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February 23, 2006 - The Governor proposes to freeze future state participation in county administrative costs for health and social services programs at the 2005-06 level, adjusted for caseload, but not inflation. We recommend rejecting the Governor’s proposal because it would restrict legislative flexibility to adjust funding and services levels.
February 23, 2006 - As of January 2006, California is failing all seven outcome federal required child welfare outcome measures. Unless California improves its performance by the fall of 2006, the state faces $59 million in federal penalties. We review the Governor's child welfare proposals and recommend redirecting $15 million into flexible grants for counties to implement their existing improvement plans.
February 23, 2006 - The federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 significantly raises the required work participation rates for California’s low-income families in the CalWORKs program. Failure to meet these higher participation rates would result in annual federal penalties which begin in 2008-09 at $173 million We present a range of strategies for meeting this challenge including: increasing participation among existing recipients, bringing former recipients who are employed back into the participation calculation, and establishing separate programs for those who may face substantial barriers to work.
February 23, 2006 - The administration is proposing changes to the way the state conducts licensing and certification of providers of certain health and social services. We concur in some proposals, recommend others be reduced to correct overbudgeted staffing and funding, and propose further changes to improve the way these functions are carried out.
February 23, 2006 - An increasing portion of long-term care spending is for community-based services rather than institutional care. We examine the “cost-drivers” behind the growth in these costs and recommend that administration budget requests for long-term care projects be modified.
November 22, 2005 - Assembly Select Committee on Foster Care
April 28, 2005 - Presented to: Senate Budget Committee No. 3 on Health and Human Services
April 28, 2005 - Presented to the Little Hoover Commission on April 28, 2005.
March 16, 2005 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 On Health and Human Services
March 9, 2005 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1
February 24, 2005 - Index of Information Technology Issues in the Analysis of the Budget Bill, 2005-06
February 24, 2005 - The Governor proposes a number of significant reforms to California’s subsidized child care system including eligibility restrictions, a new waiting list system, and tiered reimbursement rates. With certain qualifications, we support proposed eligibility and waiting list changes. Although tying reimbursement rates to quality makes sense, the Legislature may wish to consider alternative approaches which increase reimbursement rates for higher quality care rather than simply reducing reimbursement rates (as the Governor proposes) for lower quality care.