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What do regional center services cost?

June 14, 2024

There is no charge for diagnosis and assessment for eligibility. Once eligibility is determined, most services are free regardless of age or income. There is a requirement for parents to share the cost of 24-hour, out-of-home placements for children under age 18, which depends on the parents’ ability to pay.

The Family Cost Participation Program (FCPP) went into effect on January 1, 2005, and requires that some families share in the cost of respite, day care and camping services. The Annual Family Program Fee (AFPF) is a program that went into effect as of July 1, 2011 as part of Trailer Bill AB 104. The AFPF assesses families with children between the ages of 0 through 17 who receive certain services through regional center to determine if they are required to pay an Annual Family Program Fee of up to $200 per family.

Regional centers are required by law to provide services in the most cost-effective way possible. They must use all other resources, including generic resources, before using any regional center funds. A generic resource is a service provided by an agency that has a legal responsibility to provide services to the general public and receives public funds for providing those services.

Some generic agencies you might be referred to are the local school district, county social services department, Medi-Cal, Social Security administration, Department of Rehabilitation and others. Other resources may include natural supports. This is help that you may get from family, friends or others.