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Common situations
Using the County Public Authority List to Find an IHSS Provider
Updated September 16, 2026. Reviewed September 16, 2026 against public CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, VA, and CareScout 2025 California tables. County wages, hours, and wait times still change. Official .gov pages decide.
When family is not available, the county Public Authority registry is a finding tool. The recipient still hires the individual provider.
About 4 minutes to read. Based on CDSS and DHCS public program pages retrieved 2026-09-16. County offices apply these rules. Hourly rates, hour totals, and wait times are local and change.
Short answer
When a family member is not available, the county Public Authority registry can help a recipient look for an individual IHSS provider. The list is a finding tool. The recipient still hires and supervises. Enrollment and authorized hours still have to be in place. Local wait times are not something this page can promise.
Who decides
The recipient chooses whom to hire. The county IHSS office and Public Authority run the local registry and enrollment. The county and Medi-Cal still decide authorized hours.
What to do next
Call the Public Authority or IHSS office on the CDSS county list, ask how registry referrals work, and keep the recipient’s IHSS case moving with the social worker at the same time.
A finding list for a common gap
Not every parent has an adult child who can bathe, transfer, and cook on the authorized plan. Distance, work, health, or a strained relationship can leave the recipient looking for help. The county Public Authority can keep a registry of IHSS providers for that gap. The Public Authority registry guide explains the statewide idea. This page is the family situation: you called because family is not available, and you still need someone in the home.
The registry does not assess need. The social worker still authorizes tasks. The registry does not issue the warrant. The State pays after enrollment and accepted timesheets. The registry does not become the boss of the living room. The recipient is the employer of the person they hire from the list, unless the county is describing a different contracted model.
Do not pause the IHSS case while you wait for a name
Families sometimes delay SOC 295 until a registry provider is in hand. That stalls the wrong file. Medi-Cal, the application, SOC 873, and the in-home assessment run on the recipient’s case whether or not a helper has been named. Keep those pages moving. Start provider enrollment for whoever will give the care as soon as that person is known.
If a family member can cover part of the plan, you may be sharing hours with a registry provider. Ask the county before you assume that mix is set up. Combined time still cannot exceed the notice.
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Questions people ask
- Do I have to use the registry if a child will be the provider?
- No. A family member the recipient already wants to hire enrolls as an individual provider. The registry is for finding someone when that person is not available.
- Does a registry name arrive with a guaranteed start date?
- No. Practice is local. Some people on a list are still in enrollment. Ask how referrals work rather than expecting a statewide calendar.
- Is the Public Authority the employer of a registry provider?
- On the individual-provider model, the recipient is the employer. Some counties also describe contracted or homemaker options. Ask which model they mean.
- Can I keep a family provider and add a registry person?
- Ask the county. Combined claimed time still cannot exceed authorized hours. Each person enrolls separately.
Official sources for this guide
Related pages on California Home Help
Reviewed against CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, and CareScout public pages. We do not quote IHSS wages. County IHSS offices and Medi-Cal decide eligibility, hours, and pay. For current county wage rates, use the official CDSS wage page. CDSS county IHSS wage rates.
Official program pages: CDSS: In-Home Supportive Services, CDSS: IHSS for children, County IHSS offices, CDSS: IHSS providers, CDSS: county IHSS wage rates, CDSS: provider orientation, CDSS: Electronic Visit Verification, CDSS: Electronic Services Portal, DHCS: Medi-Cal, Apply for Medi-Cal, BenefitsCal, CDSS: hearing requests, CDSS: forms catalog, CDSS: IHSS overtime and workweek, DDS: regional centers.