The 2026-27 Budget: Child Welfare

Mar 3, 2026 - Would these positions still be needed? What about the contract for the Financial Management Coordinator, and any other externally contracted parties? Would DSS be able to cancel these contracts? The most recent cost estimates we have seen assume a phased implementation approach over three years (2027-28 to 2029-30).
https://lao.ca.gov/publications/report/5147

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: County Administration and H.R. 1 Implementation

Mar 5, 2026 - The value of lost eligibility and benefits to Medi ‑Cal and CalFresh enrollees is larger still. Addressing the structural budget problem will require difficult trade ‑offs. Backfilling lost federal benefits under H.R.  1 would require billions of dollars in additional budget solutions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5149

Implementing California’s Child Welfare Prevention Services Program

Jan 28, 2026 - The  local child welfare agency still will need to be involved tangentially in the family ’s case in that the agency will be responsible for confirming the child/family is an eligible candidate for Title IV ‑E prevention services.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5106

The 2026-27 Budget: In-Home Supportive Services

Mar 18, 2026 - We note that we are still working with the administration to better understand key aspects of the Governor ’s budget proposals for IHSS. As such, this brief includes our best understanding of the proposals as of March  16,  2026.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5166