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.

Budget Priority

Investment Opportunities and Funding Needs in Health and Human Services Programs – CWDA May Revision Memo # 1

CWDA requests $1.5 million in 2021-22, $150 million in 2022-23, and $178 million in 2023-24 and ongoing to increase the Applicant Earned Income Disregard (EID) from $90 to $600 effective June 2022, commensurate with changes approved to the Recipient EID in the 2019-20 Budget Act. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, redeterminations of eligibility for the CalWORKs program were suspended; when they resumed in late 2020, thousands of families were removed from the program because they failed to complete paperwork requirements.

Budget Priority

County Human Services Programs Have Essential Role in California’s Comeback
Governor’s Budget Invests in Services to Help Hardest-Hit Californians Recover After Devastation of Pandemic, Recession and Longstanding Inequity

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.

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.

Budget Priority

Pandemic Relief For CalWORKs Families Budget Memo

The County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) respectfully requests your consideration of exempting pandemic or statewide public health emergency related unemployment or other relief benefits from consideration during CalWORKs eligibility determinations for applicants and recipients. This proposal would also allow for streamlining of the CalWORKs application process by allowing for electronic verification of identification. 

Budget Priority

CWDA, NASW, and SEIU-CA on Child Welfare Training System – Augment Governor’s Proposal Budget Memo

The County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA), Service Employees Union International (SEIU)-CA and the National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter appreciate the Governor’s budget proposal to invest $5.9 million General Fund (GF) into the Child Welfare Services (CWS) Training System to address critical underfunding in this program that prepares social workers in serving our state’s most vulnerable population of children and youth.

Budget Priority

CWDA and CAPA on In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS): Electronic Forms Budget Memo

The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) and the California Association of Public Authorities (CAPA) respectfully request the Legislature approve $5 million General Fund (GF) and accompanying trailer bill language to support implementation of electronic forms in the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program. This would enable older adults and individuals with disabilities — including applicants for services, existing IHSS consumers, and their providers of care – to more expeditiously and safely access these vital services in their own homes.

Budget Priority

CWDA on Cash Assistance for CalWORKs Families in Family Reunification Budget Memo

The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) respectfully requests $9.0 million General Fund (GF) on an ongoing basis to provide CalWORKs cash assistance grants to eligible parents whose children have been temporarily removed from the home and placed into foster care, for a period of up to 180 days, while the families are engaging in reunification efforts with the county child welfare agency. This funding will enhance the ability of these parents to successfully reunify with their children.

Budget Priority

CWDA on Full Funding for the Resource Family Approval (RFA) Workload in the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) True-Up Budget Memo

The County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) requests your full funding for the workload associated with performing the state mandated Resource Family Approval (RFA) process as part of the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) True-up. The current estimate of these costs is $80 million General Fund (GF) annually, although we are in the process of gathering specific cost data for the 2018-19 fiscal year, the year of CCR costs that are being reconciled now.

Budget Priority

Child Welfare Services: Family First Prevention Services Budget Memo

The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) and Children Now jointly request 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.

Budget Priority

Flexibilities for CDSS Administered Housing Programs Budget Memo

The County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) respectfully requests your consideration of several statutory changes to housing programs administered by the California Department of Social Services and county human services departments, including the Housing Support Program (HSP) and the Housing and Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP).

Budget Priority

Global Telephonic Signatures Budget Memo

The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) respectfully requests $5 million General Fund (GF) ($4 million one-time and $1 million ongoing) to support implementation of a global telephonic signature solution for human services programs. 

Budget Priority

Reduce Senior Homelessness: Expand and Enhance Adult Protective Services (Early Action Request) Budget Memo

The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) and Justice in Aging respectfully request the Legislature take early action due to the pandemic to augment and expand the Adult Protective Services CAPS) Program to meet the growing needs of older adults who are victims of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. We respectfully request $25 million GF in the current year and $100 million ongoing for the APS and Home Safe Program. This population is growing fast, as are cases with increasingly complex needs, including those who are homeless or cognitively impaired.

Budget Priority

Flexible Funding for County Human Services Department- Administered Housing Programs Budget Memo

The County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) respectfully requests your consideration as part of the early action on the budget a $100 million one-time General Fund augmentation for county human services departments to create a flexible funding pool to fill service delivery gaps in the housing programs that the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and county departments currently administer. The housing programs specifically serving those linked to the state’s social safety net programs are critical to the success of those programs.