San Diego Regional Center
San Diego & Imperial Counties
For SDRC families & providers
Find in-home support. Or find work supporting others.
IHSS Connect is California’s free directory for in-home care — built for the San Diego and Imperial County communities San Diego Regional Center serves.
- Always free
- No fees or commissions
- 17 languages
- About 5 minutes to join
From the coast to the valley, one list.
SDRC’s service area covers two counties that look nothing alike. A family in Chula Vista and a family in El Centro face the same problem from opposite ends of it — plenty of need, no reliable way to find a caregiver who is nearby, available, and speaks the language spoken at home.
San Diego Regional Center and IHSS Connect are separate organizations aiming at the same outcome: support that is easier to find, free to use, and available in the language spoken at home. IHSS Connect is the searchable list — families and caregivers across San Diego and Imperial counties in one place, at no cost to either side.
Self-Determination
The program says you choose. It doesn’t say where to look.
Self-Determination is built on a simple idea: the person receiving support should decide who provides it. That’s the whole point of the program — your plan, your budget, your choice of who walks through the door.
What it doesn’t come with is a roster. In practice, families end up asking around, posting in group chats, and hoping someone good turns up. That gap is where a lot of participants stall out, and it’s the part IHSS Connect was built for — real people listing their skills, their availability, and the languages they speak, searchable by where you live, at no cost.
Finding someone here doesn’t change how you hire or pay them. Your spending plan and your Financial Management Service (FMS) still govern that, the same as always.
Across the SDRC service area
2 counties · 7 regions- CentralKearny Mesa, San Diego
- North CountySan Marcos
- North InlandCarmel Mountain
- East CountyLa Mesa
- South BayNational City
- South InlandChula Vista
- Imperial ValleyEl Centro
Any San Diego or Imperial County resident may apply to SDRC for services, and IHSS Connect covers the whole area — including Imperial Valley, where the nearest caregiver can be a long drive away. Search and post from wherever you live.
Everything below, at no cost
There is no paid tier, no upsell, and no credit card.
Completely free
Free for families and free for caregivers. No subscriptions, no placement fees, and no commission taken out of anyone’s pay.
Available in 17 languages
Use the site in the language you read most comfortably, and filter caregivers by the languages they speak.
Background-checked caregivers
Providers can complete a background check and carry a verified badge on their profile, so you know who you’re talking to.
Private messaging
Ask questions and arrange a meeting without handing out your phone number, home address, or email.
Post your care needs
Describe the help you need and let qualified caregivers come to you, instead of chasing leads one at a time.
Search jobs near you
Caregivers can browse open positions by city and apply directly. No agency in the middle.
Whatever support you’re using
Three steps, about five minutes
No paperwork, and nothing to print or mail.
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Create a free account
Tell us whether you’re looking for help or looking for work. An email and a phone number is all it takes.
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Build a short profile
Families describe the help they need. Caregivers list their skills, availability, and languages spoken.
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Connect and message
Search your area, reach out privately, and go at your own pace. You decide who you talk to.
Ready when you are
Every person who joins makes the list stronger for the next family that needs it.
Need a hand getting started? Email support@ihssconnect.com and a real person will help you set up your account.