California’s Developmental Disabilities System

Groundbreaking legislation codified more than 40 years ago and known as the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, established the right to services and individual program planning for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in California. It also established the framework for a statewide system of community-based services and supports, today coordinated by a network of 21 nonprofit regional centers with oversight from the California Department of Developmental Services. In 2021, more than 366,000 Californians accessed services through this system.

Lawmakers have invested significantly to strengthen various aspects of the state’s developmental disabilities system in recent years, including providing funding to improve the system’s information technology infrastructure, data collection efforts, and service access and equity. Much of this work is ongoing, yet questions remain as how best to address disparities in the system. Recent research highlights ongoing challenges around variations in the availability and quality of services among racial and ethnic groups and among localities across the state.

The Little Hoover Commission’s upcoming study on this issue will assess the extent of current disparities in service access within the state, identify the underlying causes of these disparities and the current state efforts to address them, and consider how state government can improve the consistency and timeliness of service delivery for the individuals and their families who rely on the state’s developmental services programs.

If you would like more information about this study, please contact Tamar Foster at Tamar.Foster@lhc.ca.gov. To be notified electronically of meetings, events, or when the review is complete, please subscribe to Little Hoover Commission updates: https://bit.ly/LittleHooverNews.