The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living awarded $420,809 to the Independent Living Center of Kern County under the ACL Centers for Independent Living program (CFDA 93.432) on September 30, 2025, with a completion date of September 29, 2027. This formula grant supports the establishment and operation of a statewide network of Centers for Independent Living (CILs) serving individuals with significant disabilities and low-income elderly residents throughout California.
The funding enables the awardee to deliver comprehensive independent living services including peer support, independent living skills training, individual and systems advocacy, information and referral services, and transition assistance from institutional to community settings. These consumer-controlled, community-based services are designed to enhance independence and productivity, promote community integration, and support individuals with disabilities in maintaining maximum autonomy within their home environments. The award represents a continuation grant to an established center that has demonstrated compliance with federal standards and assurances under Section 725 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, reflecting the program's statutory priority of sustaining existing centers at prior-year funding levels.