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January 28, 2026 - This report discusses ongoing implementation of California’s Family First Prevention Services program since 2021-22. The report provides background regarding California’s child welfare system and how it is funded, describes the Department of Social Services’ progress in developing and overseeing the state’s new child welfare prevention services program, describes counties’ plans for implementing child welfare prevention services at the local level—as well as some challenges they have faced—and provides some considerations and options for the Legislature moving forward.
November 21, 2025 - The 2025-26 spending plan provides around $38 billion from the General Fund for human services programs across ten state departments, councils, and commissions.
November 13, 2025 - Presented to: Senate Committee on Human Services
October 24, 2025 - We describe the changing fiscal and policy landscape for Medi-Cal resulting from Congressional enactment of H.R. 1 and the key issues facing the Legislature.
October 16, 2025 - This post discusses features of the state's spending plan that were not covered elsewhere in the 2025-26 Spending Plan series.
October 16, 2025 - This post summarizes spending on health programs in the 2025-26 spending plan.
August 20, 2025 - Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 7 on Accountability and Oversight
June 16, 2025 - This report is the first of a three-part series focused on trends in the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program. Each part of the series focuses on an area of the program, beginning with this report on participant characteristics. The series provides an overview of the major changes to CalWORKs in recent decades and highlights key issues for Legislators to consider when making CalWORKs policy and budget decisions.
June 12, 2025 - This post provides background on the role of the public health laboratory system and changes that occurred during and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We also provide a framework for the Legislature to use to assess the capacity of the laboratory system and whether any capacity gaps warrant further action.
May 19, 2025 - The 2025-26 Budget: Medi-Cal in the May Revision handout.
April 29, 2025 - This post discusses a new process introduced by the administration to plan, develop, and implement generative artificial intelligence projects—the Project Delivery Lifecycle—and its potential impacts on legislative oversight of technology projects.
April 7, 2025 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health
March 7, 2025 - This post provides issues for legislative consideration, as well as questions for the Legislature to ask, ahead of an expected May Revision budget proposal to fund development and implementation of the California State Payroll System information technology project.