Trends in CalWORKs: Participant Characteristics

Jun 16, 2025 - Limited Insight Into Overall Family Makeup. Demographic data are generally only collected on eligible family members, limiting the conclusions that can be drawn about family makeup. For example, in 2023 ‑24, the average AU size was 2.6 individuals.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5057

Preliminary Assessment of Significant Changes to State's Technology Project Approval and Oversight Processes

Apr 29, 2025 - POC Outcomes Could Provide Insights to PDL Improvements and Challenges. Provisional budget bill language adopted in the 2024-25 Budget Act made clear the Legislature ’s intention to better understand how the first round of GenAI POCs would impact its role through the annual budget process in evaluating and approving technology project funding.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5034

Comparing CalWORKs Take-Up Rates Across Demographic Groups

Feb 14, 2023 - In  addition, our review of the relevant social science literature provided few  insights. Despite these challenges, our conversations with stakeholders did yield some insights that could be useful for beginning to understand why families do not enroll.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4678

The 2025-26 Budget: Child Welfare

Feb 13, 2025 - Using this year ’s budget process to further the Legislature ’s oversight of these newer programs/program expansions in particular could prove useful in helping the Legislature gain insight into program effectiveness and better position the Legislature to enact any necessary future budget solutions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4962

Recent Trends in Young Adult Mortality

Dec 10, 2024 - By taking this view, we hope that readers have gotten a sense of the size and seriousness of the overall problem and of the stark dis parities between groups. For researchers, we note that changes in several seemingly disparate types of risky behavior have persisted several years past the onset of the pandemic.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4945

Implementing California’s Child Welfare Prevention Services Program

Jan 28, 2026 - Under 2011 realignment, however, the state has limited insight into how counties use their realignment dollars, making it difficult to assess the true impact of various cost pressures. Whenever considering increased program requirements and/or funding for child welfare —as a realigned program area —we recommend bearing these complex factors in mind.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5106

The 2023-24 Budget: Department of Developmental Services

Feb 15, 2023 - State Lacks Insight Into Drivers of These Disparities in Spending. One potential reason the ongoing equity grants have not yet addressed spending disparities is that they are not guided by a clear understanding of why such disparities exist.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4683

Sequestering Savings From the Closure of Developmental Centers

Jan 31, 2018 - The nearby box provides key insights based on the experience of other states in dealing with these issues. Key Insights From Other States Calculation of Net Operational Savings Appears More Relevant in States With Waiting Lists.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3735

The 2024-25 Budget: Child Care

Apr 15, 2024 - This policy was set to expire June 30, 2023, but was extended for an additional two years under the child care MOU and parity agreement and 2023 ‑24 Budget Act . We understand that federal Title IV ‑E funds can only be drawn down to cover costs associated with actual service costs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4893

California’s Child Welfare System: Addressing Disproportionalities and Disparities

Apr 24, 2024 - This report examines disproportionalities and disparities across California’s child welfare system in terms of income and race/ethnicity. The report provides background on the child welfare system, describes child welfare system disproportionalities and disparities, and lays out potential drivers of these inequities.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4897