Regional centers have finished testing the second version of the Standardized In-Home Respite Tool. This data collection phase began on January 26 and ended on April 30, 2026.
Over the three-month period, service coordinators from all 21 regional centers used the tool with a few thousand families. The information gathered will help determine the appropriate amount of respite hours that should be authorized once the tool is implemented. This testing was done without impacting services. Existing processes were used to authorize actual services for families, while information was collected too using the new tool.
Thank you to all the regional centers staff and individuals and families who participated in this testing period. Your contributions will lead to a more consistent and fair process for determining the need for respite services across California.
Later this year, the Department plans to present to the community a final version of the tool and train the regional centers on how to use it.
Respite Tool Background
In 2023, a new law required the Department to address inequities in how caregivers receive respite services. The law says the goal is to “provide more statewide uniformity and consistency and promote equity in the administrative practices and services of regional centers, consistent with the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act.”