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.

Californians Support Paid Sick Days

Click here for the complete results and graphics from the Field Research Corporation survey conducted in July 2008.

As paid sick days legislation (AB 2716 - Ma) proceeds through the California State Legislature, what does the voting public think about this workplace benefit? And do California voters see a public health benefit to paid sick days?

To answer these questions and more, CCRWF commissioned the respected Field Research Corporation to assess public opinion on paid sick days.

What did we learn?

• Striking majorities of Californians -….

From the Executive Director: Working Families Web Forum Launched

April 30, 2009

Welcome to the redesigned CCRWF website.

The key feature of our new site is our Working Families Web Forum, an online public square for policy debate, dialogue and education. First up is a set of opinion pieces on the May 19 budget propositions, with a lead piece authored by Mark Paul, Senior Scholar at the New America Foundation, our partner for this budget series.  Be sure to view his YouTube backgrounder on the budget crisis.

To access informational resources on all….