In 2023, a new law required the Department to address inequities in the number of in-home respite hours caregivers receive and how those amounts are determined. 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.”
We are reviewing the data collected from a second round of testing of a revised Standardized In-Home Respite Tool. This information compares the hours of respite services individuals and families receive today with results from several thousand tests of the latest version of the tool.
Later this year, the Department plans to present the final version of the tool to the community. Regional center staff will then receive training on how to use it.
If your family’s respite hours change with this new tool, you’ll have options.
- Regional centers will work with you to see whether other services may meet your needs.
- You can request an exception or file an appeal. These options are available for all regional center funded services, including respite.