The first Group Home for Children with Special Health Care Needs (GHCSHN) in California opened in Merced! The home is designed to provide a home-like and community-based setting for children with complex health needs. On April 28, 2025, the Department’s Office of Statewide Clinical Services and Central Valley Regional Center (CVRC) joined the grand opening of the Guardian Home.
The GHCSHN will serve children and young adults ages 7–22 who have intellectual and developmental disabilities and require 24/7 licensed nursing support for complex health care needs such as gastrostomy-tubes, tracheostomies, mechanical ventilation, Total Parenteral Nutrition catheters, injectable medications, and more.
GHCSHNs are certified by the Department, licensed by Community Care Licensing and vendored by the regional center. The GHCSHN model was authorized by state law in 2021, and was modeled after the very successful Adult Residential Facility for Persons with Special Health Care Needs (ARFPSHN). There are currently 3 additional GHCSHN in development, including one each in Sacramento, Fresno, and San Diego. The availability of the GHCSHN model addresses a significant prior gap in residential options for some of our most complex and medically fragile youth.
You can watch a short video of the grand opening on CVRC’s Facebook page.
From left to right: Steven Reed, DDS Nurse Consultant III, Nemia Atendido, ARFPSHN and GHCSHN Licensee, Chris Gephart, Deputy Director, Paul Llamoso, ARFPSHN and GHCSHN Licensee, Joyce Singh, DDS Nurse Consultant III, Claire Ascalon, ARFPSHN Licensee at the opening of the first Group Home for Children with Special Health Care Needs (GHCSHN) in the state of California in Merced.
