Harbor Regional Center provides services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays or at risk of developmental disability, children and adults with a diagnosed developmental disability, and pregnant women who are in need of prenatal diagnosis and counseling.

During our intake process, we provide assessment and diagnosis to help determine whether you or your family member may have one of these eligible conditions. 

Services for Infants And Toddlers

If you or your doctor believe that your baby’s development is delayed, help is available at Harbor Regional Center in our Early Start Program. The Early Start Program, provides services and supports for infants and toddlers, birth to 36 months, and their families. The Early Start Program is coordinated in California by regional centers and public school districts.

These babies show a significant difference between the infant or toddler’s level of functioning and the expected level of development for his or her age;

These delays are seen in one or more of the following developmental areas: cognitive, physical (fine motor, gross motor, vision, and hearing), communication, social or emotional, or adaptive.

How will I know if my infant or toddler may have a developmental delay or disability?

Early Start Services at HRC includes referral form for pediatricians, therapists, etc. | Servicios para la primera infancia (Early Start)

Reasons For Concern | Motivos de Preocupacion 

Parents, caregivers, and families can find a comprehensive overview of the Early Start Program in the Early Start Information Packet: English   Spanish   Korean   Tagalog

Additionally, visit the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) Website on Early Start for more information. You can also find the Early Start Information Packet on DDS’ Webpage.

For more information about services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays or at risk of developmental delay or disability, See our post on Early Start Services. 

New – Provisional Eligibility for Children Ages 3 and 4 years

The 2021 Developmental Services Budget Trailer Bill amended the Welfare and Institutions (W&I) Code section 4512 to expand eligibility for Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act (Lanterman Act) services by allowing a child who is three or four years of age to be provisionally eligible for regional center services under specified conditions. These amendments became effective July 16, 2021.

According to this new amendment, if a child who is three or four years of age is not otherwise eligible for regional center services as a result of a developmental disability as specified in W&I Code section 4512(a)(1), the child shall be provisionally eligible for regional center services if the child has a disability that is not solely physical in nature and has significant functional limitations in at least two of the following areas of major life activity, as determined by a regional center and as appropriate to the age of the child:

1. Self-care

2. Receptive and expressive language

3. Learning

4. Mobility

5. Self-direction

To be provisionally eligible, a child is not required to have one of the developmental disabilities listed in W&I Code section 4512(a)(1). A child exiting Early Start may be eligible for Lanterman Act services under the provisional eligibility criteria. Likewise, a child who is three or four years of age who did not receive Early Start services, may be provisionally eligible.

More Information: 

Provisional Eligibility for Regional Center Services (Department of Developmental Services Directive)

Chart comparing Lanterman Act Eligibility and Provisional Eligibility Criteria
This chart compares the Lanterman Act eligibility requirements for services pursuant to W&I Code section 4512(a)(1) and provisional eligibility pursuant to section 4512(a)(2). 

Services for Children and Adults with a Developmental Disability

If you have been diagnosed with, or if you  believe that you may have a intellectual or developmental disability , you may contact us to apply for regional center services. Developmental disabilities  include intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, and another condition that is  closely related to intellectual disability or require the same kinds of services.

To qualify for regional center services the condition must have occurred before the age of 18, be likely to continue indefinitely, and constitute a “substantial” disability for the person.

A disability is “substantial” if it affects three or more of seven major life areas (for example, a person’s ability to communicate or to learn).Finally, we provide prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling services to pregnant women who are believed to be at risk of giving birth to a child with a developmental disability.

Prenatal Diagnosis

Finally, we provide prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling services to pregnant women who are believed to be at risk of giving birth to a child with a developmental disability. You may have been referred to the regional center to receive this service if it is not available to you through your health care plan.