A Family Home Agency (FHA) approves family homes which offer the opportunity for up to two adult individuals with developmental disabilities per home to reside with a family and share in the interaction and responsibilities of being part of a family. The individual with developmental disabilities receives the necessary service and supports from the family, agencies and the community to enable the individual to be a participating member of the family and the community where the family resides. The family home arrangement allows the sharing of food, shelter, experience, responsibilities and love.

The FHA is a private for-profit or not-for-profit organization under contract to, and vendored by a regional center. FHAs are responsible for recruiting, training, approving and monitoring family homes, as well as providing ongoing support to family homes. Social service staff employed by the FHA make regular visits to the family home to ensure that necessary services and supports are in place, and that the match between the family and the new family member is viable, and continues to be viable.

FHA and family home services and supports are a new option which enables adults with developmental disabilities to enter into partnerships with families that promote self-determination and interdependence.

Unlike community care facilities, FHAs are not monitored by a licensing agency. Per Welfare & Institutions Code 4689.1(e)(8), the Department and Regional Centers are the agencies responsible for establishing, maintaining, and ensuring the enforcement of standards for FHAs, which shall ensure FHA services:

  1. Conform to applicable laws and regulations and provide for the individual’s health and well-being.
  2. Assist the individual in understanding and exercising their individual rights.
  3. Are consistent with the family home agency’s program design and the individual’s individual program plan.
  4. Maximize the individual’s opportunities to have informed choices in where the individual lives, works, and socializes.
  5. Provide a supportive family home environment, available to the individual 24 hours per day, that is clean, comfortable, and accommodating to the individual’s cultural preferences, values, and lifestyle.
  6. Are satisfactory to the individual, as indicated by the individual’s quality of life as assessed by the individual, their family, and, if appointed, conservator, or significant others, or all of these, as well as by evaluation of outcomes relative to individual program plan objectives.

Per Title 17, Section 56095(g), the Regional Center shall conduct a monitoring review of the FHA to ensure the services and supports provided conform to applicable laws and regulations. Additionally, the Department conducts a review of the Regional Centers’ monitoring approximately every two years. During these reviews conducted by the Department, all elements identified in Title 17, Section 56075 through 56099 of the FHA(s) are evaluated for compliance. This includes, but not limited to, Health and Safety, individual satisfaction, health-related services, funds and property, ancillary services, etc. The tools used by the Department may be provided upon request by emailing ocofha@dds.ca.gov.

For more information about Family Home Agencies

Contact your regional center OR:

California Department of Developmental Services

Community Services Division

Office of Community Operations

OCO@dds.ca.gov


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Last modified: November 6, 2025