ReThink Your Drink Webinar Materials Available

The California Summer Meal Program Coalition hosted a webinar on Friday, July 9,  on ReThink Your Drink.  Click here to access the webinar recording, the PowerPoints and additional resources.

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….

Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis Keynotes CCRWF Working Families Summit

Click here for policy papers released at the Summit.

400 California leaders attended the CCRWF California Working Families Policy Summit keynoted by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.  Secretary Solis discussed “Creating Jobs and Family-Friendly Workplaces in the 21^st Century.” At the conclusion of her remarks, the Secretary received a standing ovation in appreciation of her commitment and vision.

A copy of the Secretary’s speech and additional photos from her visit are available on the Department of….

Now Available Online: Child Care and Early Learning Webinar

Over 200 California leaders joined us for the second Working Families Webinar: California’s Child Care and Early Learning System:  Where we are . . . and where we want to go, held Thursday, October 15, 2009.

Click here to hear and view the Child Care and Early Learning webinar.

The webinar featured Senator Carol Liu, Chair, Senate Human Services Committee; Catherine Atkin, President, Preschool California; Nancy Strohl, Executive Director, Child Care Law Center; and Jennifer Peck, Bay Area Partnership for Children and Youth.

Please Cal….

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….

Understanding the Child Welfare System in California: A Primer for Service Providers and Policymakers

Understanding the Child Welfare System in California: A Primer for Service Providers and Policymakers (2^nd edition) is one in a series of primers offered to assist practitioners and policy leaders in advancing their basic knowledge of complex social service systems. Originally published in 2002, this 2^nd edition of the CWS primer was made possible due to support from the Zellerbach Family Foundation.

In addition to providing a resource for local and state policy leaders and providers, this primer and a companion publication on CalWORKs….

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….

The Morning After

With the special election ballot propositions resulting in a resounding NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, and YES, the discussion moves toward the always important question of: What now?

Here are some responding voices:

The Sacramento Bee begins by concurring, “You did it! Uh, so what now?” as the San Francisco Chronicle notes that the electorate strikes back. The San Jose Mercury news confirms that the ballot measures [are] soundly defeated, and the Los Angeles Times ponders, “A California election left open to interpretation.”….

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….