Will Regional Center pay for residential placement?

If your minor child needs to live full-time in a residential treatment facility, funding depends on who is authorizing the placement. If the placement is part of the IEP process, then the school district must fund it, whether in state or out of state. If the placement is for medical reasons, such as long-term hospitalization, then insurance is responsible for paying for it, and Regional Center may provide assistance. Note that Regional Center funds only in-state placement.

Regional Center is the payor of last resort, and placement is looked on as school responsibility if it’s not for medical reasons. However, it might be possible to get Regional Center assistance if the school district denies funding some part of it.

Note that if a child in a residential program remains in California, Regional Center services still apply. If the child goes to an out-of-state facility, Regional Center services get put on hold.

For more information, see our full article How Residential Placement Impacts California Public Benefits