Budget Update: California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CALWORKS) Program– Oppose Governor’s Budget Proposed Cuts

Presentation

The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) and the California Association of Counties (CSAC) strongly oppose the cuts to the CalWORKs program proposed in the Governor’s Budget, which total over $400 million. In addition to the prospective cuts that would begin in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25, the Governor’s Budget proposes to retroactively cut current-year funding and permanently eliminate all funding for specific CalWORKs services. These cuts unfairly and disproportionately place the burden of resolving a statewide budget deficit on very low-income families, jeopardizing counties’ ability to administer the CalWORKs program and undermining the significant work done to align the program with the state’s core values.