Am I Eligible?

Clients & Families

Eligibility Requirements & Process

Kern Regional Center (KRC) is one of 21 private, non-profit organizations under contract with the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) to coordinate and provide community-based services to persons with developmental disabilities (consumers), as well as providing Early Start services for infants and toddlers with certain delays and established risk conditions. KRC serves people who live in the Kern, Inyo and Mono Counties.

Would you like to find out if you or a family member is eligible to receive services through Kern Regional Center? Depending on the age of the person applying, you will need to complete either the Early Start Program application or Lanterman Act Services application to begin the intake process.

Before you complete an application, please read the information below.

Early Start Program (Ages 0-3)

An application must be completed in order to assist the Kern Regional Center (KRC) to determine eligibility for the California Early Start Program. Eligibility for Early Start is based on an infant or toddler having one or more of the following conditions:

  • An Established Risk condition. This is a diagnosed medical condition which has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay, and/or disability.
  • A 25% delay in one or more of the following developmental areas: cognitive, language (expressive/receptive), social/emotional, self-care/adaptive and motor (fine/gross).

To determine your child’s eligibility, KRC will complete an evaluation to assess your child’s developmental level. Additionally, a review of your child’s medical history/records is required. This application contains the necessary forms required for KRC to initiate the evaluation process. Early Start eligibility determination may take up to 45 days.

To learn more about the Early Start program, please click on this link to view/download the standardized Early Start Information Packet.

Additional languages for the Early Start Information Packet are available on the Department of Developmental Services website.

español | Escuchar en español – Próximamente
한국인 – Korean 
简体中文 – Simplified Chinese
Tagalog 
Tiếng Việt – Vietnamese
Watch in American Sign Language (ASL) – Coming Soon

Provisional Eligibility (Ages 3 or 4)
Developmental Services Budget Trailer Bill, AB 136 (Chapter 76, Statutes of 2021) amended Welfare and Institution (W&I) Code Section 4512 to expand the eligibility for Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act (Lanterman Act) services by allowing a child who is 3 or 4 years of age to be provisionally eligible for regional center services under specified conditions. These amendments became effective July 16, 2021.

Pursuant to W&I Code section 4512 (a)(2), if a child who is three or four years of age is not otherwise eligible for regional center services as a result of a developmental disability as specified in W&I Code section 4512 (a)(1), the child shall be provisionally eligible for regional center services if the child has a disability that is not solely physical in nature and has significant functional limitations in at least two of the following areas of major life activity, as determined by a regional center and as appropriate to the age of the child:

1. Self-care
2. Receptive and expressive language
3. Learning
4. Mobility
5. Self-direction

To be provisionally eligible, a child is not required to have one of the developmental disabilities listed in W&I Code section 4512 (a)(1). A child exiting Early Start may be eligible for Lanterman Act services under the provisional eligibility criteria. Likewise, a child who is three or four years of age who did not receive Early start services, may be provisionally eligible. Provisional eligibility status will expire on the child’s 5th birthday and the child will be re-assessed for Lanterman eligibility prior to their 5th birthday.

To determine eligibility for new applicants, KRC completes an intake assessment which may include collection of historical records, school records, prior developmental and psychological testing as well as provision of diagnostic evaluation(s) if indicated. The application contains the necessary forms required for KRC to initiate the evaluation process. The applicant’s information is confidential and will only be released with written consent. Please be informed that the evaluation process cannot begin prior to receipt of a written consent. Eligibility determination may take up to 120 days. If your child is currently receiving services in the Early Start program (age is between 29 months-3 years of age) and you continue to have concerns regarding your child’s development, please reach out to your service coordinator for additional information on this diagnosis.

Lanterman Act Services (Ages 3+ through Adult)

An application must be completed in order to assist the Kern Regional Center (KRC) to determine eligibility for services under the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act. To be eligible for Regional Center Services an individual must have a Developmental Disability as per California Law and Regulation.

A developmental disability is a condition attributable to:

  • Intellectual Disability

  • Epilepsy

  • Cerebral Palsy

  • Autism

  • Disabling conditions found to be closely related to mental retardation or requiring treatment similar to.

Additionally, the disability must: Originate prior to the age of 18, continues or is expected to continue indefinitely and constitutes a substantial disability for the person. Substantial disability means significant functional limitation in three or more of the following areas of life activity: self-care, receptive and expressive language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity of independent living, economic self-sufficiency. A developmental disability does not include other handicapping conditions that are solely physical n nature, solely psychiatric in nature and solely learning disabilities.

To determine the applicant’s eligibility, KRC will complete an intake assessment which may include collection of historical diagnostic information, such as medical records, school records, prior psychological testing as well as provision of diagnostic evaluation (s) if indicated. This application contains the necessary forms required for KRC to initiate the evaluation process. The applicant’s information is confidential and will only be released with your written consent. Please be informed that the evaluation process cannot begin prior to receipt of your written consent. Eligibility determination may take up to 120 days.