Help and paying for it
Regional Centers in Los Angeles County
Regional centers are California’s front door to services for people with developmental disabilities and for babies and toddlers with delays. LA County has seven, and your address decides which one is yours.
Los Angeles County has seven regional centers: North Los Angeles County, Frank D. Lanterman, San Gabriel/Pomona, Eastern Los Angeles, Westside, South Central Los Angeles and Harbor. Each is a nonprofit under contract with the state that serves people with developmental disabilities, such as autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and intellectual disability, plus babies and toddlers under 3 with delays. Your home address decides which one serves you. The eligibility assessment is free, most services are free regardless of income, and you can start by phone, email or online form.
On this page
All 7 regional centers in Los Angeles County
Listed roughly north to south. Each center’s area is described in its own words, but the borders follow LA County health districts and zip codes, and some cities, such as Pasadena and Whittier, are split between centers. Confirm yours with the DDS Regional Center Lookup before you apply.
North Los Angeles County Regional Center
San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys · 9200 Oakdale Ave., Suite 100, Chatsworth, CA 91311
NLACRC serves the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys from offices in Chatsworth, Santa Clarita and Lancaster. To start, fill out its Early Start application for a child under 3, or its Lanterman Act application for anyone 3 or older; if your child turns 3 within 45 days, use the 3-and-up application. You can also email intake@nlacrc.org or call the intake referral line, (818) 778-1900.
- Intake email: intake@nlacrc.org
- Santa Clarita office: 661-775-8450
- Lancaster office: 661-945-6761
- Open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center
Central LA, Hollywood, Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena · 3303 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Lanterman serves Hollywood-Wilshire, Central Los Angeles, Glendale, Burbank, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta and Pasadena. For any age, email referrals@lanterman.org or call the intake line with your name, phone and address, your child’s name and birth date, and a short note on your concerns; an intake coordinator calls back within 24 hours. Eligibility is decided within 45 days for children under 3 and within 120 days for older children.
- Intake line: 213-252-8610
- Email: referrals@lanterman.org
- Callback within 24 hours
- Koch-Young Resource Center for families
San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center
San Gabriel Valley and Pomona Valley · 75 Rancho Camino Drive, Pomona, CA 91766
SG/PRC serves about 30 communities in the El Monte, Foothill and Pomona health districts, among them Altadena, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Claremont, Covina, Diamond Bar, El Monte, Glendora, Hacienda Heights, La Puente, Monrovia, Rowland Heights, San Dimas, Walnut and West Covina, plus parts of Pasadena, Pomona, Temple City and Whittier. Refer a child by email, by phone or through its self-serve portal, or walk in and ask for a Referral Specialist. A second office opened in Irwindale in 2026.
- Under 3: 909-710-8675
- Age 3 and up: 909-710-8338
- Main line: 24 hours, 7 days a week
- Second office in Irwindale
Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center
East LA, Alhambra and the Whittier area · 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Alhambra, CA 91803
ELARC serves eastern and northeastern LA County: Alhambra, City Terrace, Commerce, East Los Angeles, El Sereno, La Mirada, Lincoln Heights, Montebello, Monterey Park, Pico Rivera, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, South Pasadena and Santa Fe Springs, and parts of Arcadia, Boyle Heights, East Pasadena, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Mount Washington, Temple City and Whittier. A child under 3 needs its Early Start application; for anyone 3 or older, call the Intake & Assessment Unit first, then fill out a General Intake application.
- Under 3: 626-299-4777 or 626-299-4691
- Age 3 and up: 626-299-4770 or 626-299-4759
- Whittier office: 562-698-0146
Westside Regional Center
Westside, Santa Monica and Inglewood · 777 S. Aviation Blvd., Suite 105, El Segundo, CA 90245
Westside serves Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Culver City, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lennox, Malibu, Marina del Rey, Mar Vista, Pacific Palisades, Playa del Rey, Santa Monica, Topanga, Venice, Westchester and West LA. Apply online in English or Spanish and attach what you have, such as IEPs and medical records. Its office is in El Segundo.
- Under 3: 310-258-4096
- Age 3 and up: 310-258-4121
- Apply online in English or Spanish
westsiderc.org (opens their site)310-258-4000On Summerground
South Central Los Angeles Regional Center
South LA and Southeast LA County · 2500 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90018
SCLARC serves South Los Angeles, Watts, Leimert Park, Florence-Firestone and West Adams, and the cities of Bell, Bell Gardens, Compton, Cudahy, Downey, Huntington Park, Lynwood, Maywood, Vernon, South Gate, North Carson, Gardena and Paramount. Its online form, in English or Spanish, is the fastest way to apply; you can also email, fax or call. Some zip codes are shared with other centers, so if yours is one, call 213-744-8880 first.
- Under 3: 213-744-7000, ext. 3226
- Age 3 and up: 213-744-7000, ext. 3227
- Second office in South Gate
intake.sclarc.org (opens their site)213-744-7000On Summerground
Harbor Regional Center
South Bay, San Pedro and Long Beach · 21309 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503
Harbor serves the Bellflower, Harbor, Long Beach and Torrance health districts: Torrance, the South Bay beach cities, San Pedro, Long Beach, Lakewood, Cerritos and nearby communities. Apply with its three-step online form, where you can upload reports, or email the intake team. Its offices in Torrance and Long Beach both have a Harbor Family Resource Center.
- Under 3: 310-543-0102
- Age 3 and up: 310-543-0103
- Under 3 email: intakeunder3@harborrc.org
- 3 and up: intakeover3@harborrc.org
- Long Beach: 1155 E. San Antonio Drive
Who qualifies for regional center services
There are three ways in, depending on age (DDS eligibility criteria):
- Early Start, birth to 36 months. A baby or toddler qualifies with any one of these: a delay of at least 25% in one or more areas (thinking and learning, communication, social-emotional, everyday self-care skills, or physical and motor development, including vision and hearing); an established risk condition known to lead to delays; or a high risk of a substantial disability because of a combination of medical risk factors.
- Lanterman Act, any age. The person has autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, intellectual disability, or a condition closely related to intellectual disability or needing similar treatment. It must begin before 18, be expected to last, and be a substantial disability: significant limits in at least three of seven areas (self-care, understanding and using language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity for independent living, and economic self-sufficiency).
- Provisional eligibility, under 5. A young child can qualify without a diagnosis if the disability isn’t only physical and they have significant limits in at least two areas: self-care, language, learning, mobility or self-direction. They’re reassessed before age 5 (DDS).
A mental health condition or learning disability alone doesn’t qualify, and neither does a disability that is only physical. Family income and immigration status don’t affect eligibility, and you don’t need a diagnosis to apply (DDS guide). If you’re still looking for a diagnosis, see Autism Testing for Kids in Los Angeles.
How to apply, step by step
- Find your regional center. Enter your address in the DDS Regional Center Lookup, or use the list on this page.
- Make a referral. Call, email or use the center’s online form. Anyone can refer, including you, your doctor or your school. Ask for Early Start if your child is under 3, or Lanterman intake if 3 or older.
- Send what you have: earlier evaluations, IEPs and medical records. Some centers, such as Westside, can sometimes use outside reports in place of their own testing.
- Intake. By law, the regional center must do intake, including deciding whether to assess, within 15 working days of your request (Welfare and Institutions Code 4642).
- Sign consent and finish the assessment. It must be done within 120 days of intake, or 60 days if a delay would risk your child’s health, safety or development (W&I Code 4643). For 3- and 4-year-olds, the center must also check provisional eligibility in that time (DDS).
- Get the decision. If your child isn’t found eligible, you’ll get a letter within 5 working days of the decision and have 60 days to appeal. If your child is eligible, the first Individual Program Plan (IPP) must be done within 60 days.
Under 3, the clock is shorter: Early Start has 45 days from referral to finish evaluations and, if your child qualifies, an Individualized Family Service Plan (DDS). At least 90 days before your child turns 3, you’ll meet with the school district to plan the move to school services.
What regional centers can pay for
Regional centers assess, coordinate and buy the services written into your child’s plan. They pay last: the Lanterman Act requires them to use other resources first, such as your health insurance, Medi-Cal or school district (DDS).
For babies and toddlers in Early Start, services can include speech, occupational and physical therapy, special instruction, family training and counseling, psychological services, assistive technology, audiology, vision services, nutrition and transportation. Evaluation, assessment and service coordination are free; insurance is billed for medically necessary speech, physical and occupational therapy, and the regional center or school district covers what insurance doesn’t (DDS).
For children 3 and older, DDS lists services such as:
- Adaptive and life skills training
- Parent training and counseling
- Personal care
- Respite, a break for parents, at home or out of the home
- Social recreation and camp
- Toilet training help
- Transportation
Adults can get day programs, employment support, and supported or independent living. Most services and supports are free regardless of age or income (DDS).
For what ABA therapy costs and who pays, see How Much Does ABA Therapy Cost?, and for camps, Special Needs Summer Camps in Los Angeles.
How to find your regional center in LA County
Elsewhere in California, regional center areas follow county lines. In Los Angeles County they follow health districts instead (DDS), which is why seven centers share one county and some cities fall into two:
- Pasadena: Lanterman serves the Pasadena area, San Gabriel/Pomona lists parts of Pasadena, and Eastern Los Angeles lists part of East Pasadena.
- Whittier and Temple City: both Eastern Los Angeles and San Gabriel/Pomona list parts of each.
- Gardena: listed by both Westside and South Central Los Angeles.
- Eagle Rock and Highland Park: Eastern Los Angeles serves only part of the area.
The surest way to know is the DDS Regional Center Lookup: enter your address and it returns your center and how to reach it. DDS also keeps Regional Center Listings with each center’s main address and phone. If you contact the wrong center, ask where to go; South Central Los Angeles, for one, says a referral from a shared zip code may be forwarded to the center that serves you.
Whichever center you land with, DDS says the process and timeline for applying are the same at every regional center.
Questions parents ask
Which regional center serves my area in Los Angeles?
It depends on your home address, not your choice. Roughly, North Los Angeles County serves the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys; Lanterman, central LA, Hollywood, Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena; San Gabriel/Pomona, the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys; Eastern Los Angeles, East LA and Alhambra; Westside, the Westside and Inglewood; South Central, South LA and nearby cities; and Harbor, the South Bay and Long Beach. Borders follow health districts, so check yours with the DDS Regional Center Lookup.
Is the regional center free?
The eligibility assessment is. DDS says there’s no charge for the diagnosis and eligibility assessment, and most services are free regardless of age or income. Regional centers must use other resources first, so they may ask whether your health insurance, Medi-Cal or school district will pay for a service. For babies and toddlers, Early Start evaluations and service coordination are free, and insurance is billed for medically necessary speech, physical and occupational therapy.
Do I need an autism diagnosis to apply?
No. Anyone can make a referral, and DDS says you don’t need a diagnosis to find out whether you qualify; the regional center does its own assessment. Children under 3 can qualify for Early Start with a delay alone, and children under 5 can qualify provisionally without a diagnosis. If you already have a private evaluation, send it in. For where to get one, see Autism Testing for Kids in Los Angeles.
How long does regional center intake take?
By law, intake must happen within 15 working days of your request. If an assessment is needed, it must be done within 120 days of intake, or within 60 days if a delay would put your child’s health, safety or development at risk. For children under 3, Early Start has 45 days from referral to finish evaluations and a family service plan. Once a child is found eligible, the first IPP must be done within 60 days.
Does immigration status or income matter?
No. DDS says family income and immigration status don’t affect eligibility for regional center services, and Westside Regional Center, for example, says a client doesn’t need to be a U.S. citizen. Eligibility depends on the disability and how much it limits daily life, or, for babies and toddlers, on a delay or risk.
What if the regional center says my child isn’t eligible?
You’ll get a letter within 5 working days of the decision, and you have 60 days to appeal; DDS’s guide to the regional center system explains how. If your child is 3 or 4, the center must also check provisional eligibility before it decides. Either way, you can still ask your school district in writing for a special education assessment, which follows its own rules.
How we made this list
We list all seven regional centers that serve Los Angeles County. Each center’s area, offices and intake steps come from its own website, with main addresses and phone numbers checked against DDS’s regional center listings. Eligibility rules, deadlines and services come from the California Department of Developmental Services; phone numbers and forms change, so confirm with your center before you rely on them.
No one paid to be on it. It’s information to start from, not medical or legal advice: check services, costs and coverage with each provider before you book. Spotted something out of date, or run a place that belongs here? Write to hello@summerground.com.
Sources
- Regional Center Lookup (California Department of Developmental Services)
- Regional Center Listings (DDS)
- Regional Center Eligibility & Services (DDS)
- Eligibility Criteria for California Regional Center Services (DDS, March 2025)
- Intake and Assessment Requirements, W&I Code 4642 and 4643 (DDS, 2022)
- What is Early Start? (DDS)
- A Guide to California’s Regional Center Services System (DDS, February 2025)
- Support Services and generic resources (DDS)