Can my friend be my child's respite provider?

If your child is approved for respite hours from Regional Center, there are multiple ways to find a respite provider. One way is to go through a Regional Center-vendored respite agency, where the agency will connect you with a provider.

Another way is through parent choice or parent conversion, where you find an individual willing to be your child's respite provider (such as a family member, friend, or other caregiver), and then that person registers with a respite agency to work for you and be paid by Regional Center.

If your child is in Regional Center's Self-Determination program, you can hire a friend or other caregiver to be your child's respite provider without going through a respite agency.

Find more information about these methods, including their pros and cons, in our full article How to Find a Respite Provider in California.