For more than five decades, Alta California Regional Center (ACRC) has helped people with developmental disabilities live, learn, and work in their own communities. Today it serves tens of thousands of children and adults across 10 Northern California counties, from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe.
Here’s what ACRC does, where it came from, and how to get started.
At a glance
Alta California Regional Center
- 36,760people servedas of Dec. 31, 2025
- 10countiesacross Northern California
- 8local officesfrom Sacramento to Lake Tahoe
- 1 of 21regional centersin California’s statewide system
ACRC’s vision: “A community where individuals with developmental disabilities are valued members who are treated with dignity and respect.”
What Is Alta California Regional Center?
ACRC is one of 21 regional centers in California. Each is a private nonprofit that contracts with the state Department of Developmental Services (DDS). Regional centers don’t provide most services directly. Instead, they confirm who’s eligible, plan services with each person and family, pay for services when no one else will, and connect families with local programs.
Every eligible person is assigned a service coordinator. That person is your main contact at ACRC and helps build and update your plan.
A short history
California’s regional centers grew out of a movement led by families who wanted their loved ones to live at home, not in crowded state institutions. Tap through the timeline to see how the system, and ACRC, came to be.
From state hospitals to community: a timeline
Tap any year to read what happened.
In 1964, more than 13,000 Californians with developmental disabilities lived in four overcrowded state hospitals, with about 3,000 more on waiting lists. Parent groups had begun starting their own schools and programs.
A 1965 law authorized two pilot regional centers. They opened in 1966, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, to help people get services close to home instead of in state hospitals. They served 559 people in their first year.
Governor Ronald Reagan signed the law, carried by Assemblyman Frank D. Lanterman, that set up regional centers across California. It grew into today’s network of 21.
IRS records show Alta California Regional Center received its nonprofit tax exemption in 1970.
The law expanded to include cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, and closely related conditions.
The law became the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act. It gave people a right to services and supports, planned with each person through an individual program plan.
The Act was updated to stress empowerment, person-centered planning, and personal choice.
State law replaced an outdated, hurtful term with “intellectual disability.”
Provisional eligibility let children ages 3 and 4 qualify based on significant delays, without a final diagnosis.
ACRC moved into its new main office on East Commerce Way in March 2025, and served 36,760 people by year’s end.
Sources: ACRC, the Association of Regional Center Agencies, DDS, and IRS records via ProPublica. Full list at the end of this article.
Where ACRC serves
ACRC serves Alpine, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba counties, with eight offices across the region. That covers big cities, farm towns, and mountain communities. Find the office for your county below.
Find your ACRC office
Tap your county.
Your office’s address and phone number will show here.
Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For an after-hours emergency, call (916) 978-6400 and follow the prompts. Office details from ACRC; check ACRC’s site for any changes.
What ACRC does
Services depend on each person’s needs and goals. Depending on age and needs, ACRC may help with:
- Early Start services for babies and toddlers with delays or at risk of them
- Service coordination and individual planning for children and adults
- Respite care so family caregivers can rest
- Behavioral services and other supports
- Independent and supported living
- Employment, internships, and day programs
- Transportation and assistive technology
- The Self-Determination Program, which gives people more control over their services and budget
Before paying for a service, ACRC must first look to other sources, like private insurance, Medi-Cal, school services, or IHSS. That’s why many ACRC families also use IHSS for in-home care.
Who can get services and how to apply
- Under age 3: babies and toddlers with a developmental delay, or at risk of one, may qualify for Early Start.
- Ages 3 and 4: children can qualify provisionally, based on significant delays, without a final diagnosis.
- Age 3 and up: people qualify if they have a substantial disability that began before age 18 and is expected to continue, such as intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or autism, or a closely related condition.
To apply, call ACRC at (916) 978-6400 and ask for intake, or contact the office for your county.
Worth knowingThere’s no charge to be assessed for regional center eligibility. Once someone is eligible, most services are free regardless of age or income. There are two exceptions: some services can carry a family co-payment, and parents may share costs if a child under 18 lives in 24-hour care outside the home.
Worth knowingACRC publishes free, plain-language guides, many in Spanish, Hmong, Russian, Punjabi, Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic, and more.
- A Guide to California’s Regional Center Services System8 languages
- A Client’s Guide to My Individual Program Plan10 languages
- Early Intervention (Early Start) informationSeveral languages
- A Family Guide to Children’s Services10 languages
- Adult Services Guide8 languages
- Supported Decision MakingAgreement and trainings
If ACRC says no
Families have the right to disagree with ACRC’s decisions about eligibility or services. ACRC must explain its decision in writing, and you can ask for an informal meeting, mediation, or a fair hearing.
FlagWhen ACRC denies, reduces, or ends a service, it must send you a written Notice of Action. To keep your current services while you appeal, appeal within 30 days of getting the notice and before the change takes effect. You have 60 days to appeal at all. Read our regional center appeal guide
ACRC and IHSS Connect
We’re proud to work alongside ACRC. Together, we’re hosting a free webinar series for families and caregivers, open to everyone in California.
Many ACRC families also rely on IHSS or a regional center’s caregiver programs. These guides can help:
- How to Find a Caregiver in California, including personal assistance through a regional center
- WPCS: Caregiving Through a Regional Center Waiver
- Understanding Respite Care
- A Parent’s Guide to California’s Support System for Children with Disabilities
- All California regional centers
Looking for help at home? Search caregivers on IHSS Connect for free.
Sources
- Alta California Regional Center — About UsCounties served; nonprofit under contract with DDS; main office and hours
- ACRC — OfficesAll eight office addresses, phone numbers, and the counties each serves
- ACRC — End of Year 2025 Summary (PDF)36,760 people served as of Dec. 31, 2025; new Sacramento office in March 2025
- ACRC — History of Regional Centers & the Lanterman Act1964 conditions; 1966 pilots and 559 people served; 1973, 1976, 1992, and 2014 changes
- Association of Regional Center Agencies — History of the System1965 law authorizing pilots; Lanterman Act signed Sept. 4, 1969; 21 regional centers
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer — Alta California Regional Center IncIRS tax exemption issued June 1970
- ACRC — Mission, Vision & ValuesVision statement
- ACRC — ServicesService coordination; IPP and IFSP; using other resources first
- ACRC — Publications & BrochuresFamily guides and languages
- Department of Developmental Services — Eligibility AssessmentsEligibility; Early Start; provisional eligibility for ages 3–4; no charge for assessment
- Department of Developmental Services — Information About Regional CentersWhat regional centers do; costs and exceptions
- DDS — Provisional Eligibility for Regional Center Services (PDF)2021 provisional eligibility for children ages 3 and 4
ACRC and the Department of Developmental Services are the primary sources. History dates follow ACRC and the Association of Regional Center Agencies.
About this article
This article introduces Alta California Regional Center: its history, the communities it serves, and how families can get started. It’s an update of our April 2026 article, with current office locations, figures, and history checked against ACRC, state, and IRS records.
IHSS Connect has received grant funding from ACRC. IHSS Connect is an independent, free registry for families and caregivers. We are not part of any state agency, county, or regional center, and this article is general information, not legal advice.
Spot something out of date? Let us know and we’ll check it.
If you’re just getting started, don’t hesitate to reach out—support is available, and you don’t have to navigate it alone.
