State Budget Priorities

Overview

State Budget Priorities

Each year, CWDA works with its Board of Directors and its committee members to set budget priorities that will improve the well-being of children, families and individuals served by the human services system and to align public policy with the needs of populations and communities across the state.

Click on the sections below to find an overview of our budget priorities, periodic budget updates and more specific information on budget priorities contained in budget memos and fact sheets.

Presentation

Emergency Services And Disaster Response Support

The County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) requests your support for $14 million General Fund (GF) annually to provide dedicated funding and resources to bolster county human services departments’ emergency services and disaster preparedness and response.

 

Presentation

Child Welfare Services (CWS): Oppose Governor’s Proposed Cuts – Initial Comments on Other CWS Proposals

The County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) and the California Association of Counties (CSAC) are strongly opposed to the Governor’s Budget proposal that would cut $62.5 million General Fund (GF) in program funding impacting vulnerable foster children, youth and families served by the child welfare system. These cuts would eliminate vital services proven to stabilize youth and families and will result in increased costs in other systems including housing, criminal justice, health, and behavioral health.

Budget Priority

Budget Update: Budget Update: California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Program– Oppose Governor’s Budget Proposed Cuts
Updates Issued In February 2024

The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) and the California Association of Counties (CSAC) strongly oppose the cuts to the CalWORKs program proposed in the Governor’s Budget, which total over $400 million. In addition to the prospective cuts that would begin in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25, the Governor’s Budget proposes to retroactively cut current-year funding and permanently eliminate all funding for specific CalWORKs services.

Budget Priority

State Budget Update #1 – Governor’s Proposed 2024-2025 Budget
Updates Issued In January 2024

Governor Newsom released his proposed 2024-25 budget this morning. The following budget update summarizes what we know so far about the proposals and issues of interest in the health and human services area. 

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FY 2023-24 State Budget Issues

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State Budget Update #3 Final 2023-24 Budget Agreement

The Legislature passed a revised budget bill yesterday afternoon, reflecting the final agreement reached by the Governor and the Legislature on the 2023-24 budget late Tuesday. Also passed were 18 of the approximately 25 budget trailer bills. The Legislature is expected to pass the remaining trailer bills in the coming days. The Governor signed the main budget bill last night and will sign the remaining budget-related bills over the next few days in time for the start of the new fiscal year on July 1.

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Budget Update #2 on 2023-24 May Revision

Governor Newsom released the May Revision to his proposed 2023-24 budget on Friday, May 12th. This budget update summarizes what we know so far about the proposals and issues of interest in the health and human services area where there are changes proposed in the May Revision. CWDA staff will continue to keep you updated as we learn more details and as budget actions are taken in the Legislature. 

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County Human Service Workforce: Fund Innovative Recruitment Efforts – May Revision

The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) continues to respectfully request $35 million General Fund (GF) to increase recruitment of human service workers to meet the growing demands to provide safety-net services and economic supports to California’s children, youth, families, older adults and persons with disabilities. As California faces a potential economic slowdown and increased demand for safety net services, having an adequate human services workforce is even more critical.

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In Home Supportive Services: Increase County Administrative Funding May Revision

The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) continues to respectfully request $240.2 million General Fund (GF) to increase funding for county administration of the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program. This funding is needed to ensure IHSS social workers have manageable caseloads to perform essential functions of the IHSS program.

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CWDA May Revision Response – Key Human Services Issues

The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) appreciates the collaboration and hard work of the Legislature and Administration throughout the budget process this year. The May Revision generally spared safety net programs for low-income Californians from significant cuts. We are grateful to the Governor and the Legislature for holding firm against those cuts given the uncertain revenue picture facing the state.

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Emergency Services and Disaster Response Support – May Revision

The County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) continues to request your support for $141 million General Fund (GF) in 2023-24 and $130 million GF annually thereafter to provide funding and resources to bolster county human services departments’ emergency services and disaster preparedness and response. While the state’s revenue situation may be uncertain, we know with certainty that there will continue to be natural disasters and other emergencies that challenge county human services agencies to maintain operation of basic, necessary social service programs.

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Child Welfare Services: Serving Foster Youth With Complex Needs

The County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) and Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC) urge the Legislature to support foster children who are highly traumatized and have unmet complex needs. CWDA and CPOC are jointly requesting $43.7 million General Funding (GF) in FY 2023-24 to stabilize foster youth and youth at risk of foster care with acute and complex needs, to better enable California to realize the goals of the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) effort, as adopted pursuant to AB 403 (Stone, Ch. 773, Statutes of 2015).

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Child Welfare Services: Serving Foster Youth With Complex Needs

The County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) and Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC) urge the Legislature to support foster children who are highly traumatized and have complex needs. CWDA and CPOC are jointly requesting $63 million on-going General Funding (GF) to stabilize foster youth and youth at risk of foster care with acute and complex needs, to better enable California to realize the goals of the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) effort, as adopted pursuant to AB 403 (Stone, Ch. 773, Statutes of 2015).

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Workforce Proposal Budget Memo

The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) respectfully requests $35 million General Fund (GF) to increase recruitment of human service workers to meet the growing demands to provide safety-net services and economic supports to California’s children, youth, families, older adults and persons with disabilities.

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Emergency Services and Disaster Response Support

The County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) requests your support for $141 million General Fund (GF) in 2023-24 and $130 million GF annually thereafter to provide funding and resources to bolster county human services departments’ emergency services and disaster preparedness and response.

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In Home Supportive Services: Increase County Administrative Funding

The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) respectfully requests an additional $240.2 million General Fund (GF) for county administration of the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program to address critical and longstanding underfunding of IHSS program operations. This funding is needed to ensure IHSS social workers have manageable caseloads to perform essential functions of the IHSS program that enable older adults and persons with disabilities to remain in their homes and avoid costly institutionalization.

 

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Budget Proposal: Increasing Services to Youth with Complex Care Needs

The County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) and Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC) are seeking $63 million in State General Funds (SGF) for county child welfare and probation agencies and statutory changes to better serve foster youth with acute, complex needs.

CWDA/CPOC Complex Care Fact Sheet

CWDA/CPOC STATT and RHT Proposal Detail

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Budget Fact Sheet: Building Diversity & Workforce Support in County Human Services Programs

County human service agencies are facing critical staffing shortages across all program areas. Competition for staff is fierce both within the county (across programs and services as well as the private sector) and across county lines. This proposal would provide funding and resources, as well as reduce barriers, to address these significant workforce shortages. 

CWDA Workforce Proposal Fact Sheet

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Budget Fact Sheet: Update Flawed IHSS Administrative Funding Process

As of October 2022, over 691,000 older adults and persons with disabilities receive in-home care from 600,514 trusted In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) caregivers in California. However, county IHSS programs are not fully funded to carry out the administrative duties required to meet numerous state and federal mandates. The current funding methodology fails to account for all persons that IHSS serves and also understates the cost of staffing. 

CWDA IHSS Administrative Funding Fact Sheet

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Budget Fact Sheet: Emergency Services & Disaster Response

The state has experienced an unprecedented number of emergencies and disasters in recent years, including but not limited to record-breaking wildfires and the pandemic. Most recently, widespread and sustained storms created flooding, mudslides and power outages. Counties, particularly human services departments, are at the front line of disaster response and recovery efforts, and support is needed to ensure these tasks do not interfere with the day-to-day operations of the critical safety net programs counties also operate.

CWDA Disaster Response Proposal Fact Sheet