The 2026-27 Budget: Child Welfare

Mar 3, 2026 - As part of implementing CCR, the state developed a new foster care maintenance payment rate structure to replace the previous age-based and group home rate structure. Under CCR, foster care rates must be based on the assessed level of need of individual youth ( “level of care, ” or LOC), with youth requiring higher levels of behavioral health supports and other more therapeutic and intensive services receiving higher rates.
https://lao.ca.gov/publications/report/5147

Implementing California’s Child Welfare Prevention Services Program

Jan 28, 2026 - Namely, for any new services added to the plan that are rated as supported or promising, DSS would need to ensure that at least 50  percent of Title IV ‑E dollars are claimed for well ‑supported services.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5106

The 2026-27 Budget: Food Assistance Programs

Feb 18, 2026 - H.R. 1 disqualifies certain noncitizen groups from being eligible for CalFresh assistance, including asylees, refugees, parolees, battered noncitizens, and trafficking victims, among others. This change was effective upon enactment of H.R. 1 but is yet to be implemented in California.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5126

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

Mar 5, 2026 - Additionally, in taking this task on, the administration will be adding to the many competing priorities that are underway. This means that temporary funding may need to be in place until ongoing methodologies can be  established.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5149

The 2026-27 Budget: In-Home Supportive Services

Mar 18, 2026 - Added to the MOE were any county costs associated with local IHSS wage increases. The state General Fund assumed the remaining nonfederal IHSS costs. Over the five years in which the 2012 IHSS MOE was in effect (2012 ‑13 to 2016 ‑17), growth in the county IHSS MOE was  less than  the growth in total IHSS costs, resulting in counties paying for a smaller share of the nonfederal
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5166