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County Leaders Declare Racism a Public Health Crisis
CWDA joins several other county associations, as well as local governments in California and nationwide in declaring that racism is a public health crisis.

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We are the County Welfare Directors Association of California. We are a nonprofit association representing the human service directors from each of California’s 58 counties.

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Counties Celebrate End of Cruel Public Charge Changes
Biden Administration Withdraws Defense of Trump-Era Regulatory Changes

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Immigration Resources for Counties
This page includes tools and resources for county human services agencies relating to immigration, health care and public benefits under current law. 

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Hot topic State Budget

Budget Update #4: Summary of Final State Budget Agreement
Details of key budget decisions between the Governor and the Legislature in Health and Human Services Programs

Hot topic State Budget

CWDA Statement: Final Budget Preserves Critical Services
"The budget agreement will help us navigate this moment and preserve baseline services to our communities in their time of greatest need." 

Hot topic State Budget

Budget Memo Highlights CWDA Top Budget Priorities
County human services programs are responding to COVID-19 challenges; need strong support, not cuts, to continue aiding vulnerable Californians

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Budget Priority

CWDA Comments on Various Health and Human Services Budget Proposals

As part of the annual budget process, the County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) typically comments or takes positions on budget proposals from the Administration or advocates that are of policy interest to our members or that have an effect on county operations. Because of the unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the annual state budget hearing process, we have been unable to provide our feedback through public testimony as we usually would. Therefore, we are providing this feedback on several budget proposals in the adults policy area in writing here. 

Budget Priority

Coalition Letter on Family First Prevention Services Act

The organizations below respectfully request your support for an augmentation of $50 million General Fund (GF) in FY 2021-22, and $100 million on-going, to build locally driven services and supports for children, youth and families at risk of entering foster care. The goal of this effort is to keep families safely together and prevent the need for entries into the foster care system whenever possible.

Press release

County Leaders Declare Racism a Public Health Crisis

Organizations representing California’s county behavioral health, human services, public health, and public hospital systems today released a powerful, unified statement acknowledging the “historic and ongoing harms of systemic racism” and committing to address those harms through client and community-centered action and accountability.  They join local governments around California and the country, including the boards of supervisors in at least nine California counties, in declaring racism a public health crisis. 

Press release

CWDA Praises American Rescue Plan’s Landmark Investment in Reducing Child Poverty, Urges California to Direct State Allocation to Most Underserved Families

The County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) of California released the following statement from Executive Director Cathy Senderling-McDonald today after President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan:

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Blog Posts

Blog post Frank J. Mecca, CWDA Executive Director

Governor Newsom: Support Legislature’s Plan to Protect Abused Children & Seniors
The future of our most vulnerable is in your hands

When the pandemic-induced recession and plunging revenues nationwide began to signal enormous budget holes for state and local government, CWDA called on California leaders to pay special attention to the two populations most at risk of falling through the cracks: abused and neglected children and older adults. Today, we report with gratitude that the Senate and Assembly listened. Their joint budget plan, released this week, includes $1 billion to prevent the decimation of vital county programs, including Child Protective Services (CPS) and Adult Protective Services (APS) programs

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