Answers for Families.com
Draft. An outside expert has not yet checked the facts on this page. Every fact links to the state’s own page; check it there before you act.
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All the help your child could get. Found.

California has programs most parents never hear about, including pay for the care you already give, for families who qualify. We show you which ones may fit your family, and the order to ask.

Start the road map

Six steps, in order, in plain words. Takes about three minutes to read the first screen.

Three ways in

What it looks like

Example conversation

We just got the diagnosis. I don't even know where to start.
Start by calling your Regional Center. They decide who qualifies for their services, and getting through can take a long time, so it's step 1. Here's the San Diego number and the two sentences to say. Official page
We make too much for Medi-Cal though.
Maybe not. Medi-Cal has a second way in for some Regional Center clients, and that way doesn't count the parents' income. We'll walk you through it when you get there. State page

Every answer comes from our guide and links the state's own page. We never decide whether your family qualifies. The program does, after you apply.

Tina's photo

I'm Tina. I'm a San Diego mom.

When our son was diagnosed, nobody handed us a map. We spent a year calling the wrong offices, filling out the wrong forms, and waiting for people who never called back. The whole time, there were programs for him we didn't know existed: therapy that could have started months sooner, help at his school, and a program that pays parents for the care we were already giving at 2 a.m. for free.

When we finally found them, everything changed. Our son got the help he needed to grow into everything he can be. We stopped fighting the system and started living our lives. And for the first time, the money made sense.

I built Answers for Families so you know what to ask for in days, not years. The programs are already there. Your child may already qualify. Let's go find out, together.

Read more about us

How we check

We check facts about every provider, whether they pay us or not, and we write down what we found and the date. We don't rate the therapy itself, because we've never seen it.

How we check providers

Who pays

Parents never pay. Businesses that serve these families pay for fuller listings and sponsored spots, and that pays for everything you see here. Paying never changes a check or a review.

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