California § 4699.2 - The department shall establish, and regional centers shall administer in coordina

§ 4699.2. The department shall establish, and regional centers shall administer in coordina

(a) The department shall establish, and regional centers shall administer in coordination with service providers, a program to provide training stipends to direct support professionals. (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to enhance the quality of services received by consumers, improve direct support professional retention, and increase interest among direct support professionals in skills development and continuous learning opportunities by offering stipends for the completion of training courses. (c) A regional center shall provide up to two five-hundred-dollar ($500) training stipends to a direct support professional who completes training and development courses as specified by the department. (d) Each training stipend shall be paid no later than three months after the conclusion of a training requirement. (e) A portion of the program funding shall be used to compensate service providers an amount, in the form of a fee, as necessary to cover the reasonable costs to administer the program in coordination with regional centers, as determined by the department. (f) Service providers and regional centers shall track participation and shall report to the department on a quarterly basis, commencing on January 31, 2023, on cumulative and reporting-period data about the number of participants, the administration of the fee pursuant to subdivision (e), the selection of training and development courses, and turnover information among participants. (g) Training and development courses shall commence no later than November 1, 2022. A program participant may enroll in a training and development course on a later date.