IHSS Sonoma County: phone numbers, applying, the Public Authority and $20.25 pay

What IHSS pays for and who qualifies in Sonoma County

IHSS funds paid in-home help for older residents and for disabled residents of all ages who need support with the daily tasks they cannot manage alone, so that they can keep living at home. The county frames it simply: clients get help with day-to-day tasks they cannot do themselves.

The Sonoma County page lists who can apply. You must be a California resident who:

• lives in your own house or rents;
• needs help from a caregiver to stay at home safely and independently;
• is receiving Medi-Cal or is eligible for it;
• sends in the Health Care Certification (SOC 873), which the county says comes after you have spoken with an IHSS staff member.

CDSS adds two points that matter for planning. The county must receive the SOC 873 before it can authorize any services, and once you are approved, you are treated as your provider's employer, which means hiring, training, supervising and, if needed, dismissing them is your job. For more eligibility questions the county directs you to the IHSS line, (707) 565-5900.

How to apply: the Sonoma County IHSS phone number for intake

New applications do not go to the IHSS office line. They start with the county's Information and Assistance service:

1. Call (707) 565-INFO, which is (707) 565-4636, or email your contact details to IHSSintake@sonomacounty-hsd.gov.
2. Talk to IHSS staff. After that conversation you are sent toward the SOC 873. A doctor or other licensed clinician fills it in, and the county must have it back before any hours can be authorized.
3. Keep Medi-Cal in order. The county lists receiving or being eligible for Medi-Cal as a condition, so if the application for Medi-Cal is still pending, say so when you call.
4. Assessment and decision. CDSS describes a home visit by a county social worker, followed by a notice telling you whether IHSS is approved, which services are covered and how many hours a month you have. A denial notice gives the reason.

Once you have hours, you choose the caregiver. That can be a relative, a friend or someone from the Public Authority registry described below. If you have never hired anyone before, our guide to hiring a private caregiver covers interview questions and a written work agreement, and both apply to an IHSS hire.

Sonoma County IHSS offices in Santa Rosa and Petaluma

The Adult and Aging Division lists two walk-in locations, each with a lobby that opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m., Monday through Friday:

• Santa Rosa: 3725 Westwind Blvd, 1st Floor, Santa Rosa, CA 95403.
• Petaluma: 5350 Old Redwood Hwy N #100, Petaluma, CA 94954.

The phone line for both is (707) 565-5900, and California Relay users dial 711. If you live in Healdsburg, Windsor or on the coast, note that intake begins on the 565-INFO line and by email, so you do not have to visit either lobby to get an application started.

IHSS pay in Sonoma County: $20.25 an hour since March 1, 2026

In the state's county-by-county IHSS wage spreadsheet (sheet "IP Effective 10-1-2026", pulled on October 15, 2026), Sonoma County providers are listed at $20.25 an hour, effective March 1, 2026. Sorted by rate, 11 counties pay more and Sonoma comes 12th of 58. Next door, Napa pays $20.90 and Marin $20.40, while Mendocino ($19.71), Solano ($18.10) and Lake ($17.55) pay less.

How the Sonoma figure is built. When the Board of Supervisors ratified a three-year contract with SEIU Local 2015 on December 10, 2024, the county explained that local IHSS workers earn the state minimum wage plus a locally negotiated supplement, and that the supplement would reach $3.35 an hour in 2026. The state minimum has been $16.90 since January 1, 2026 (DIR), and $16.90 plus $3.35 gives $20.25, which matches the CDSS row (our arithmetic). The same release said the contract covers more than 7,200 local in-home care workers and that the Public Authority helps more than 8,000 residents stay in their homes.

Wherever you live in Sonoma County, IHSS pays one rate. It is $1.78 above the highest local minimum in the table and $3.35 above the state rate (our arithmetic, illustrative). Rohnert Park does not appear in the Labor Center inventory, so the state figure is the floor for private work there. We make no claim about whether the city ordinances cover household employers.

Hours limits and sick leave. CDSS caps anyone who works for more than one IHSS client at 66 hours a week across all of them. The sick leave allowance for the 2026/27 fiscal year is 40 hours, which began July 1, 2026; it is accrued once you have worked 100 IHSS hours, available to use once you log another 200 hours or 60 days pass, and anything unused expires on June 30. The IHSS Service Desk at (866) 376-7066 answers sick leave balance questions. Compare every county in our IHSS pay by county table.

IHSS Public Authority Sonoma County: registry and advisory committee

The Sonoma County IHSS Public Authority is the body that bargains with the union and, in the county's words, connects people who need care with caregivers in their area. The Board of Supervisors sits as its board of directors.

Joining the registry. The county's "I Want to Become a Paid Caregiver" page asks you to download and print the registry application. For help with it, call (707) 565-5700 or email IHSS-PA@sonomacounty-hsd.gov. The page stresses that clients live in all parts of the county, so if you can only work near Sonoma, Sebastopol or Cloverdale, say so on the form.

Advisory committee. The IHSS Public Authority Advisory Committee advises on how IHSS runs locally. Its members are appointed by the Board of Supervisors, and it generally meets twice a year, more often when needed. Ask about meetings or membership on the same 565-5700 number.

If you are a family member who will care for a parent or partner, you do not need the registry. The statewide enrollment steps are in how to become an IHSS provider, and family carers should also read being paid to look after a relative in California.

Payroll, health benefits and training for Sonoma County providers

• Payroll questions. Sonoma County IHSS Payroll is on 707-565-2852 and ihsspay@sonomacounty-hsd.gov. For timesheet how-to questions, the county points you to the state's ESP help pages.
• Medical and dental. The county says caregivers become eligible once they have worked 75 hours in each of three consecutive months, that other rules and deadlines apply, and that there is a waiting list to enroll. Questions go to Dublin Insurance in Dublin, CA, on (888) 838-5370 or (925) 803-1880.
• Paid training. According to the county page, IHSS caregivers can be paid to take training classes through a statewide program.
• Union. Sonoma County providers are represented by SEIU Local 2015. For membership, benefits or dues deductions, the union's own website lists 855-810-2015.
• Contract history. The December 2024 release noted that the previous contract had expired in September 2023 and that the county agreed to explore new health plan options for IHSS workers.

IHSS in Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Rohnert Park and the rest of the county

Whichever town you live in, the same intake line, wage and Public Authority apply. Location mostly changes which lobby is closer and what the local minimum wage is for private hours.

• Santa Rosa: home of the Westwind Blvd office; local minimum wage $18.21. See caregiver jobs in Santa Rosa and Santa Rosa caregivers.
• Petaluma: home of the Old Redwood Hwy office; local minimum wage $18.31. See Petaluma caregiver jobs and caregivers in Petaluma.
• Rohnert Park: between the two offices; state minimum wage. See Rohnert Park caregiver jobs and Rohnert Park caregivers.
• City of Sonoma: local minimum wage $18.47 for larger employers.

Countywide: Sonoma County caregiver jobs and caregivers across Sonoma County. For the counties next door, read IHSS in Marin, IHSS in Napa or IHSS in Solano.

Sonoma County IHSS phone numbers and contacts

Extra hours beyond your IHSS authorization

Your notice sets a monthly limit, and real life does not always fit inside it. Families often need extra cover for a few nights after a hospital discharge, during wildfire evacuations or power shutoffs, or while the usual IHSS provider is away. Anything beyond the authorization is privately arranged and paid at a rate the two sides agree.

On CaregiverConnect posting such a job costs a family nothing, and interested caregivers reply with an application; the family then interviews, hires and becomes the employer. No commission is taken from caregivers' pay. We do not perform background screening ourselves; a caregiver who has one can add it to their profile. Optional paid plans add features. For going rates, see California in-home care costs; an IHSS provider with open hours is welcome to build a free caregiver profile.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. County of Sonoma, In Home Care (Adult and Aging Division lobby hours, phone, Santa Rosa and Petaluma offices)
2. County of Sonoma, I Need a Caregiver (565-INFO intake, IHSS intake email, eligibility, SOC 873)
3. County of Sonoma, I Am an IHSS Caregiver (payroll line, 75-hour health and dental rule, Dublin Insurance, paid training, SEIU 2015)
4. County of Sonoma, I Want to Become a Paid Caregiver (Public Authority registry application, 565-5700)
5. County of Sonoma, IHSS Public Authority Advisory Committee
6. County of Sonoma press release, December 10, 2024: new contract with in-home care providers (SEIU Local 2015, wage supplement, worker and client counts)
7. CDSS, IHSS wages by county (workbook sheet "IP Effective 10-1-2026"; Sonoma $20.25 from March 1, 2026)
8. CDSS, In-Home Supportive Services (SOC 873 before authorization, recipient as employer, notice of approval)
9. CDSS, IHSS Program Requirements (66-hour weekly maximum)
10. CDSS, IHSS Provider Paid Sick Leave (FY 2026/27, Service Desk)
11. California DIR, minimum wage FAQ ($16.90 from January 1, 2026)
12. UC Berkeley Labor Center, inventory of local minimum wage ordinances (Sonoma, Petaluma, Santa Rosa from January 1, 2026)
13. SEIU 2015 (union phone line)