The 2024-25 Budget: Overview of the Federal Fiscal Responsibility Act's Impacts on CalWORKs

Mar 5, 2024 - MOE Funds and the Work Incentive Nutrition Supplement (WINS) Program California Uses MOE Funds for the WINS Program. WINS, introduced in 2014, provides specific CalFresh households with additional CalWORKs-funded monthly food benefits of $10.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4877

The 2024-25 Budget: CalWORKs

Mar 4, 2024 - Currently, WINS costs roughly $25 million annually. Because WINS is an MOE‑funded program, WINS households help California meet its WPR requirements. However, the FRA set new rules for programs like WINS.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4872

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Federal CalWORKs Pilot

Feb 21, 2025 - The Legislature could ask for more information on WINS from the administration, such as: In recent years, what percentage of total food benefits received by WINS participants were WINS benefits? Would there be anticipated costs associated with pausing (or subsequently restarting) the WINS program in the future?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4978

Trends in CalWORKs: Participant Characteristics

Jun 16, 2025 - Limited Insight Into Overall Family Makeup. Demographic data are generally only collected on eligible family members, limiting the conclusions that can be drawn about family makeup. For example, in 2023 ‑24, the average AU size was 2.6 individuals.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5057

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Human Services

Nov 21, 2025 - CDSS = California Department of Social Services; CACFP = Child and Adult Care Food Program; EBT = Electronic Benefit Transfer; TEFAP = The Emergency Food Assistance Program; SNB = Supplemental Nutrition Benefit Program; TNB = Transitional Nutrition Benefit Program; SSI/SSP = Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment; and WINS = Work Incentive Nutritional Suppleme nt.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5086/3

Preliminary Assessment of Significant Changes to State's Technology Project Approval and Oversight Processes

Apr 29, 2025 - POC Outcomes Could Provide Insights to PDL Improvements and Challenges. Provisional budget bill language adopted in the 2024-25 Budget Act made clear the Legislature ’s intention to better understand how the first round of GenAI POCs would impact its role through the annual budget process in evaluating and approving technology project funding.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5034

Comparing CalWORKs Take-Up Rates Across Demographic Groups

Feb 14, 2023 - In  addition, our review of the relevant social science literature provided few  insights. Despite these challenges, our conversations with stakeholders did yield some insights that could be useful for beginning to understand why families do not enroll.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4678

The 2024-25 California Spending Plan: Human Services

Oct 2, 2024 - EBT = Electronic Benefit Transfer; CDSS = California Department of Social Services; CACFP = Child and Adult Care Food Program; TEFAP = The Emergency Food Assistance Program; SNB = Supplemental Nutrition Benefit Program; TNB = Transitional Nutrition Benefit Program; SSI/SSP = Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment; and WINS = Work Incentive Nutritional Suppleme nt.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4933/3

The 2025-26 Budget: Child Welfare

Feb 13, 2025 - Using this year ’s budget process to further the Legislature ’s oversight of these newer programs/program expansions in particular could prove useful in helping the Legislature gain insight into program effectiveness and better position the Legislature to enact any necessary future budget solutions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4962

Implementing California’s Child Welfare Prevention Services Program

Jan 28, 2026 - Under 2011 realignment, however, the state has limited insight into how counties use their realignment dollars, making it difficult to assess the true impact of various cost pressures. Whenever considering increased program requirements and/or funding for child welfare —as a realigned program area —we recommend bearing these complex factors in mind.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5106