Two-House Budget Agreement Highlights from ECPCA’s $10 Billion to Fight Poverty Budget Campaign

We are thrilled and appreciative to see many of the budget proposals supported by our Coalition reflected in the Legislature’s proposed state budget. We see these as vital to keeping the momentum on ending child poverty in California. In total, we estimate the Legislature has proposed over $11.1 billion dollars to fight poverty as supported by the End Child Poverty CA Coalition. We are especially excited and in full support to see the Legislature include the following investments:

Urgent Relief Payments

• Providing $8 billion for the Better for Families Rebates to give $200 per taxpayer and dependent to address increasing costs of basic needs like food and gas;
• Providing an additional rebate for CalWORKs families and those enrolled in the Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment program

Child Care

• Increasing the child care reimbursement rate to the 85th percentile of the regional market rate, and including a cost of living increase to the county regional market rate;
• Investing $200 million in additional childcare facilities as proposed by the Governor’s May Revision;
• Approving the waiving of family fees for childcare as proposed by the Governor’s May Revision

CalWORKs

• Increasing CalWORKs grant levels starting July 1, 2023 and providing $789 million to increase CalWORKs grants to end deep child poverty

Child Support

• Implementing a full-pass through of child support payments to families formerly receiving public assistance as proposed by the Governor’s January budget;
• Implementing a full-pass through of child support payments to families currently on public assistance in 2024-2025 and on-going 

Transformative Investments

• Creating the HOPE Account Program to provide trust fund accounts for low-income children who have lost parents or caregivers to COVID-19 and for children who experienced long-term foster care;
• Approving $12 million as proposed by the Governor’s May Revision as assistance for Promise Neighborhoods to ensure low-income children and families receive place-based, wraparound services from cradle to career