The California Legislature created the Family Cost Participation Program (FCPP) several years ago, requiring parents with higher incomes to share in the cost of regional center services for their children who are under age 18 and living in the family home. At this time, the only services funded by the Regional Center of Orange County that are subject to FCPP are Child care and respite.

The cost-sharing for these services is on a sliding scale, ranging from 10 percent to 100 percent, depending on the family’s income and the number of persons living in the home. It does not apply to any family whose income is less than 400 percent of the federal poverty level.

When a family meets the criteria for FCCP, the family pays the service provider directly for the portion of the cost for which it is responsible, while the regional center makes a separate payment to that service provider for the portion that is the center’s responsibility.

Here are several helpful resources for families who want to understand this law better and learn more about how it may affect them:

• Family Cost Participation Assessment Schedule is a table showing the sliding scale that RCOC is required to use to determine what, if any, share of service costs a family must pay.
• Family Cost Participation Program Guide is a quick guide to the program prepared by the Department of Developmental Services and regional centers.
• FCPP Regulations links to the place on the California Department of Developmental Services site with the Title 17 rules that govern the program.
• Frequently-Asked Questions provides answers to common questions families have about this program.

NOTE: The Family Cost Participation Program is separate from the Parental Fee Program which assesses a fee to parents of children under the age of 18 who receive 24-hour out-of-home services purchased with State funds through a regional center.