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

Mar 5, 2026 - What role do county policies and processes and the design and operation of automation and data systems play in determining the state ’s error rates in each program? Do some counties have significantly higher or lower error rates than others and are there practices or other circumstances that contribute to this  variation?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5149

The 2026-27 Budget: County Administration and H.R. 1 Implementation [Publication Details]

Mar 5, 2026 - In this brief, we assess the Governor's proposed funding for county administration of Medi-Cal and CalFresh in response to H.R. 1 and provide related recommendations.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5149

Trends in CalWORKs: Participant Characteristics

Jun 16, 2025 - If adult participants do not meet the WTW requirements, they may be sanctioned, leading to a grant reduction. The Federal Government Measures Program Success Through Work Participation Rate (WPR) Requirements.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5057

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

Mar 5, 2024 - In doing so, it may present an opportunity to shift some of the state ’s focus towards other desired outcome measures or goals for the CalWORKs program Goal of Increasing CalWORKs Take-Up May Impact WPR Requirements Long Term.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4877

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

Mar 3, 2026 - In years that the CPI-W is negative (as was the case in 2010, 2011, and 2016), the federal government does not decrease SSI grants, but instead holds them flat. …While State Has Option to Provide Annual COLA to SSP Grants.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5148

The 2025-26 Budget: CalWORKs

Feb 19, 2025 - What do families and counties view as the most notable results or effects of these services? What challenges have counties faced in implementing CalWORKs in recent years? What challenges have CalWORKs participants faced in achieving self-sufficiency and family well-being?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4969

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

Mar 6, 2026 - The  administration ’s overall plan is for HDFC to begin making awards beginning in 2026 ‑27 but with HCD and CalHFA staff providing support over the next year or two as HDFC engages in this redesign work and builds internal capacity.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5154

The 2026-27 Budget: Child Welfare

Mar 3, 2026 - What do youth and families view as the most notable results or effects of the funding? What have been obstacles, challenges, or delays to implementation? To what extent and how have DSS and program partners been able to address these issues?
https://lao.ca.gov/publications/report/5147

Implementing California’s Child Welfare Prevention Services Program

Jan 28, 2026 - (Pregnant or parenting foster youth are automatically eligible for prevention services and do not require individual assessments.) California ’s state plan requires counties to assess individuals to determine candidacy using an “unbiased process and/or tools to assess risk. ” (To aid counties in this assessment, DSS is working to develop a candidacy determination guide including concrete examples on how to assess for candidacy in an unbiased manner.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5106

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Human Services

Nov 21, 2025 - After completing the orientation and appraisal, participants will have the option to develop and submit their WTW plan on their own or request county assistance in doing so. Only participants who do not submit a WTW plan following orientation/appraisal will be required to participate in an assessment and WTW plan development meeting.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5086/2