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
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5106

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 2026-27 Budget: Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) Program

Mar 3, 2026 - Further, most SSI/SSP recipients (roughly 62  percent) live in the 16 counties with the highest FMRs, all of which are located within the coastal and San Francisco Bay regions. In all but one of these 16 counties, the maximum SSI/SSP grant for couples is less than the FMR for a one-bedroom unit (the maximum SSI/SSP grant for couples in Los Angeles is $14 above the FMR for a one-bedroom unit).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5148

The 2026-27 Budget: Food Assistance Programs

Feb 18, 2026 - In 2024-25, about 5.5  million Californians received a total of over $12.5  billion in CalFresh benefits, all of it federally funded, with an average monthly benefit of about $192 per person. CalFresh Administration Is Funded by the State, Counties, and Federal Government.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5126

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

Mar 5, 2026 - Administrative budgeting methodologies used for CalFresh, IHSS, and CalWORKs all feature adjustments for changes in caseload. This feature is important because caseload generally is the most significant driver of changes in administrative workload.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5149

The 2026-27 Budget: CalWORKs

Feb 18, 2026 - Grants Still Not Estimated to Meet Legislature ’s Goal for All Recipients. As part of the 2018-19 Budget Act , the Legislature set a goal to increase CalWORKs grants to 50  percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) for a family that is one person larger than the number of people in the family for which the grant amount is calculated.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5122

The 2026-27 Budget: Child Welfare

Mar 3, 2026 - “Full implementation underway ” indicates all guidance and systems are in place for implementation. However, the program still may be underutilized, may not yet be achieving its intended impact, and/or may not necessarily be progressing in line with legislative expectations.
https://lao.ca.gov/publications/report/5147