California releases Master Plan to better support people with Autism and other developmental disabilities

Learn more and read the full Plan HERE.

The Newsom Administration has made historic investments in recent years for California’s system of community-based services supporting more than 500,000 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). 

California provides the only life-long entitlement to services in the nation, funded with over $15 billion annually. The evolving needs of the community and access challenges highlighted the need to re-examine how the state delivers services locally to individuals with I/DD and to identify where stronger bridges can be built across employment, health, and social services systems. 

Focus groups and public engagement sessions will continue across a variety of topics to gather input. These topics include employment, rate reform, early intervention, autism, and more. The Plan will guide these conversations for ongoing measurements, evaluations, policy changes, and fiscal investments. Legislation codified the Master Plan for Developmental Services in 2024 and requires annual reports to the Legislature through the next ten years. In preparation for those reports, bi-annual meetings of the Plan’s committee will be held to review recommendations and share updates.