The state budget is an important moral statement of what we value as a state and where our priorities lie.  We have a choice: we can invest in quality child care, health care, education, nutritious food and other programs that help create a level playing field for all children, or we can continue to spend money on incarcerating large numbers of our population and expensive efforts to remedy the impacts of disinvestment in public health and education.  If we make the right investments, we will succeed in the long term: with a state with a productive economy and youth ready college and careers.

How the Governor’s Budget Proposal Would Affect California Children

On January 5th, Governor Jerry Brown released a 2012-13 budget proposal that contains large spending cuts to health and human services, child care, and other vital safety net services for children and families. The governor’s proposed cuts would put California children at risk at a time when the state’s families are already struggling. The budget proposal will cost the state more in the long run by continuing to disinvest in California’s children.

CalWORKs

The governor's budget proposal would cut CalWORKs cash assistance and welfare-to-work services for families by $946 million and substantially restructure the program. The proposal would implement a 15 percent reduction to child-only grants and shorten the time limit for benefits from 48 months to 24 months for families not meeting federal work requirements.  Learn more about CalWORKs

Child Care and Development

The governor's budget proposal would cut child care and development programs for low-income children by $517 million. The cuts would eliminate 62,000 child care and development slots by lowering the income eligibility limit for families and making cuts to providers. The proposal would also require families to meet work participation requirements to qualify for child care assistance. Learn more about child care and development

Children's Health Programs

The governor's budget proposal would transition all of the 875,000 children receiving health coverage in the Healthy Families program to Medi-Cal.  Such a transition could undermine access to care for those children, meaning that parents might not be able to get a doctor for their child when they need one.  The governor would also  reduce the rates paid to providers in Healthy Families by nearly 26 percent.  Lower rates may lead to fewer health plans and providers willing to provide coverage and care to Healthy Families children.  Learn more about children's health programs

K-12 Education

The budget also calls for $5.4 billion trigger cuts, predominately to K-12 education and higher education, if voters reject the proposed tax increases that Governor Brown is trying to place on the November ballot. Learn more about K-12 education

Other Programs Affecting Children

The governor's budget proposals also makes cuts or policy changes to higher education, services for children with disabilities and youth corrections.  Learn more about other programs affecting children

 Upcoming Budget Hearings

 The Legislature needs to hear from you about how the proposed budget cuts would affect children and families in your communities.  If you are interested in attending an upcoming budget hearing, please contact Michele Stillwell-Parvensky at mstillwellparvensky@childrensdefense.org.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 1:30 PM, State Capitol Room 4202
Joint Oversight Hearing of the Assembly and Senate Health Committees and Assembly and Senate Budget Subcommittees on Health and Human Services
Subject: Restructuring the Behavioral Health System in California

Thursday, February 16 2012, 9 AM, State Capitol Room 4203
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review
Subject: Governor’s Education Proposal

Thursday, February 23, 2012, 9:30 AM, State Capitol Room 4203
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review
Subject: Long Term Care/Medi-Cal Managed Care

Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 1:30 PM, State Capitol Room 444
Assembly Budget Committee
Subject: CalWORKs

Thursday, March 1, 2012, 9:30 AM, State Capitol Room 4203
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Room 4203
Subject: CalWORKs & Childcare

March 7, 2012, 1:30 PM, State Capitol Room 444
Subcommittee No. 1 on Health and Human Services and Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care
Subject: Long–Term Care Integration and Medi–Cal Managed Care: The Future for Beneficiaries, The Work Force, and Our Health Care System

Wednesday, March 14, 2012, 1:30 PM, State Capitol Room 444
Assembly Budget Committee
Subject:  Joint Hearing with Assembly Sub. 2 on Child Care

 Share Your Story

If you, your child, or a child in your community would be affected by the proposed cuts to CalWORKs, children’s health, child care, or other state programs, and you would be willing to share your story with the legislature and the media to fight the proposed cuts, please Michele Stillwell-Parvensky at mstillwellparvensky@childrensdefense.org.