Social Services
Area Boards were created by state law in 1969 to ensure that people with developmental disabilities and their families get the services they need. The mission of the Area Board is to protect and advocate for the civil, legal, and service rights of persons with developmental disabilities, and to ensure that the support and services they receive are of the highest possible quality.
Area Boards are federally funded affiliated offices of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities.
The California Department of Developmental Services is the agency through which the State of California provides services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities.
These disabilities include intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism and related conditions. Services are provided through state-operated developmental centers and community facilities, and contracts with 21 nonprofit regional centers. The regional centers serve as a local resource to help find and access the services and supports available to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
Who Is Eligible For Services?
To be eligible for services, a person must have a disability that begins before the person’s 18th birthday, be expected to continue indefinitely and present a substantial disability as defined in Section 4512 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code. Eligibility is established through diagnosis and assessment performed by regional centers.
Infants and toddlers (age 0 to 36 months) who are at risk of having developmental disabilities or who have a developmental delay may also qualify for services. The criteria for determining the eligibility of infants and toddlers is specified in Section 95014 of the California Government Code. In addition, individuals at risk of having a child with a developmental disability may be eligible for genetic diagnosis, counseling and other prevention services. For information about these services, see Early Start.
Advocate, educate, investigate and litigate to advance and protect the rights of Californians with disabilities.
The Family Focus Resource & Empowerment Center (FFREC) assists families of children who have special needs. FFREC is a non-profit organization and is a sponsored project of the Michael D. Eisner College of Education at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN)
For more than a decade, FFREC has provided information, referrals, parent-to-parent support and education to families of infants and toddlers with (or at-risk for) developmental delays, school-age children with developmental disabilities or Individual Education Plans (IEPs), and the professionals that work with them. We serve northern Los Angeles County in the San Fernando, Santa Clarita, and Antelope Valleys.
Locations
They serve northern Los Angeles County and have the same catchment area as the North Los Angeles County Regional Center. There are 4 offices to serve you. Call the one nearest to you.
San Fernando Valley (Main Office)
18111 Nordhoff St, E-109
Northridge, CA 91330-8265
818-677-6854
family.focus@csun.edu
Van Nuys Satellite (North Los Angeles County Regional Center – Van Nuys Library)
San Fernando Valley (Main Office)
15400 Sherman Way, third floor
Van Nuys, CA 91406
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 9:00am-12:00pm
Santa Clarita Valley (North Los Angeles County Regional Center – Santa Clarita Branch)
28470 Avenue Stanford, Suite 105
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
661-294-9715
family.focus.scv@csun.edu
Antelope Valley (North Los Angeles County Regional Center – Lancaster Branch)
43210 Gingham Ave
Lancaster, CA 93535
661-945-9598
family.focus.av@csun.edu
21231 Hawthorne Blvd. Torrance
The Arc promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes.