What Services Can California SDP Families Receive in 2026?

One of the most common questions families ask when they first join California's Self-Determination Program (SDP) is simple: What can I actually spend this money on? And it is a fair question. After months of orientation, Person-Centered Planning, and Regional Center meetings, you finally have a budget — and now you want to make it count. Financial Management Services (FMS) are required to help you execute your spending plan, but first you need to know what is on the menu.

This guide walks through every major service category covered under California's SDP, with real-world examples and a few service types families often expect to be covered that are not. The rules are set by the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) and your Regional Center, and they do evolve — these reflect current guidance as of mid-2026.

Why Knowing Your Options Matters Before You Build Your Spending Plan

Families who do not know what is possible often undersell their needs when building a spending plan. They stick to the same services they had under traditional Regional Center funding because that is what is familiar. But SDP was designed to give you choice and flexibility — the ability to purchase services that were not available through the traditional system.

Here is the risk: if your spending plan does not reflect your full needs, you will underutilize your budget. Most families working with traditional FMS providers access only 60–70% of their approved funds. A meaningful part of that gap comes from not knowing what services are within reach. A well-constructed spending plan starts with understanding the full landscape of what is covered. For a deeper look at how budgets are structured and revised, see our guide to managing spending plans in the Self-Determination Program.

Community Living Supports and Personal Assistance

This is typically the largest service category for most SDP families. Community living supports include personal assistance (helping someone with daily tasks like bathing, dressing, and meals), supported living services (for participants living semi-independently), and respite care (temporary relief for the primary caregiver).

Examples of what this looks like in practice:

• A personal assistant who helps a young adult with autism get ready in the morning and travel to community activities

• Overnight respite care two weekends per month so a family can recharge

• In-home support for a participant who lives in their own apartment with a roommate

• Live-in support coordination for participants with higher daily living needs

Pro Tip: If you are hiring family members or friends as personal assistants, your FMS handles all the payroll, workers' comp, and tax paperwork once they are onboarded. That is one of the core things Financial Management Services exist to manage. Make sure your FMS supports the employer model that fits your household — Bill Payer, Co-Employer, or Sole Employer.

Community Integration and Skills-Building Services

California's SDP explicitly supports services that help participants engage with their community, develop skills, and pursue meaningful goals. This is the category that surprises families most, because it can look very different from traditional Regional Center day programs.

Under community integration, your budget can fund:

• A swim coach teaching water safety and physical fitness

• Music lessons supporting communication, focus, and self-expression

• Cooking classes building independent living skills

• Art or drama workshops in a community studio setting

• Volunteer placement coordination connecting participants to meaningful community roles

The key is that the service must be tied to goals in your Person-Centered Plan (PCP). A swim class purely for recreation may require more justification than one documented under a goal around physical health, social connection, or independent mobility. Your Independent Facilitator (IF) can help frame goals in a way that supports these services — though keep in mind that while FMS is mandatory in SDP, an IF is optional but strongly recommended, especially when building a spending plan for the first time. To understand how IF roles connect to the rest of your SDP team, see our post on who does what in California's SDP.

Goods, Technology, and Assistive Equipment

SDP budgets can fund goods and technology that support a participant's independence, communication, and daily living. This is one of the broadest and most underused categories.

Examples include:

• Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices — tablets pre-loaded with communication apps

• Sensory equipment — weighted blankets, hammocks, and sensory swings for regulation and calming

• Adaptive technology — smart home devices that help a participant control lights, locks, and temperature independently

• Exercise equipment tied to documented health and wellness goals

• Specialized tools or supplies that support vocational or daily living goals

Items must be used for the participant's benefit, not for general family use. A sensory hammock installed in a participant's bedroom is covered; a shared trampoline in the backyard is a much harder sell. When in doubt, check with your Service Coordinator or Regional Center before including an item in your spending plan — processing a payment for an unauthorized purchase retroactively can create complications.

Transportation and Mobility Supports

Getting to services is often as hard as affording them. California SDP budgets can fund transportation as a standalone service line:

• Mileage reimbursement for a family member or driver transporting a participant to approved services

• A dedicated transportation provider for regular routes (therapy, day program, employment)

• Ride-share services in some circumstances, depending on your Regional Center's policies

Transportation must be tied to an approved service in your spending plan — you are funding the trip to therapy, not general family driving. If your participant needs consistent transportation, document it as its own service with a named vendor or employee so your FMS can process payments correctly.

Environmental Modifications and Safety Supports

For participants who need physical adaptations to their home or living environment, SDP can fund environmental modifications and safety supports:

• Grab bars, ramp installations, or accessible pathway modifications

• Door alarms or wandering-prevention technology for participants with elopement risk

• Personal emergency response systems (wearable alert devices)

• Safety monitoring systems tied to a specific documented safety need

These are typically one-time capital purchases rather than recurring services. They often require prior authorization from your Regional Center, so include them in your spending plan with estimated costs before making any purchases.

What SDP Funds Cannot Pay For

This is equally important to know before you finalize your plan. Services that are not funded by SDP include:

• Medical care — doctor visits, medications, hospitalizations, or anything covered by Medi-Cal or private health insurance

• Educational services — tutoring for schoolwork, or services the school district is legally required to provide under an Individualized Education Program (IEP)

• General household expenses — groceries, utilities, rent, or everyday supplies not tied to a specific documented support need

• Services already funded by another program — SDP cannot pay for what Medi-Cal, IHSS (In-Home Supportive Services), or your school district already covers

If you are uncertain whether a service is covered, your Service Coordinator is the right first call. Do not begin receiving a service and assume it will be approved retroactively.

How Accura FMS Helps You Use Every Service Category

Knowing what is available is one thing. Actually getting vendors paid, employees onboarded, and spending tracked across multiple service categories is where families relying on traditional FMS providers run into real trouble.

With Accura FMS, families see their real-time spending across every service category on a single dashboard. Instead of waiting for a monthly paper statement to discover you have overspent on transportation or left community integration funds untouched, you see it as it happens. When you add a new vendor — a swim coach, an AAC supplier, a transportation provider — our digital onboarding process gets them set up and processing invoices much faster than with a traditional FMS. And because your spending plan is visible to your full team in real time, your IF, Service Coordinator, and family members stay on the same page.

Families who actively manage multiple service categories with a digital FMS consistently reach 95%+ utilization of their approved budget — compared to the 60–70% typical with traditional FMS providers. That gap is real money that can mean an extra four months of respite care, a communication device, or a semester of skills-building classes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hire someone I already know — like a neighbor or family friend — as a service provider?

Yes, in most cases. SDP gives you significant flexibility to hire people you know and trust as employees or vendor providers, as long as they meet the Regional Center's credentialing or background check requirements (typically including a Live Scan fingerprint clearance). Your FMS handles the payroll and compliance paperwork once the person is onboarded. Check with your Regional Center about any specific restrictions in your catchment area, since policies can vary.

Can I pay a family member with my SDP budget?

Yes, with some restrictions. Immediate family members — typically parents and spouses — are generally not allowed to be paid for services they are legally obligated to provide. Adult siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and close family friends are usually eligible to be hired as paid providers. Policies vary by Regional Center, so confirm with your Service Coordinator before including a family member in your spending plan.

What is the difference between "goods" and "services" in my spending plan?

Services are recurring supports delivered by a person — personal assistance, therapy, coaching, transportation. Goods are tangible items — assistive devices, adaptive equipment, specialized supplies. Both can be funded under SDP, but goods purchases usually require documentation showing the item is tied to a specific goal in your Person-Centered Plan. Goods are typically listed as one-time purchases rather than recurring monthly line items.

Do I need approval before buying something with my SDP budget?

For services listed in your approved spending plan, your Regional Center's approval of the plan itself is the authorization. For high-cost goods, environmental modifications, or anything not already in your spending plan, you will likely need a plan revision before making the purchase. When in doubt, get confirmation from your Service Coordinator first — trying to process a retroactive payment for an unauthorized item can delay other payments and create recordkeeping complications.

What happens if I do not spend all of my SDP budget before the year ends?

Unspent SDP funds do not roll over — they return to your Regional Center at the end of the funding year. This is one of the main reasons real-time utilization tracking matters. A good FMS gives you visibility into remaining funds throughout the year so you can plan additional services before time runs out. If you find yourself with unspent funds in Q3 or Q4, talk to your IF about what services could be added or expanded. Your Service Coordinator can help with any necessary mid-year spending plan revisions.

Start Using Your SDP Budget to Its Full Potential

California's Self-Determination Program was designed to give families real choice — not just the choices that were pre-approved under a traditional system built decades ago. Understanding every service category available to you is the first step toward a spending plan that actually reflects your goals and your life.

At Accura FMS, we help California SDP families manage every service category from one dashboard — real-time visibility, fast vendor onboarding, and support for every employer model. If you are ready to put your full budget to work, we would love to walk you through how it works.

Book a free consultation