In 2005, the State of California implemented the Family Cost Participation Program (FCPP) that requires some families to share in the cost of Respite and Day Care services purchased by regional centers for their children with developmental disabilities under age 18. The State Department of Developmental Services (DDS) has developed the FCPP Guide for use by all regional centers to inform families of their responsibilities; no other services are affected. Your Alta California Regional Center Service Coordinator will discuss the program with you if meet the participation conditions.
Who Is Required to Participate?
The FCPP only applies to families that meet the following criteria:
Your child is age birth through 17 years old
Your child is a client of the regional center and has an assessed need for or is receiving Day Care or Respite Services purchased by the regional center
Your child lives at home
Your child is not eligible for Medi-Cal
How Is Cost Participation Determined?
The FCPP share of cost is a sliding fee based on the size and income of the family. Once it has been determined that a family meets the program participation requirements, an assessment by the ACRC FCPP Coordinator, using the FCPP Assessment Fee Schedule, is completed with the income information provided by the family. The share of cost fee is between 0% to 100% of the cost of service, based on an income at least 400% and above, of the federal poverty level (FPL).
What Services Are Covered?
Family Cost Participation Plan assessments apply only to Day Care and Respite services that are included in the child’s individual program plan. No other services are affected.
How Will Family Co-Payments be Paid
Once the share of cost has been determined, the ACRC FCPP Coordinator will notify, the family, the vendor and the Service Coordinator of the amount. ACRC will authorize services by the service provider for the regional center’s share and the family will pay their “cost participation” share directly to the service provider.
How Does ACRC Implement the FCPP?
The law creating the FCPP charges DDS with ensuring consistent implementation of the program statewide. In response, DDS has developed information and tools (including the sliding fee schedule) for use by each regional center in implementing the program.
Families are informed of the Family Cost Participation Program at Intake and again when the Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP) or Individual Program Plan (IPP) is developed. If families meet the participation requirements, they will be asked to provide proof of annual income within 10 calendar days (can request a 10 day extension) after the child’s IFSP/IPP is developed. If the family does not comply, the regional center is unable to fund the respite or day care service and the family will be responsible to pay 100% of the cost.
ACRC will notify families of their cost participation amount, which is the portion of the service that they will be required to purchase directly from the service provider based on the sliding scale.
FCPP reviews are done annually based on the continued assessed need for Respite or Day Care services.
