The 2024-25 Budget: Child Welfare

Feb 26, 2024 - Current Rates Structure Relies on Level of Care Protocol (LOCP). The current, interim rates rely on the LOCP, which is a tool used by local child welfare staff to assess the care and supervision needs of foster children, and match those needs to a board and care rate.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4855

The 2024-25 Budget: Preliminary May Revision Analysis for Child Welfare

May 24, 2024 - COVID ‑19 temporary eFMAP ‑25 — During the public health emergency, the federal government provided a 6.2 percent increase in the federal match rate (referred to as eFMAP), resulting in increased federal funds to support foster care maintenance payments and other child welfare program elements.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4909

Implementing California’s Child Welfare Prevention Services Program

Jan 28, 2026 - Many counties stated that they already have spent all or most of their state block grant dollars—prior to being able to claim any Title IV‑E matching funds for eligible EBPs. Because federal reimbursement for prevention services will require $1 local funding to match every $1 of federal monies claimed—and given the constraints and complexities of counties’ local
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5106

The 2018-19 Budget: Child Care Programs—Analysis of Governor’s Hold Harmless Rate Proposal

Mar 19, 2018 - Amidst Rate Changes, Providers Held Harmless. Over this period, rate changes were accompanied by temporary hold harmless provisions giving providers the higher of the new or former rates. This means no provider would receive less than it received in the year prior to the rate change.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3787

The 2026-27 Budget: County Administration and H.R. 1 Implementation

Mar 5, 2026 - To what extent are realignment funds used to support CalFresh administration today versus other county funds? How will increased county costs for CalFresh administration under H.R.  1 affect efforts to reduce payment error rates?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5149

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Human Services

Nov 21, 2025 - Additionally, trailer bill language (SB  119) suspends the county matching requirement that was required with some prior rounds of funding for the program. One-Time Funding for Foster Family Agencies ($23  Million General Fund, $31.5  Million Total Funds).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5086/6

The 2025-26 Budget: Child Welfare

Feb 13, 2025 - The 2024-25 spending plan amended and added substantial new statutory language establishing the permanent rate structure —referred to as the Tiered Rate Structure —and extending the duration of the interim rate period until permanent rates can be implemented (Chapter  46 of 2024 [AB  161, Committee on Budget]).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4962

The 2026-27 Budget: In-Home Supportive Services

Mar 18, 2026 - Recent Caseload Growth Has Matched Historic Highs. As seen in Figure  3 , IHSS caseload has grown significantly since 2013. Despite slower caseload growth between 2016 ‑17 and 2020 ‑21 (the caseload continued to grow during this period, just at a slower than usual rate).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5166

The 2025-26 Budget: CWS-CARES [Publication Details]

Mar 5, 2025 - This post provides our analysis of the administration’s 2025-26 proposal for the Child Welfare Services-California Automated Response and Engagement System information technology project.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5006

The 2025-26 Budget: CWS-CARES

Mar 5, 2025 - Chapter 46 of 2024 (AB 161, Committee on Budget) established a permanent rate structure for foster care maintenance payments based on the assessed level of need of individual youth. To assess the level of need, permanent rates will use the Integrated Practice Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (IP-CANS) assessment tool, together with a classification model, to place youth into one of four tiers.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5006