Services Content
The 2020-21 Budget Act included $16.7 million in ongoing funding for regional centers to improve and promote Language Access and Cultural Competency (LACC) to better support the language needs of individuals with developmental disabilities, their caregivers, and their family members.
The primary purpose of these funds is to improve consumer and family experience and to facilitate more consistent access to information and services for multi-lingual, monolingual, and diverse cultural groups.
Welfare and Institutions Code §4620.4 requires that the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) implement this initiative through its contracts with regional centers.
For additional details regarding LACC funding, please visit the Department of Developmental Services LACC page.
Regional Center of Orange County’s LACC report
Project Duration
FY 26/27 and FY 27/28 : July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028
Allocation amount
$1,836,726.00
Project Summary
RCOC is committed to strengthen partnerships with trusted community-based organizations and cultural advocacy groups to improve outreach, increase access to services, and reduce
disparities among culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Additionally, RCOC plans to continue to improve language access by providing interpretation and translation in RCOC’s threshold languages, hosting educational workshops/events and producing
educational videos.
Ethnicities and Languages
Arabic
American Sign Language
Chinese – Cantonese
Chinese – Mandarin
English
Farsi
Japanese
Korean
Russian
Spanish
Vietnamese
Approved Activities
01. Contract with Thompson Policy Institute to conduct the Language Access and Cultural Competency
Community Assessment study (through survey, focus group, etc.) to access current practice and recommend improvements.
02. Hire a LACC Coordinator to strengthen community engagement and support implementation of LACC program and mandated reporting requirements.
03. Provide culturally responsive interpretation and translation services.
04. Conduct targeted outreach to culturally and linguistically diverse communities through multilingual
resource fairs, community events, and partnerships with local organizations to increase awareness of Regional Center services and improve access for underserved families.
05. Host multicultural events for diverse communities (Autumn Festival, DHH Resource Fair, Symposium on IDD, Hispanic Heritage event, Vietnamese New Year Gathering, Family Learn and Connect for Korean and Chinese-speaking families, and Summer Resource Fair)
06. Production and distribution of culturally appropriate brochures, flyers, and informational materials tailored to the languages and cultures of the families served.
07. Produce a series of short educational videos in multiple languages to expand cultural and linguistic
access to Regional Center information and resources.
08. Conduct in‑person developmental screenings in culturally and linguistically diverse areas of Orange
County to improve early identification and access to services.
09. Provide in-person Safety & Awareness Training for RCOC families in multiple languages.
10. Conduct a parent education series and support focused on Asian, Hispanic, and African American
families.
11. Provide culturally responsive crisis‑response training to local police and sheriff departments to strengthen their ability to engage effectively with diverse IDD communities.
DDS Application Report – App-26-1397
Project Duration
FY 25/26: July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026
Allocation amount
$ 935,462.00
Project Summary
RCOC LACC Plan is designed to enhance community engagement and support for diverse populations through a series of key initiatives.
RCOC will recruit a Training Support & LACC Coordinator to manage activities related to the LACC fund.
RCOC aims to improve accessibility by providing translation and interpretation services tailored to the specific needs of the local community.
Additionally, RCOC will implement Self-Paced Cultural Humility Training for its vendor staff, fostering a more inclusive environment.
To support early intervention, RCOC plans to contract with the Family Support Network for in-person developmental screenings for Early Start, Provisional to Lanterman, and Lanterman services. The project will also include hosting a range of cultural community events, such as celebrations for the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, Hispanic Heritage, Korean New Year, and various festivals, all aimed at promoting cultural awareness and advocacy. Educational videos in multiple languages will be developed for virtual distribution to families.
RCOC will collaborate with grassroots Community-Based Organizations to effectively reach diverse communities and conduct crisis training for local police and sheriff departments, ensuring better support during critical situations.
Ethnicities and Languages
Ethnicity: Asian, Black/African American, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Hispanic, Middle East
Languages: American Sign Language, Arabic, Farsi Persian, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Vietnamese
Approved Activities (from GrantVantage)
- Hiring bilingual training support and an LACC Coordinator to manage activities connected to the LACC fund.
- Coordinate the production of a series of short educational videos to be available in multiple languages
- Conduct outreach targeted to diverse communities (Multicultural Autumn Festival, Deaf/Hard of Hearing Resource Fair, Multicultural Summer Fun Carnival, Multicultural Symposium on IDD, Hispanic Heritage, New Year’s Gathering, etc.)
- Produce culturally-responsive translations of materials
- Provide interpreting services for diverse communities
- Provide training to persons served, families, community partners, service providers, and RC vendor staff
- Conduct 15 in-person developmental screenings in diverse regions/areas of Orange County (Contract with Family Support Network-FSN)
- Conduct Cultural Competency Training for RCOC vendor staff to ensure equitable and effective service delivery to our diverse community (in partnership with Circle Up)
- Provide crisis training to local Police and Sheriff’s Departments to better engage with IDD/diverse communities