A self-advocate or family member may become a vendor who then purchases day care services from a person or agency who is not a family member. Day care is child care during the day (feeding the children, keeping them safe and clean, and helping them to play and learn). For children, day care can only be authorized for costs and/or hours that are more than the cost of day care for a child without disabilities. There are exceptions if the family can show financial need and if providing the service will enable the child to continue to live at home.

Services that can provide supervised daytime care to consumers. The regional center may pay only the cost of the day care service that exceeds the cost of providing day care services to a child of the same age without disabilities. The regional center may pay in excess of this amount when a family can demonstrate a financial need and when doing so will enable the child to remain in the family home.

You are a self-advocate with a 6-month old baby and you are going back to work soon. You have visited day care services and have chosen the one you like the best. You can be vendored to purchase that day care program directly.