The ALW landscape in Kern County
Kern County carries 47 participating facilities on the DHCS ALW list with about 672 licensed beds between them. At roughly 14 beds per facility that is the smallest average of any participating county in California, so the Kern network is almost entirely small residential care homes.
These counts are California Care Compass’s reading of the DHCS Assisted Living Waiver participating-facility records, taken from the department’s open GIS dataset on 2026-08-19 and maintained in our California ALW county tracker, which covers all fifteen participating counties. DHCS itself publishes enrollment and waitlist only as a single statewide figure, so any county-level wait time quoted anywhere, including here, is an inference rather than a published number.
Kern has the smallest average facility size in the state's ALW network, which cuts both ways. A fourteen-bed home can give a parent more individual attention than a hundred-bed community, and Bakersfield room-and-board pricing is among the lowest in California, so the family's out-of-pocket share is smaller. But a small home has no surge capacity: when it is full it is full, and there is no second wing to move into as care needs rise. Ask each home what happens if your parent's needs increase, because a transfer out is a real possibility here in a way it is not at a larger community.
How to read the DHCS list for Kern County
The DHCS Assisted Living Waiver page publishes the official participating-facility list as a PDF organized by county. Open the list, scroll to Kern County. For each facility you will see the legal name, the licensed RCFE number, the city, and a contact. What the list does not show:
- Current capacity or whether a bed is available
- The facility’s internal waitlist depth
- Whether the facility accepts secured-perimeter memory-care residents
- The level of care a specific facility will admit
- Title 22 inspection-record cleanliness (separate CDSS lookup)
- Room-and-board rates (these vary by facility and by unit)
Treat the Kern County DHCS list as the universe of eligible facilities, not the universe of available facilities. The phone calls are where shortlisting happens.
Before you start calling
Working the Kern County list is a real afternoon of phone calls, and two questions decide whether any of those calls can go anywhere. Both are worth settling first, because a facility cannot answer either one for you.
If both answers point to assisted living, the DHCS list for Kern County is exactly where to go next, and the seven questions further down this page are what to ask each facility you call.
What the Kern County waitlist actually looks like
DHCS publishes statewide enrollment and waitlist totals, not a verified Kern County wait time. Confirm current status with a Care Coordination Agency and each participating facility.
The waitlist itself is free to join through the DHCS-authorized Care Coordination Agency for the region. Apply early — even while your parent is still in private-pay assisted living — because the waitlist runs in parallel with whatever else you are doing. When a slot opens, you have a defined window to identify a participating facility willing to accept your parent and to coordinate the move.
Memory care in Kern County
Secured-perimeter memory care is scarce in a network built from small homes, because the physical requirements are harder to meet at that scale. If your parent wanders, ask about CDSS secured-perimeter approval on the very first call rather than at the tour, and be prepared to look at Fresno or the Inland Empire if Kern has nothing suitable.
A practical note on memory care: a facility appearing on the ALW participating list does not necessarily have CDSS secured-perimeter approval, which is the separate licensure required to legally accept residents who wander or exit-seek. Always confirm secured-perimeter status with each facility before touring or putting a resident on a waitlist.
Every Kern County facility that accepts Medi-Cal
47 facilities in Kern County participate in the Assisted Living Waiver. State licensing and licensed capacity are not independently verified in this directory. Compiled by California Care Compass from the DHCS open GIS dataset and verified 2026-08-29. This is a record of participation, not a ranking, and nothing here is a recommendation.
Read this before you call
- Participation is not availability. Every facility here has agreed to accept Assisted Living Waiver payment. None of them is promising an open bed. Capacity moves week to week and the only way to know is to ask.
- Waiver participation is not memory-care approval. A facility that takes the waiver still needs separate CDSS secured-perimeter approval before it can legally admit a resident who wanders. Ask for that record specifically, on the first call.
- The waiver does not cover room and board. It covers the care services. The resident contributes their income toward rent, so ask each facility what its room-and-board charge actually is.
- You need an approved waiver slot first. A facility cannot admit you on the waiver until DHCS and a Care Coordination Agency have approved eligibility and a slot is available.
- Records are from the DHCS open dataset, accessed 2026-08-29. Source identifiers are not verified state license numbers. If a listing is wrong, the authoritative version is the DHCS list itself, linked in the sources below.
Bakersfield · 41 facilities
Aaa Residential Elderly
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Tru Vision LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
4313 Monitor Street
Bakersfield, CA 93307Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Aaa Residential Elderly Retreat #2
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Tru Vision LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
1013 White Lane
Bakersfield, CA 93307Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Aaa Rsdntl Eldrl Retreat 3
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Tru Vision LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
4825 Kenny Street
Bakersfield, CA 93307Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Bethan Joy Garden
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Rlz Healthcare Group LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
12302 Rambler Ave
Bakersfield, CA 93312Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
- 11126 Vista Del Valle Dr
Buena Vista Manor Arf Inc
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Bakersfield, CA 93311Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Center Street Board and Care
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Redwood Center Street One Opco LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
2431 Center Street
Bakersfield, CA 93306Source-reported capacity: 22. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Center Street Board and Care 2
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Redwood Center Street Two Opco LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
2451 Center Street
Bakersfield, CA 93306Source-reported capacity: 18. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
- 9320 Cobble Mountain Rd
Cobble Stone Residential
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Bakersfield, CA 93313Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Comfort Care Home II
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Amy's Comfort Care Inc. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
9613 Ghirardelli Dr
Bakersfield, CA 93311Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Comfort Care Home III
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Amy's Comfort Care Inc. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
9609 Ghirardelli Dr
Bakersfield, CA 93311Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Comfort Care Home IV
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Amy's Comfort Care Inc. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
4917 Au Chocolat Dr
Bakersfield, CA 93311Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Companion Care Facilities
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Social Comm&indep Lvng Suppo. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
4509 Foxboro Ave
Bakersfield, CA 93309Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Hallmark of Bakersfield
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Hallmark Senior Living LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
2001 Akers Road
Bakersfield, CA 93309Source-reported capacity: 99. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Heritage Living I
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Heritage Living Inc. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
10411 Blythe Ct
Bakersfield, CA 93311Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Heritage Living II
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Heritage Living Inc. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
6401 Redinger St
Bakersfield, CA 93313Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Heritage Living III
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Heritage Living Inc. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
3900 Dos Logas Dr
Bakersfield, CA 93311Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Jasmin Terrace at Bakersfiel
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Cvvg Management LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
5400 Stine Road
Bakersfield, CA 93313Source-reported capacity: 99. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Lerwick Home Care
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Summer Springs Board and Care LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
10213 Lerwick Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93311Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Living In Love Residential Care Facility
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Restoration Living LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
3109 Montello Street
Bakersfield, CA 93306Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Pathway Home Care
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Mcj Partners LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
410 Lansing Dr
Bakersfield, CA 93309Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Pathway Home Care
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Mcj Partners LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
412 Lansing Dr
Bakersfield, CA 93309Source-reported capacity: 4. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Pathway Home Care
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Mcj Partners LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
414 Lansing Dr
Bakersfield, CA 93309Source-reported capacity: 4. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Pathway Home Care
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Mcj Partners LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
416 Lansing Drive
Bakersfield, CA 93309Source-reported capacity: 4. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Pathway Homes
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Markell & Marquell Enterpris. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
15923 San Marco Place
Bakersfield, CA 93314Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Pathway Homes
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Markell & Marquell Enterprises LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
2714 Gosford Rd #a
Bakersfield, CA 93309Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Pathway Homes
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Markell & Marquell Enterprises LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
2714 Gosford Rd #b
Bakersfield, CA 93309Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Pathway Homes
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Markell & Marquell Enterprises LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
334 South Montclair St
Bakersfield, CA 93309Source-reported capacity: 4. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Pathway Homes
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Markell & Marquell Enterprises LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
336 South Montclair St
Bakersfield, CA 93309Source-reported capacity: 4. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Pleasant Home Care
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Lambert Home Care LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
10609 Pleasant Valley Dr
Bakersfield, CA 93311Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
- 1308 Erie St
Purposeful Residential Care
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Bakersfield, CA 93307Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
- 809 Wellman Way
Purposeful Residential Care
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Bakersfield, CA 93312Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Purposeful Residential Care: Haswell Place
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Purposeful Residential Care LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
503 Haswell Street
Bakersfield, CA 93312Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Purposeful Residential Care: Hawk Place
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Purposeful Residential Care LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
600 Hawk Springs Dr
Bakersfield, CA 93312Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Quality Care Assisted Living
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Quality Care Systems Inc. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
2607 Mount Vernon Ave
Bakersfield, CA 93306Source-reported capacity: 54. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Savanna Assisted Living
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Savanna Assisted Living LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
9013 Staten Island Dr
Bakersfield, CA 93311Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Sherwood Elderly Care Facility
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Sherwood Elderly Care Facility LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
2204 Sherwood Ave
Bakersfield, CA 93304Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Summer Springs Board and Care
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Summer Springs Board and Care LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
6112 Summer Springs Dr
Bakersfield, CA 93313Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Tar Springs Home Care
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Summer Springs Board and Care LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
2804 Tar Springs Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93313Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
- 11509 Tagus Drive
Tru Foundation
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Bakersfield, CA 93311Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
- 5800 Winter Ridge Dr
Way Maker Home Care Inc
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Bakersfield, CA 93313Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Westchester Gardens
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Pathway Assisted Living LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
2228 Truxtun Ave
Bakersfield, CA 93301Source-reported capacity: 36. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Baskersfield · 2 facilities
Pathway Homes
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Markell & Marquell Enterpris. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
2714 Gosford Rd, #c
Baskersfield, CA 93309Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Pathway Homes
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Markell & Marquell Enterpris. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
2714 Gosford Rd, #d
Baskersfield, CA 93309Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Frazier Park · 1 facility
- 1651 White Rock Rd
Heavenly Castle Care Inc
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Frazier Park, CA 93225Source-reported capacity: 6. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Kernville · 1 facility
Kern Village Assisted Living For Seniors
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Redwood Kernville Opco LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
32 Burlando Rd
Kernville, CA 93238Source-reported capacity: 22. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Ridgecrest · 1 facility
High Desert Haven
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Desert Bloom Inc. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
1240 College Heights Blv
Ridgecrest, CA 93555Source-reported capacity: 82. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Wofford Heights · 1 facility
The Burlington Assisted Living
State license: Not verified in this directory.
Source legal name: Redwood Wofford Heights Opco LLC. Match the name and address in the state licensing record.
13 Sycamore Drive
Wofford Heights, CA 93285Source-reported capacity: 22. Licensed capacity is not independently verified. Contact the facility to confirm staffing, care services and current availability.
Looking beyond Kern County? The full California list, county by county. A facility with an open bed one county over beats a waitlist at home.
Seven questions to ask a Kern County participating facility before you tour
- Do you currently have an open ALW bed, or how long is your internal waitlist?
- What level of care do you admit? Do you accept residents needing two-person transfers, full feeding assistance, or behavior management for dementia?
- Are you CDSS-approved for secured-perimeter memory care, if that is the need?
- What does room and board cost monthly at your facility, given that ALW does not cover that portion?
- What additional fees apply outside ALW reimbursement (level-of-care surcharges, one-time community fees, medication-administration fees)?
- How long have you been ALW-participating, and what is your current ALW resident census?
- Can I see your most recent Title 22 inspection report and your written explanation of any cited deficiencies?
If your situation in Kern County doesn’t fit the ALW timeline
If care is needed now and the Kern CountyALW waitlist won’t open in time, three options:
- Bridge with IHSS at home — Kern County IHSS is administered locally; contact details are in the contact strip above. Family members can be paid providers. See the IHSS eligibility page.
- Evaluate Medi-Cal nursing-facility care— available statewide without a long waitlist, appropriate when care needs are at or near skilled-nursing level. See the long-term skilled-nursing page.
- Consider a California relocation— for some families, moving to a county with shorter waits (Sacramento is the most common example for Bay Area / LA families) is the practical path. The disruption is real; weigh against the cost of indefinite private-pay assisted living.
DHCS participating-sites list last checked on 2026-08-19. The DHCS list is the source of truth; verify against the live PDF before acting.
Related guides and next steps
- ALW participating facilities in California (statewide guide)
- The Assisted Living Waiver, explained — the canonical program guide
- Does Medi-Cal pay for assisted living in California?
- Can Medi-Cal pay for memory care in California?
- What is share of cost in Medi-Cal?
- What if my mom can't afford assisted living?
- IHSS eligibility, including Protective Supervision (bridge option)
- Begin the Care Checker
This guide explains program rules and county-specific contacts, not legal advice. California Care Compass does not place referrals on county or planning pages.