The Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center guide
We may not be the Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center, but we are the best darn guide that exists for it.
How do I reach ELARC?
ELARC has two offices. Either one can connect you to your service coordinator. You can handle most things by phone or email. Some people call it the East LA Regional Center. Its own website is elarc.org.
Alhambra office
1000 S. Fremont Ave.Alhambra, CA 91803
Whittier office
13215 Penn St., Suite 410Whittier, CA 90602
Is there an ELARC office in East LA? No. ELARC’s offices are in Alhambra and Whittier. You don’t need to visit either one to get started.
After hours or on a holiday? Call (626) 299-4700 and ask for the person on call.
Not with ELARC yet? Call intake first, at (626) 299-4770 or (626) 299-4759. ELARC sends the application after that call. See the steps.
How do I talk to my service coordinator?
Your service coordinator is your person at ELARC. They plan your services with you and ask ELARC to fund them.
- Email works best.ELARC staff emails end in @elarc.org. ELARC also posts a staff directory for families, so you can look up your coordinator’s email.
- Call (626) 299-4700.Ask for your coordinator by name. The front desk can put you through to their line.
- Can’t reach them?Leave a message at (626) 299-4700 with your name, the client’s name and your number. If it’s urgent and after hours, ask for the person on call.
- Need a different coordinator?You can ask. By law, your coordinator stays only when all sides agree. Ask to talk with their supervisor.
What can ELARC pay for?
ELARC pays for services that help people with developmental disabilities learn and live more on their own. Each service has to be written into your plan, the IPP.
- Adaptive skills trainingA professional teaches daily skills in your home, step by step, so they need less help.
- RespiteSomeone stays with your family member for a while, so you can rest.
- Behavior servicesHelp with behaviors that make home life or outings hard.
- Day programsWeekday programs where adults learn and spend time with others.
- Help living on your ownFor adults who live on their own, or want to.
- Social recreation and campSports, classes and camps.
- RidesTransportation to services and programs.
- DiapersFor children 3 and older.
ELARC can’t pay for what another agency owes you. If a school, insurance, Medi-Cal or IHSS should pay, they pay first.
ELARC clients qualify for this
It’s called adaptive skills training, and it happens at home. A caring professional teaches the skills your family picks, from potty training and dressing to cooking, money and taking the bus. It’s for children, teens and adults.
- A caring professional who comes to your home
- Every professional has a master’s degree
- 9.3 years of experience, on average
- Matched with someone who has helped people with the same struggle
- ELARC pays, so your family pays $0
How do I become an ELARC client?
ELARC serves people of every age with a developmental disability who live in its area. Getting started is free.
Ages 3 and up
- Autism
- An intellectual disability
- Cerebral palsy
- Epilepsy
- A condition that’s a lot like an intellectual disability, or needs the same help
It has to start before 18 and be expected to continue. And it has to make life much harder in at least 3 areas, such as self-care, communication or learning.
Under 3
Babies and toddlers with a delay or disability can get help through Early Start. Call (626) 299-4777 or (626) 299-4691, or refer online. It can take up to 45 days to decide.
The steps
- Call intake first.Call (626) 299-4770 or (626) 299-4759. ELARC sends you the application after the call.
- ELARC learns about you.They review records and may set up an evaluation. There’s no charge.
- ELARC decides.It can take up to 120 days. A child who is 3 or 4 can sometimes qualify before having a diagnosis.
More about who qualifies: our eligibility page.
What if ELARC says no?
ELARC must send its decision in writing, in a letter called a Notice of Action. You have the right to appeal.
- Send your appeal.Your notice explains how. The appeal goes to the state, not to ELARC.
- Pick a way to settle it.Ask for an informal meeting, mediation, a hearing, or more than one.
- Get a decision.It should be settled within 90 days, unless it’s delayed.
Disability Rights California gives families free help with appeals.
Where can parents get free help?
Eastern Los Angeles Family Resource Center. It’s free, and it helps families of all ages, from Early Start babies to adults. It’s on ELARC’s Alhambra campus. Call (626) 300-9171, or read about it.
Quick answers
What does ELARC stand for?
Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center.
Is ELARC the East LA Regional Center?
Yes. Many people search for it that way. Its full name is Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center.
Which cities does ELARC serve?
Alhambra, City Terrace, Commerce, East LA, El Sereno, La Mirada, Lincoln Heights, Montebello, Monterey Park, Pico Rivera, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Santa Fe Springs and South Pasadena. It also covers parts of Boyle Heights, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Mount Washington, Whittier and a few nearby cities. Check any address with our Regional Center lookup.
Is ELARC run by the state?
No. ELARC is a nonprofit, and the state’s Department of Developmental Services (DDS) oversees it.
Can I get an interpreter?
Yes. ELARC has to talk with you in your language while you plan, including at the IPP meeting. Ask your service coordinator to set up an interpreter. You can ask for your plan in your language, too.
Can my IPP meeting happen on video?
Yes. Your service coordinator still has to see the person face to face once a year.
Levi Life Skills is a provider ELARC pays for adaptive skills training. We’re not ELARC, and this isn’t ELARC’s website. Every fact here was checked on ELARC’s and the state’s own websites. Spot something out of date? Email levi@levilifeskills.com.