Regional centers are continuing to test the second draft of a Standardized In-Home Respite Tool with a small group of families. This data collection phase began on January 26 and will end on April 30, 2026.
After using the tool for more than two months, feedback remains positive. Regional centers report the tool is intuitive, straightforward, and easy to use. Service coordinators say the tool helps them learn more about the daily routine and needs families. Many individuals and families say that it helps them feel seen and heard.
Later this year, the Department plans to finish the tool, present it to the community, and train the regional centers on how to use it.
Respite Tool Background
In 2023, Senate Bill 138 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.”
Finalizing the tool, educating individuals and families, and training regional center service coordinators will take time. But this work will lead to a more consistent and equitable process for determining the need for respite services across California.