In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) is a generic service.^[1]Section 4648(a)(8). IHSS providers and respite providers provide different services. For instance:

• IHSS: The county pays someone to care for your child’s needs, like bathing, feeding, and protective supervision.^[2]Welfare and Institutions Code section 12300 and following. IHSS workers only do what is listed on the IHSS worksheet. You must apply for IHSS for your child. Your child must meet certain requirements to be eligible. For children receiving IHSS, the county often determines the parent to be the most suitable IHSS provider.
• Respite Care: The regional center pays for respite care. Respite gives you and other family members a break from caring for your child. You leave your child with a respite worker responsible for meeting all of your child’s needs, not just what is listed on a worksheet.

Sometimes the respite worker and IHSS worker do the same things. A regional center cannot pay for services that duplicate the services provided by IHSS. But, if a child’s need for a service from IHSS is more than the number of hours of that service available from IHSS, a regional center can pay for the additional services.^[3]Timothy S. v. Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center, OAH Case no. 2012050727, p. 49. For IHSS, the state says regional center services cannot be counted by the IHSS program as an alternate resource for purposes of IHSS service eligibility.^[4]Regional center services cannot be counted by the IHSS program as an alternate resource. See DSS All County Letter No. 98-53.

If your regional center will not give you respite until your child gets IHSS, call Disability Rights California for help.