Nearly half a century ago, visionary lawmakers in California undertook a bipartisan overhaul of what had become a shameful and costly system of warehousing people with developmental disabilities in remote institutions. By passing the landmark Lanterman
Developmental Disabilities Services Act (Welfare and Institutions Code, beginning with Section 4500) in 1969, they created the state-funded, privately-operated system of community care that has enabled those with developmental disabilities to receive the critical services they need in their communities through regional centers. In addition to enabling parents of children with disabilities to care for their children at home, this pioneering system has provided a cost-effective means for adults with developmental disabilities to receive essential services and supports they need to live safely and with dignity in mainstream society. This eponymous Act has since evolved to encompass a greater understanding of the needs and capacities of people with developmental disabilities, and the challenges that they and their families face. One of California's most significant accomplishments since the 2016 case for inclusion was the significant increase in the portion of state expenditures allocated for supporting individuals in home and community based settings, increasing from 79 percent in 2016 to 92 percent in 2019's Case for Inclusion. This increase puts California well ahead of the national average for this measure of 85 percent. California's Regional Centers -- in collaboration with a diverse pool of private service providers - have responded with innovative services and supports that have greatly advanced the vision of full inclusion for people with developmental disabilities in all aspects of community life. Now nearly 50 years old, the Lanterman Act remains unique in the nation. In 1985, a California State Supreme Court decision affirmed the Lanterman guarantee of services. No other state has made a similar promise of "entitlement" in its funding of community-based services and supports for people with developmental disabilities and their families.