Regional centers provide a wide array of services for individuals with developmental disabilities. Each center provides diagnosis and assessment of eligibility, and helps plan, access, coordinate and monitor services and supports. Once eligibility is determined, most services and supports are free regardless of age or income; however, there are a few exceptions. For example, the Parental Fee Program requires that the parent(s) of a minor receiving 24-hour out-of-home residential services be assessed a fee for services.
In making decisions about services needed, the planning team, which includes the person using the services, family members, regional center staff, and others who may be asked to attend the planning meeting by the individual, will join together to discuss the supports needed that are related to the developmental disability.
Generic resources are the services that are provided by other agencies, that have a legal responsibility to fund them. State law says that regional centers cannot pay for services for which another agency has responsibility. Examples of “Generic Resources” include:
- California Children’s Services
- City, County, and State Housing Services
- Community Legal Services
- County Medical Clinics
- County Mental Health and/or Behavioral Health Services
- Department of Rehabilitation
- Education System (Private and/or Public)
- Family Resource Centers
- Health Care Insurance (Private and/or Public)
- In-Home Supportive Services
The link below provides a list of services that are most commonly purchased by regional centers:
- Regional Centers Services and DescriptionsPDF English | Armenian | Farsi | Hmong | Russian | Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese | Spanish | Tagalog | Vietnamese | Korean
Definitions in the services list are derived primarily from Title 17, California Code of Regulations, Section 54342.
Last modified: April 29, 2023
