When + Why to Apply for Regional Center

Regional Centers are a statewide network of local agencies that serve children and adults with developmental disabilities, as defined by California law. They provide assessments, therapeutic and other services, and case management services. Sometimes parents and caregivers aren’t aware of eligibility requirements or the range of beneficial services available through Regional Center, so here is a quick primer with key information and related deeper resources.

Who is eligible for Regional Center?

For children under age three, Regional Center provides early intervention services to children with a diagnosed developmental disability and to children who are at risk of developmental delay. After age three, eligibility requires a diagnosed developmental disability that constitutes a substantial disability that is expected to continue indefinitely. A substantial disability is defined as a disability that results in “significant functional limitations” in three or more areas.

For additional information about what constitutes a developmental disability and substantial disability, check out our Regional Center 101 article.

Why should I apply for Regional Center?

Chris Arroyo, regional manager at the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, encourages parents and caregivers to take a close look at all the offerings of your Regional Center. “Regional Center can be an especially rich and incredibly useful system that can support you in achieving the life that you and your child deserves. There are many services that Regional Centers can provide that absolutely help with a child’s development and growth; for example educational therapies, non-educational therapies, recreational, social recreational services,” said Arroyo.

When should I apply to Regional Center?

Undivided’s public benefits specialist Lisa Concoff Kronbeck recommends that parents apply as early as possible in order to take advantage of early intervention services. She shared, “A lot of parents only find out about Regional Center when their kid is close to 3 and miss out on a lot of the services they could have gotten at that time, such as OT, PT, speech, and center-based services.“ Early intervention services (called Early Start in California) may include everything from speech and occupational therapy to funding for durable medical equipment, and are critically important to help kids gain the tools and support they need to work toward their developmental milestones.

If you are learning about Regional Center and your child is over the age of 3, be sure to explore your options. Children over age three may also qualify for funding for certain services.

How do I find my Regional Center?

Which Regional Center you apply to is determined by your zip code. To look up your nearest Regional Center, use the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) website. Each Regional Center operates independently, so services offered—as well as eligibility criteria for specific services—may vary slightly, but all Regional Centers are governed by the same set of statutes and regulations.

How does Regional Center funding work?

Regional Center is the “payer of last resort,” which means that they will only pay for a service if no other agency is responsible for providing that service. Regional Center refers to other potential funding sources as “generic resources” and families must prove that they’ve exhausted all generic resources before Regional Center will agree to fund a service. These “generic resources” include things like private insurance, California Children’s Services (CCS), Medi-Cal, and Local Education Agencies (LEA; usually the school district). Before it approves funding, Regional Center will require you to provide written denials from private insurance (and sometimes from Medi-Cal) for the specific services you’re trying to access.

How do I get started with the application?

The application process for Regional Center typically starts with a phone call to your local Regional Center, which you can locate using the state DDS website or zip code look-up tool. Your child’s medical provider may refer your child to Regional Center, but you can also self-refer if you have concerns about their development and want to ask for an evaluation.

Be sure to bring the following information to your initial phone call: 1) Your child’s birth certificate and Social Security number; 2) Insurance and/or Medi-Cal information; 3) Copies of your child’s medical records; 4) Names and addresses of all the medical professionals/service providers who have already seen your child; 5) Contact information for your child’s school. Following this phone call, you will be instructed on how to apply, and after your application has been received, you’ll set up an intake appointment.

To learn more about what is involved with the intake appointment and subsequent assessment (if needed) check out What to Expect from Regional Center’s Intake and Assessment Process as well as our step-by-step guide for how to apply to Regional Center.