Sacramento, CA – The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) released the following statement from Executive Director Cathy Senderling-McDonald after Governor Newsom presented his revised FY 2021-22 budget proposal:

“Governor Newsom’s budget proposal meets this moment – as we emerge from a devastating pandemic and recession, amid a growing recognition that racism and inequity must be addressed meaningfully in our state and nationwide – with a tremendous set of investments aimed at improving the well-being of vulnerable Californians and families.

“Investments in the health and human services programs CWDA members operate on the state’s behalf will make meaningful improvements in the lives of the Californians we serve: children, families, people with low incomes, and people at risk of homelessness including older adults and adults with disabilities. 

“This budget proposal would increase support – ranging from cash aid, to housing services and homeless prevention, to supportive services and broader health care access – for families who participate in CalWORKs and Medi-Cal. The budget also improves the ability of CalWORKs parents to reunify with a child who is placed into foster care.  We look forward to partnering with the Administration in a successful rollout of its proposed guaranteed basic income pilot.

“We are thrilled to see several priorities championed by CWDA and our partners referenced in the budget package. We will continue to work with the Administration and Legislature to build upon these frameworks, including additional housing investments through our Bringing Families Home and Home Safe programs; important enhancements in Adult Protective Services;,; building out the services needed to support foster youth with the highest acuity needs; and deploying federal and state funds to begin a transformational shift toward prevention and reducing racial inequity and other disparities in our child welfare system.

“Too many times, we’ve seen layered budget cuts hurt our clients over and over again across multiple programs in which they participate.  We greatly appreciate that Governor Newsom’s budget positions county human services agencies in an essential role in California’s comeback. The multi-layered investments delivered through our programs will strengthen our clients’ well-being and resiliency in a multitude of ways.”