CCRWF Releases Updated CalWORKs Primer

California’s welfare program is at the center of the state’s budget debates.  CCRWF’s updated  and newly released CalWORKs primer can help you deepen your understanding of the history, purpose and structure of this essential social service program.

Understanding CalWORKs: A Primer for Service Providers and Policymakers (2^nd edition) reviews the major laws, programs and financing mechanisms for California’s welfare program.  The primer also provides a profile of welfare families and highlights some of the key issues confronting practitioners and policymakers.

Understanding CalWORKs is one in….

Safety Net Webinar Now Available Online

Click here to hear and view the Safety Net webinar.

On August 20, CCRWF launched its first Working Families Webinar: How Safe is California’s Safety Net?

The webinar featured Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg; Scott Graves, California Budget Project; Farrah McDaid Ting, California State Association of Counties; and Ana Pagan, Merced County Human Services Agency.

Please Cal WebEX directly at 1-866-229-3239 if you have any trouble connecting to the presentation.

Interested in viewing the PowerPoints from the webinar?

Click on the links below.

An Overview of Recent….

From the Executive Director: The Exhilaration and Distress of Releasing the CWS Primer

A year of research and writing has culminated in the release of our updated Child Welfare Services primer.

While it is typically thrilling (and exhausting) to complete a long project, this conclusion is punctuated not only by exclamation points and asteriks to acknowledge incredible partners, but also by an ellipses. . . . as we all wait for cuts to the programs and services that support our state’s most vulnerable children and families.

I am among the many pragmatists struggling with the….

Supporting SFSP Outreach

CCRWF is working with the  California Legislative Women’s Caucus and the Nutrition Services Division of the California Department of Education to increase outreach to families and children eligible for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).   Together we developed materials to help legislators reach out to low-income families to encourage their participation in the Summer Food Service Program.

Everyone agrees this partnership is a “win-win” scenario:  Children ages 18 years and younger living in eligible low-income neighborhoods have increased access to nutritious meals, while the….

Join the Discussion on the Governor’s Budget Scenarios

Governor Schwarzenegger held a press conference on May 14, 2009, to unveil two revised budget proposals for the 2009-10 fiscal year. Here’s the press release for the conference, a new analysis from the California Budget Project, and an initial report by the Western Center on Law & Poverty, all of which provide a summary of proposed cuts.

Here are reactions from the following:

Speaker of the Assembly Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles

“The deep cuts included in both of Governor Schwarzenegger’s budget proposals reflect the impact the….

From the Executive Director: May 19 Special Election Results

May 20, 2009

Here are the results of the special election. Click on each ballot proposition to see how they fared.

How will the Propositions affect CalWORKs? An interview with Michael Herald

As voters debate their decisions about the May 19 budget Propositions, many have questions about how the measures will affect welfare recipients and programs.  CCRWF Executive Director Kate Karpilow interviewed longtime Summit presenter Mike Herald, Legislative Advocate with the Western Center on Law and Poverty, and a leading expert on CalWORKs.

1) Mike, many people are struggling with their decisions on the May 19 ballot propositions, and eager for more for more information about how the propositions - pass or fail….

Legislature Should Restore CalWORKS Grant Cut

State Forfeiting $117 Million in Stimulus Funds

Authored By Michael Herald, Legislative Advocate of the Western Law & Poverty Center

The Legislature and Governor Schwarzenegger should restore the CalWORKs grant cut set to take effect July 1, 2009. California will lose $117 million in federal stimulus funds and the significant economic impact from human service spending if it does not act. If the cuts are allowed to go into effect the grant will be lower than the amount the state paid in 1989….

Why California Federation of Teachers Opposes Prop 1A

Authored by Kenneth Burt, Political Director, California Federation of Teachers

The California Federation of Teachers opposes Proposition 1A because it is bad for students. In evaluating proposed public policy, CFT examines the likely impact on the “whole child” and working families in the state.

This hastily crafted initiative will cut billions of dollars from education and other key programs within a few years. The CFT and the California School Boards Association agree: Prop 1A should be defeated.

We did not succumb to the….

Prop 1D: Deceptive and Harmful

Authored by Sherry Novick, Executive Director, First 5 Association of California

The ballot language describing Proposition 1D is not only biased, but deceptive.  It was written by the Legislature and is clearly intended to obfuscate the fact that Prop 1D takes funds directly from local children’s programs to backfill holes in the state budget.

In 1998, Californians voted to dedicate tobacco taxes to local health and education programs for young children. Voters acted because Sacramento politicians were unwilling to fund these programs and….