Applicant Resources

Overview

The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) is pleased to announce updates to the Service Access and Equity (SAE) Grant Program for the 2025 grant cycle. This program supports innovative, community-based strategies to improve access to services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families—particularly those from underserved and underrepresented communities.

As a part of ongoing quality improvement efforts, DDS has implemented a statewide survey to all 21 regional centers to identify and better understand the persistent barriers to service access and unmet needs within each regional center’s catchment area.
Data collected through the survey will be used to:

• Identify regional and demographic-specific disparities.
• Inform the priorities and resource allocation of the SAE Grant Program.
• Support the development of effective, culturally, and linguistically responsive strategies aimed at reducing disparities and improving service access throughout California’s regional center system.

Grant Program Structure

DDS will solicit applications to the Grant Program from regional centers and other community-based organizations that serve populations facing documented disparities as they navigate the developmental services system.

Grant funding may not be used to support activities that regional centers are already required to perform under existing statute or regulation. Proposed activities must be innovative, supplemental, and designed to enhance equity in service access and outcomes.

Last modified: October 9, 2025