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CWDA Celebrates 100 Years of Advocacy
We are the County Welfare Directors Association of California. Putting Californians first for a century.

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We Advocate.
We Educate.
We Collaborate.
We are the County Welfare Directors Association of California. We are a nonprofit association representing the human service directors from each of California’s 58 counties.

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Immigration Resources for Counties
This page includes tools and resources for county human services agencies relating to immigration, health care and public benefits under current law. 

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Hot topic State Budget

2026 State Budget Priorities
Each year, CWDA works to set budget priorities that will improve the well-being of children, families and individuals served by the human services system.

Hot topic State Legislation

2026 State Legislative Priorities
Each year, CWDA solicits input on legislative priorities from the county human services agencies and the association’s committees. The CWDA Board of Directors sets priorities for each legislative session.

Hot topic State Budget

Federal Safety Net Threats
Congress is considering unprecedented cuts to county administered safety net programs, including nearly $900 billion in cuts to Medicaid and $230 billion to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

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News & Updates

Recent News

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CHILD WELFARE SERVICES (CWS): EMERGENCY RESPONSE STABILIZATION, FLEX FAMILY SUPPORT EXTENSIONS, AND ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TRAILER BILL LANGUAGE

The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) respectfully submits this budget memorandum to requestadditional General Fund investment in Emergency Response (ER) Enhancement services and a two-year extension of Flexible Family Supports funding authority. These targeted investments strengthen the front end of the child welfare system, support prevention and placement stability, and help counties sustain timely and effective responses to reports of child abuse and neglect.

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BUDGET FACT SHEET: PRESERVE HEALTH CARE & PROTECT MEDI-CAL FROM H.R. 1 CUTS
Investing in County Eligibility Workers is Critical to Keep Californians Connected to Health Care Benefits

County eligibility workers are responsible for processing, verifying, and redetermining eligibility for applicants and Medi-Cal enrollees in California.
The county eligibility workforce helped enroll millions of low-income
adults who became newly eligible for Medi-Cal under the Affordable
Care Act (ACA) beginning in 2014, contributing to near universal
health care coverage in 2022 and 2023 when the statewide uninsured
rate dropped to a historic low of 6.2%.

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PREVENT HUNGER & PROTECT CALFRESH FROM H.R. 1 CUTS & RISKS

The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) respectfully submits this memorandum to highlight three significant programmatic changes and emerging risks affecting CalFresh administration that will require targeted relief and strategic investments to ensure Californians can continue to access critical food assistance without disruption. 

Budget Priority

PROTECTING MEDI-CAL COVERAGE IN THE FACE OF H.R. 1

The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) respectfully urges the Legislature to protect Medi-Cal coverage for 4.6 million impacted low-income Californians by investing in the county eligibility workforce as the State prepares to implement new federal Medicaid requirements under H.R. 1. If adequately funded, well-trained, and fully staffed, the county eligibility workforce is an upstream approach to mitigate downstream, system-wide impacts of H.R. 1, impacts that would increase uncompensated care costs.

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State Budget Update #1 – Governor’s Proposed 2026-2027 Budget
Budget Update #1 for FY 2026-27 Governor’s Budget

Overall Budget Picture

California’s overall economic picture has performed better than projected compared to the Budget Act of 2025. The Governor’s Budget proposes a $348.9 billion balanced budget with
General Fund expenditures of $248.3 billion. The stronger-than-anticipated performance of the economy, stock market, and cash receipts have contributed to an upgraded revenue
forecast, with General Fund (GF) revenues coming in higher by approximately $42.3 billion, or 6.7 percent, across the budget window (FYs 2024-25, 2025-26, and 2026-27). The revenue

Press release Carlos Marquez III

California Leaders Must Step into the Breach and Protect Vulnerable Children, Adults and Families in the State Budget
County Eligibility Workers Make the Difference Between an Unmitigated Healthcare and Hunger Crisis and Families’ Preserving Ongoing Access to Life Saving Food Assistance and Healthcare Coverage

Sacramento, CA – The County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) of California issued the following statement from Executive Director Carlos Marquez III today on Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2026 – 2027 Budget Proposal. 

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