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: 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

The 2026-27 Budget: CalWORKs

Feb 18, 2026 - When CalWORKs expenditures turn out to be less than budgeted, the state can have unspent TANF funds carry over to later years. The state ’s typical practice is to use unspent TANF funds to replace General Fund spending in CalWORKs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5122

Implementing California’s Child Welfare Prevention Services Program

Jan 28, 2026 - Since 2022, all counties have been required to provide wraparound services to foster youth transitioning out of congregate care placements for at least six months. This state requirement aligns with federal requirements under FFPSA, as described more in the nearby box.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5106

The 2026-27 Budget: Streamlining California’s Affordable Housing Funding System

Mar 6, 2026 - A  significant benefit of using 9   percent tax credits for HDFC ‑awarded projects is that the state would have the ability to “stretch out ” its MHP (and other gap funding) among more projects than otherwise.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5154

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: In-Home Supportive Services

Mar 18, 2026 - As part of the 2012 IHSS MOE, beginning in 2012 ‑13, all counties were required to maintain their 2011 ‑12 expenditure levels for IHSS, to which an annual growth factor of 3.5  percent was applied beginning in 2014 ‑15.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5166

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