota covers what each requirement actually asks for.
What to ask a provider. Whichever term you're searching — adult family home, 245D supportive housing, or HCBS provider — the questions that actually matter are the same: What waivers do they accept? What counties do they serve? How do they build a person-centered support plan? How do they involve the family and case manager in ongoing decisions?
Midway Homes Adult Care LLC is a Minnesota 245D-licensed provider offering Integrated Community Supports (ICS) supportive housing, Individualized Home Supports, and employment services across Ramsey, Hennepin, Dakota, Scott, Washington, Chisago, and Pine counties, funded through the CADI, BI, DD, and CAC waivers. We offer a free assessment to help families understand which services fit their situation — call 612-416-8555 to talk with our team.