WE WILL CALL THE ASSEMBLY
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE HEARING
TO ORDER AT THIS TIME. WE WILL
ESTABLISH QUORUM. JACKSON. HERE.
SANCHEZ. COLONIES. ARAMBULA.
BONTA. BRIAN CALLED AROUND.
GARCIA. FANTASTIC WELCOME
EVERYONE TO THE MARCH 14TH BILL
HEARING OF THE HUMAN ASSEMBLY
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE. I'D
LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO WELCOME
THE NEW MEMBERS AS WELL ON THE
COMMITTEE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO
WORKING WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE
OF YOU. UM I WILL JUST SHARE A
FEW NOTES ABOUT THE LOGISTICS OF
OUR HEARING. UM TODAY REGARDING
THE PUBLIC'S ACCESS TO
DISCUSSIONS FOR THOSE JOINING US
IN PERSON. UH FACE COVERINGS ARE
ENCOURAGED FOR ALL MEMBERS,
EMPLOYEES AND THE PUBLIC AND ALL
COMMON AREAS AND SHARED SPACES.
FOR THOSE DIALING IN WE WILL BE
USING A MODERATED TELEPHONE
SERVICE THROUGH WHICH ANY MEMBER
OF THE PUBLIC CAN TESTIFY ON A
BILL. THE CALL IN NUMBER FOR
THIS HEARING IS 877. 6928. AND
THE ACCESS CODE IS 131. 5437 YOU
CAN ALSO FIND THIS NUMBER ON THE
COMMITTEE WEBSITE AS WELL AS ON
YOUR TV SCREEN. IF YOU'RE
CALLING IN, PLEASE DO SO NOW THE
OPERATOR ON THE LINE WILL GIVE
YOU INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO BE
PLACED IN. Q BASED UPON WHETHER
YOU SUPPORT OR OPPOSE A BILL
COLLEAGUE IN PLEASE BE MINDFUL
OF AND ELIMINATE ALL BACKGROUND
NOISE. WE WILL FIRST, UM THE
FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO
ADOPT OUR RULES AND THEN WE WILL
MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CONSENT
CALENDAR. UM IS DO I HAVE A
MOTION IT'S BEEN MOVED IS A
SECOND. SECONDED. MADAM
SECRETARY. PLEASE CALL THE ROLL
ON ADOPTING THE COMMITTEE RULES.
JACKSON I JACKSON. I SANCHEZ
SANCHEZ. I COLONIES ARAMBULA
ARAMBULA. AYE, BONTA. BYE BYE. I
BRIAN CALLED AROUND. GARCIA
GARCIA. AYE. FANTASTIC. THE
RULES HAVE BEEN ADOPTED. NEXT WE
WILL MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT
CALENDAR. IS THERE A MOTION FOR
THE CONSENT CALENDAR? SOME OF
IT'S BEEN MOVED. 2ND 2ND. MADAM
SECRETARY. PLEASE CALL THE ROLL
ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR. JACKSON
I, SANCHEZ SANCHEZ. I COLONIES.
ARAMBULA ARAMBULA. AYE BONTA.
BONTA. I, BRIAN. CALLED AROUND.
GARCIA GARCIA. AYE. BECAUSE SENT
CALENDAR HAS PASSED OUT. NEXT
UP. WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO
HEAR A FEW BILL FIVE BILLS
TODAY. AND WE WILL BEGIN. WITH
ASSEMBLY MEMBER DR ARAMBULA.
WOULD YOU PLEASE COME UP ON A B
605? AND YOU MAY BEGIN WHEN
YOU'RE READY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR
CHAIR AND MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR
THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT ON A
B 605 TODAY. A B 605 STRETCHES
THE CAL FRESH RECIPIENTS. THE
DOLLARS OF CAL FRESH RECIPIENTS
EVEN FURTHER BY COMBINING
SUCCESSFUL FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
, SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFIT PAYMENTS
AND PROGRAMS WITH THE EFFICIENCY
OF CALIFORNIA'S EXISTING E B T
SYSTEM. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT
NEARLY ONE IN FIVE CALIFORNIANS
ARE LIVING WITH THE STRESS AND
TRAUMA. OF NOT KNOWING IF THEY
WILL HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT. NEARLY
FIVE MILLION CALIFORNIANS RELY
ON CALLE FRIST PROVIDE FOOD FOR
THEIR FAMILIES. YET DESPITE THIS
TREMENDOUS DEMAND AT THE END OF
THIS MONTH, THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT IS ENDING PANDEMIC
ERA CAL FRESH EMERGENCY
ALLOTMENTS. THIS WILL REPRESENT
ONE THIRD OF THE FOOD SAFETY NET
IN CALIFORNIA. THE AVERAGE CAL
FRESH RECIPIENT WILL LOSE $95
PER MONTH AND SOME HOUSEHOLDS
WILL LOSE $250 OR MORE. BUT
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT WE CAN
CHANGE THIS. WHEN PEOPLE HAVE
MORE MONEY TO PURCHASE FRUITS
AND VEGETABLES THEY DO. BY
LEVERAGING THE EXISTING BBT
TECHNOLOGY. MAYBE 605 PROVIDES
UP TO $60 IN MATCHING FUNDS WHEN
CAL FRESH RECIPIENTS PURCHASE
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AT FARMERS
, MARKETS AND GROCERS,
TESTIFYING AND SUPPORT OF A B
605 OUR ALLIES EGAS REPRESENTING
SPUR AND DAVID BARBER, DURHAM
PARTICIPANT IN THE MOSQUE FRESCO
PROGRAM PROGRAM IN SAN DIEGO.
WELCOME. GREAT. THANK YOU SO
MUCH CHAIR JACKSON AND MEMBERS
OF THE COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS ELI
ZEGAS. I'M THE FOOD AND
AGRICULTURE POLICY DIRECTOR AT
SPUR AND ON BEHALF OF BOTH SPUR
AND NOURISH CALIFORNIA AS CO
SPONSORS WANT TO THANK DR
ARAMBULA FOR HIS LEADERSHIP AND
THIS COMMITTEE LAST YEAR THAT
WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS
BILL. AND YOU ALL FOR HEARING IT
TODAY. WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT A B
605 AND EXPANDING FRUIT AND
STUFF. FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS BECAUSE WE
KNOW THEY DO THREE THINGS. THEY
REDUCE HUNGER. THEY IMPROVE
HEALTH, AND THEY SUPPORT THE
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY HERE IN
CALIFORNIA, AND IT DOES THAT BY
PROVIDING SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS
WHEN CAL FRESH CUSTOMERS, THEY
GO TO A GROCERY STORE FARMERS
MARKETS THEY BUY THE FOOD THAT
THEY WANT ALREADY FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES THAT THEY SEE. AND
WHAT WE'VE SET UP AND WHAT C D S
S AND O S. I HAVE NOW SET UP IS
THAT THE CUSTOMERS GET A REBATE
BACK ONTO THEIR CARD WHEN THEY
BUY THOSE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
WITH THEIR MBT DOLLARS UP TO $60
A MONTH AS THE ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S
SAID. WHAT THIS BILL WOULD DO
RIGHT NOW. WE ARE SLATED IN THE
CURRENT SCALE, THE PILOT LIKELY
REACH THOUSANDS. TENS OF
THOUSANDS OF HOUSEHOLDS. AS YOU
ALL KNOW, THERE'S MORE THAN FIVE
MILLION PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA AND
CAL FRESH AND SO THIS BILL WOULD
GO A BIG STEP TO REACHING MORE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF HOUSEHOLDS, AS
OPPOSED TO TENS OF THOUSANDS AND
IN THE TIME OF THE HUNGER CLIFF
, I CAN'T THINK OF MANY MORE
THINGS THAT ARE MORE TIMELY AND
NECESSARY, THEN HELPING PEOPLE
MAKE ENDS MEET. WITH ADDITIONAL
MONEY FOR HEALTHY FOOD. THIS
BILL WON'T FEEL THAT ENTIRE GAP
AT $60 A MONTH, AND THERE'S ONLY
SO MANY RETAILERS THAT WE CAN
REACH THE BILL. THE AMOUNT WE
ARE SEEKING HAS BEEN SCALED
DOWN. RECOGNIZING THE FISCAL
PRESSURE THE STATE IS UNDER. UM
BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE A PLUG%
THAT THERE ARE AS A AS A THINK
TANK THERE. FEW PROGRAMS THAT WE
SEE THAT WORK AS EFFECTIVELY
THAT HAVE SUCH A STRONG EVIDENCE
BASE AND ALSO IMPORTANTLY, AT
THIS TIME OF FISCAL CONSTRAINT.
OR HAS ADMINISTRATIVELY
EFFICIENT 96% OF ALL THE DOLLARS
WE ARE PUTTING REQUESTING WILL
GO INTO PEOPLE'S POCKETS
DIRECTLY THAT THEY THEN SPEND ON
FOOD, SO THERE'S VERY LITTLE
OVERHEAD. AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE
SYSTEM THAT THE STATE HAS
CREATED IS SO EFFICIENT, SO
WE'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
IN SHORT, IT'S A WIN WIN WIN A
TRIPLE WIN REDUCTION IN HUNGER,
IMPROVEMENT IN HEALTH AND
SUPPORT FOR THE AG ECONOMY. WE
HOPE YOU WILL VOTE YES, AND MAKE
HEALTHY FOOD MORE AFFORDABLE FOR
LOW INCOME CALIFORNIANS. THANK
YOU. ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL
PUBLIC SUPPORT IN THE HEARING
ROOM? WE SHOULD HAVE ONE MORE
ONE BY PHONE, CORRECT, ALRIGHT.
YEP WE HAVE MR DAVID BARBER, DUN
HAM. THANK YOU, CHAIR AND
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. I AM
DAVID BARBARA DUNHAM FROM BARRIO
LOGAN. SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA SAN
DIEGO COUNTY. I AM ON A LIMITED
INCOME WITH SOCIAL SECURITY. AND
HAVE HEALTH ISSUES BECAUSE OF
WORKING IN HARD LABOR FOR MANY
YEARS BEFORE RECEIVING
SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS LIKE E B.
T M I FRESCO I WAS LIVING ON A
CAN OF BEANS TODAY BECAUSE
ALMOST ALL OF MY SO SECURITY
WENT TO PAY MY RENT. MY HEALTH
FAILED BADLY IN MY DOCTOR
PRESCRIBED FOODS THAT I COULD
NOT AFFORD, BUT HE BE TÌM US
FRESCO HELP ME TO BUY THE FOOD
THAT MY NUTRITIONIST
RECOMMENDED. BECAUSE I WAS ABLE
TO BUY HEALTHY FOOD. I LOST
WEIGHT. I LOWERED MICHAELA
RESTAURANT AND I GOT MY LIFE
BACK. I AM SINCERELY. CONVINCED
THAT HE VTM MÁS FRESCO PROGRAMS
SAVED MY LIFE. THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY TODAY.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS. OKAY? DO WE HAVE ANY
ADDITIONAL PUBLIC SUPPORT IN THE
HEARING ROOM AT THIS TIME?
PLEASE COME ON UP. PLEASE STATE
YOUR NAME AND WHO YOU'RE
REPRESENTING. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR
CHAIRMAN MEMBERS CHRISTOPHER
SANCHEZ POLICY ADVOCATE THE
WESTERN CENTER AND LAND, POVERTY
AND STRONG SUPPORT. GOOD
AFTERNOON, KEVIN AS LEHMAN
COLLEGE OF CALIFORNIA WELFARE
RIGHTS ORGANIZATION STRONG
SUPPORT, THANKS. GOOD AFTERNOON
. JARED CALL WITH NOURISH
CALIFORNIA PROUD TO CO SPONSOR
AND STRONG SUPPORT. THANKS. CODY
BOILS ON BEHALF OF CALIFORNIA
GROCERY ASSOCIATION IN
CALIFORNIA FRESH FRUIT
ASSOCIATION AND SUPPORT. RAIN
ELAINE ON BEHALF OF THE
CALIFORNIA RETAILERS,
ASSOCIATION, AND SUPPORT THANK
YOU. HOLLY FOR MANY A DAY
HIS.THIS WITH LIGHTHOUSE PUBLIC
AFFAIRS ON BEHALF OF THE BLACK
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL AND SUPPORT
OKAY. DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL
PUBLIC SUPPORT ON THE PHONE LINE
AT THIS TIME? AND AS A REMINDER,
PLEASE PRESS ONE THAN ZERO. WE
DO HAVE ONE LINE IN. Q IT COMES
FROM LINE 18, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
MINE. 18 YOUR LINE IS OPEN,
POSSIBLY OF YOUR MUTE BUTTON ON
. THEY DID THIS CONNECT. WE DO
HAVE ANOTHER IN QUÊ. IT IS LINE
16. PLEASE GO AHEAD. YOUR LINE
IS OPEN. MY MOM IS FROM THE
NATIONAL CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA
CHAPTER SUPPORT. NEXT WE'LL GO
TO LINE 15. PLEASE GO AHEAD.
YOUR LINE IS OPEN. HI THIS IS
JAMIE MORGUE UNBUTTON THE
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION. WE
ARE IN SUPPORTED THE BILL. AND
FOR HERE, I VOTE TODAY. THANK
YOU. NEXT WE'RE GOING TO LINE
16. PLEASE GO AHEAD. YOUR LINE
IS OPEN. HOPE THEY DID
DISCONNECT YOURSELF. THAT'S ALL
WE HAVE IN Q AT THIS TIME. OKAY
WE WILL MOVE ON TO OPPOSITION TO
DO WE HAVE ANY WITNESSES AND
OPPOSITION. SAYING NINE. DO WE
HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL AH!
OPPOSITION IN THE HEARING ROOM.
ARE THERE ANY OPPOSITION ON THE
PHONE LINE AT THIS TIME? AS A
REMINDER, PLEASE PRESS ONE, BEN
ZERO FOR OPPOSITION. WE DO HAVE
ONE IN Q ONE MOMENT. THAT COMES
FROM MINE. 25 PLEASE GO AHEAD.
YOUR LINE IS OPEN. THEY HAVE
DISCONNECTED THEMSELVES. WE HAVE
NO ONE IN Q AT THIS TIME.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL BRING IT UP TO
THE MEMBERS THROUGH ANY ARE
THERE ANY MEMBERS WHO HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS FOR THE AUTHOR? MR
GARCIA COMMENT. MR CHAIR. THANK
YOU WANNA RECOGNIZE THE AUTHOR
FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD? FOR
IDENTIFYING WHAT BECAME A GOOD
PRACTICE. THROUGH THE EXECUTIVE
ORDERS OF ABOUT THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT STATE GOVERNMENT. AND
UTILIZING THE SUCCESS OF THESE
EFFORTS TO INSTITUTE INTO
PERMANENT POLICY. AND I THINK
THAT THERE'S A LOT FOR US TO
LOOK AT THAT WORKED VIA THE
EXECUTIVE ORDER AND A LOT OF
DIFFERENT AREAS, PARTICULARLY IN
THE HUMAN HEALTH SERVICES TO
HELP THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN OUR
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MOST
VULNERABLE. SO I JUST WANTED TO
COMMEND YOU FOR BRINGING THIS
FORWARD AND ENCOURAGE ALL OF US
TO LOOK AT OTHER AREAS WHERE THE
EXECUTIVE ORDERS ALLOWED US TO
DO THINGS WITHOUT THE
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RED TAPE.
TO GET TO THE END GO AND I KNOW
THAT THERE ARE SOME AREAS UH,
MISSIONARIES IN THIS SPACE, BUT
ALSO IN THE HOUSING SPACE IN THE
EDUCATION SPACE, AND SO JUST
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS BILL
FORWARD. ANY ADDITIONAL MEMBERS
AT THIS TIME. SAYING NOW
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S WOULD YOU LIKE
TO POSE AGAIN? MR CHAIR? I THANK
YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO
PRESENT AND I RESPECTFULLY ASK
FOR MY VOTE. DO WE HAVE A MOTION
AND A SECOND BILL? IT'S BEEN
MOVED. DO I HAVE A SECOND? IT'S
BEEN SECONDED. MADAM SECRETARY,
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL A B 605.
THE MOTION IS DUE PASS TO THE
ASSEMBLY AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE.
JACKSON JACKSON, I, SANCHEZ
SANCHEZ. I COLONIES I ARAMBULA
ARAMBULA. AYE BONTA. BANTA I
BRIAN BRIAN, I CALDERON
CALDERON. I GARCIA. GARCIA I
YES. THE VOTE IS 8 TO 0. THE
BILL IS OUT, UH AND IT WILL MOVE
ON TO THE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE.
UH WE WILL ALLOW ABSENT MEMBERS
TO ADD ON AT THE END OF THE
HEARING. NEXT UP. WE HAVE.
ASSEMBLY MEMBER CARILLO A. B
448. WELCOME SIR. THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON. CHAIR AND
MEMBERS APPRECIATE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN FRONT OF
YOU TODAY. IN ALLOWING ME TO
PRESENT THEIR PERCENT BILL FOR
EIGHT. THIS BILL SEEKS TO
STRENGTHEN EXISTING REQUIREMENTS
AROUND SOCIAL WORKERS AND
PROVISION OFFICERS DOCUMENTATION
OF FAMILY FUNDING EFFORTS FOR
YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE. MANY OF
YOU MAY KNOW YOUTH IN FOSTER
CARE OR SOME OF THE MOST
VULNERABLE CHILDREN. OUR SOCIETY
, MANY CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE
SYSTEM HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM
THEIR HOMES DUE TO ABUSE,
NEGLECT OR OTHER REASONS BEYOND
THEIR CONTROL. THESE CHILDREN
OFTEN LEFT FEELING ALONE,
ABANDONED AND DISCONNECTED FROM
THEIR FAMILIES. IN FACT, IT IS
ESTIMATED THAT IN CALIFORNIA
THAT ARE NEARLY 60,000 CHILDREN.
IN FOSTER CARE, AND NEARLY 50%
OF THEM ARE LATINO. THEY HAVE
OFTEN EXPERIENCED TRAUMA ON THE
INSTABILITY IN THEIR LIVES AND
ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF
SUPPORTING ON STABLE
RELATIONSHIPS. ONE OF THE BEST
WAYS TO PROVIDE HIS SUPPORTERS
BY CONNECTING THEM WITH THEIR
FAMILIES. A B FOR 48 6 TO
ACHIEVE THIS BY REQUIRING SOCIAL
WORKERS AND OR PREVENTION
OFFICERS TO CONDUCT AN
INVESTIGATION TO IDENTIFY AND
LOCATE ADULT RELATIVES. NO LATER
THAN 30 DAYS OF A CHILD BEING
REMOVED FROM THEIR CUSTODY OF
THEIR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS. THIS
TIME FRAME ENSURES THAT EFFORTS
TO CONNECT YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE
WITH THEIR FAMILIES ARE MADE AS
QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WHICH IS
CRITICAL FOR THE WELL BEING OF
CHILDREN IN THEIR FOSTER CARE
SYSTEM. THIS BILL ALSO ENSURES
THAT THESE EFFORTS ARE
DOCUMENTED. AND SHARE WITH ALL
PARTIES TO BETTER FACILITATE
MEANINGFUL AND ONGOING
CONNECTION BETWEEN THE YOUTH AND
THEIR FAMILIES. RESEARCH HAS
SHOWN THAT CHILDREN WHO
MAINTAINED POSITIVE
RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR FAMILY
MEMBERS WHO WILL IN FOSTER CARE
HAVE BETTER LONG TERM OUTCOMES.
YEAH. THESE CHILDREN ARE MORE
LIKELY TO HAVE HIGHER
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, LOWER
RATES OF DEPRESSION AND OTHER
MENTAL HEALTH. ISSUES IN ARE
LESS LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE
HOMELESSNESS AND OTHER NEGATIVE
OUTCOMES. JOIN ME REMOTELY TODAY
AND TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IS
JULIE MCCORMICK FROM THE
CHILDREN'S LAWCENTER. THANK YOU
FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. AND
SECOND, IT. HAS BEEN MOVED IN
SECOND, UM WITNESS JULIE
MCCORMICK ON THE PHONE. GOOD
AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU, CHAIR
JACKSON AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I'M JULIE MCCORMACK, SENIOR
POLICY ATTORNEY AT THE
CHILDREN'S LAW CENTER OF
CALIFORNIA, THE LARGEST
CHILDREN'S LEGAL SERVICES
ORGANIZATION IN THE NATION
ADVOCATING FOR AROUND 30,000
CHILDREN IN USE IN FOSTER CARE,
AND LOS ANGELES, SACRAMENTO AND
PLASTER COUNTY. I WAS PREVIOUSLY
A CASE CARING ATTORNEYS FOR THE
CHILDREN'S LAWCENTER,
REPRESENTING CHILDREN AND USE
INDEPENDENCY COURT DAILY. WE ARE
PROUD TO BE A CO SPONSOR OF 84
48 AND GRATEFUL FOR THE
LEGISLATURE'S COMMITMENT TO
BOLSTERING FAMILIES FINDING
EFFORTS IN THE CHILD WELFARE
SYSTEM AND FOR ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S
KOREA'S PARTNERSHIP AND
CONTINUING TO BUILD UPON THAT
COMMITMENT. IN CALIFORNIA. WHEN
A CHILD IS REMOVED, MY PARENTS
CARE. THERE'S A PREFERENCE THAT
FORCE AND STATUTES, BUT THE
CHILD REPLACED WITH A RELATIVE
OR NON RELATIVE EXTENDED FAMILY
MEMBER. HOWEVER HAVING A
PREFERENCE FOR RELATIVE
PLACEMENT IN STATUTE, WHAT
RESULT IN CHILDREN BEING PLACED
WITH RELATIVES UNLESS EFFORTS
ARE MADE TO LOCATE AND CONNECT
WITH THOSE RELATIVES. FAMILY
FINDING IS A CRITICAL TOOL
ALREADY AT THE DISPOSABLE
DISPOSAL, SOCIAL WORKERS AND
PROBATION OFFICERS THAT CAN
INCREASE RELATIVE PLACEMENT
AMONG YOU THREE REMOVED FROM
THEIR PARENTS, 84 48 WILL SIMPLY
ENSURE THAT THOSE EFFORTS ARE
WILL BE PROPERLY DOCUMENTED.
DOCUMENTATION OF EFFORTS IS
ESSENTIAL SO THAT ALL PARTIES
INVOLVED IN THE CHILD WELFARE,
STATE ATTORNEYS, JUDICIAL
OFFICERS WHO HAVE THE
INFORMATION NECESSARY TO
FACILITATE MEANINGFUL AND
ONGOING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE
YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES. OUR
ATTORNEYS HAVE SEEN COUNTLESS
CASES WHERE A RELATIVE WAS
LOCATED OR REACHED OUT, BUT THAT
INFORMATION WAS NOT PROVIDED TO
THE COURT FOR MINORS COUNCIL,
RESULTING IN A DELAY IN THE
CHILD BEING PLACED WITH
RELATIVES. NUMEROUS NATIONWIDE
STUDIES HAVE DOCUMENTED SUPPORT
OUTCOMES OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH
WHO ARE REMOVED FROM THEIR HOMES
AND PLACED INTO THE CHILD
WELFARE SYSTEM. STUDIES HAVE
ALSO DEMONSTRATED THE
SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT TO CHILDREN
WHO ARE PLACED WITH RELATIVES,
RATHER THAN WITH STRANGERS AND
FOSTER HOMES. FOREIGN GROUP CARE
MAYBE 4486 TO ENSURE THAT YOUTH
IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM OR
CONNECTED TO FAMILY AT THE
EARLIEST POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY IN
ORDER TO ALLEVIATE ADDITIONAL
TRAUMA TO THE CHILD. I
RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOUR I VOTE
AND THANK ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S KOREA
FOR HIS LEADERSHIP AND COMMUTING
FAMILY CONNECTIONS FOR OUR MOST
VULNERABLE CHILDREN. ALL RIGHT.
IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL PUBLIC
SUPPORT AND THE HEARING ROOM AT
THIS TIME? PLEASE STATE YOUR
NAME AND YOUR WHO YOU REPRESENT
, PLEASE. KEVIN HAS THEIR
COALITION CALIFORNIA WELCOME
RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS. I
PERSONALLY THINK THAT WHEN THEY
REMOVED MY KID FROM MY HOUSE, MY
KIDS SHOULD GO RIGHT THROUGH
RELATIVE AND NOT SOMEWHERE ELSE
, BECAUSE IF THEY GO SOMEWHERE
ELSE THAT SCREWS THEM UP FOR
LIFE. SO I SUPPORT THIS BILL.
THANK YOU. SAYING NO OTHER
SUPPORT IN THE HEARING ROOM. DO
WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL PUBLIC
SUPPORT ON THE PHONE LINE? JUST
PLEASE PRESS ONE THAN ZERO IF
YOU'D LIKE TO SHOW SUPPORT 10.
WE HAVE NO ONE QUEUING UP AT
THIS TIME. THEN WE WILL MOVE ON
TO OPPOSITION ANY OPPOSITION
WITNESSES AT THIS TIME? SAYING
NOW AND ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL
OPPOSITION IN THE HEARING ROOM?
SEEING NONE. ARE THERE ANY
OPPOSITION ON THE PHONE LINE?
HEARING NONE. WE WILL MOVE ON TO
MEMBERS. ANY MEMBERS HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS FOR THE AUTHOR AT THIS
TIME? MR BRYAN. UM NOT A
QUESTION MORE OF A THANK YOU
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S CARILLO. ALL OF
THE DATA SHOWS THAT WHEN WE KEEP
FAMILIES TOGETHER AND FIND YOUR
NEXT OF KIN OUTCOMES ARE IN FACT
BETTER. UM I GREW UP IN A FAMILY
THAT DID FOSTER CARE FOR 26
YEARS. UM, I MYSELF WAS ADOPTED
AS A KID, HUNDREDS OF FOSTER
SIBLINGS AND IN ALL OF THE CASE
VISITS ALL OF THE FAMILY VISITS
ALL OF THE TIMES THAT
REUNIFICATION WAS POSSIBLE. AND
WAS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE
COUNTY'S EFFORTS BETTER OUTCOMES
WERE ACHIEVED. THIS IS ONE OF
THOSE COMMENTS AND THINGS TO
ENSURE THAT CHILDREN WHO TOUCHED
THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM ALSO
HAVE THOSE SAME SAFEGUARDS TO
TRY TO FIND THE FAMILY MEMBERS
WHO ARE OUT THERE WHO CAN BE A
PART OF THEIR LIFE AND THEIR
JOURNEY BACK TOWARDS OPPORTUNITY
. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR CO
AUTHORS, I'M HAPPY TO JOIN YOU.
THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU.
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S RYAN
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S BONTA. I ALSO
WANT TO THANK MR CARILLO FOR
BRINGING FORWARD THIS BILL. I
HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY
TO REPRESENT. UM MANY CHILDREN
IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM AND
THE TWO ASPECTS OF THIS BILL.
ONE IS THE IMMEDIATE IMMEDIATELY
AND URGENCY TO MAKE SURE THAT AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE, THERE'S AN
OPPORTUNITY TO FIND A RELATIVE
IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL. AND THAT
YEAH, AND THAT THERE IS AN
INTENTION ACTUALLY TO STICK WITH
THE CHILD OVER TIME AND WITH THE
STATUS REVIEWS AND MAKE SURE
THAT AS SOCIAL WORKERS ARE
CONTINUING TO SEARCH FOR AH, AN
OPTIMAL, UM, SUPPORT SYSTEM WITH
FAMILY MEMBERS, SO I IF YOU ARE
WILLING TO TAKE OTHERS CO
AUTHORS I'D LOVE TO CO AUTHOR AS
WELL. ANY ADDITIONAL MEMBERS AT
THIS TIME. SAYING THAT
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S WOULD YOU LIKE
TO CLOSE? SHE'S GOING TO CLOSE
BY SAYING THANK YOU, MR CHAIR,
MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY FOR
ALLOWING ME TO PRESENT THIS
IMPORTANT ISSUE. THAT WE ALL
FACE IN CALIFORNIA THIS YEAR
THAT WE REPRESENT I'LL JUST SAY
THAT THIS BILL WOULD HELP MAKE
POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF
CALIFORNIA'S MOST VULNERABLE
CHILDREN, AND I RESPECTFULLY
URGE YOU TO VOTE I AND I WANT TO
THANK YOU AGAIN. WE HAVE A
MOTION BY ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S
ARAMBULA, SECOND BY
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S BRIAN UM, MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
A B 448. THE MOTION IS DUE PASS
TO THE ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE. JACKSON JACKSON, I,
SANCHEZ SANCHEZ. I LINEAS. AYE
ARAMBULA ARAMBULA. AYE, BONTA. I
BRIAN, BRIAN, I CALDERON AROUND.
I GARCIA. GARCIA I THE VOTE IS
80 AND THE BILL IS OUT. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT WE HAVE A B
3 25 BY ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S REYES.
AND I BELIEVE IT SAYS HERE YOU
HAVE TWO WITNESSES AS WELL. THEY
CAN JOIN US. AND YOU MAY START
WHEN YOU'RE READY. THANK YOU, MR
CHAIR. I PRESENT THE 3 25 3 25,
WHICH SIX TO ENSURE IMMIGRANTS
WHO QUALIFY FOR STATE AND LOCAL
BENEFITS. DO NOT GO WITHOUT
ACCESS TO CRITICAL SERVICES AND
RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED AS THEY
AWAIT APPROVAL OF THEIR FEDERAL
RELIEF APPLICATIONS. CURRENTLY
APPLICANTS OF U VISAS TVS A
SPECIAL IMMIGRANT, JUVENILE
STATUS, PETITIONERS AND VIOLENCE
AGAINST WOMEN ACT. PETITIONERS
CAN ACCESS STATE AND LOCAL
BENEFITS IN CALIFORNIA. HOWEVER
IN ORDER TO ACCESS THESE SPENT
THE SERVICES, THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT MUST GIVE NOTICE THAT
THEY HAVE APPROVED THEIR
APPLICATION. AS APPLICANTS WAIT
FOR THIS APPROVAL AT THE FEDERAL
LEVEL. THEY MAY GO MONTHS
WITHOUT ACCESS TO THE CRITICAL
SERVICES. A B 3 25 WOULD ALLOW
ASYLUM SEEKERS AND QUALIFIED
WOMEN AND YOUTH TO ACCESS STATE
AND LOCAL RESOURCES ONCE THEY
FILED THEIR APPLICATION WITH
YOUR APPROPRIATE FEDERAL AGENCY
, EFFECTIVELY CLOSING THE GAP IN
WHICH AN APPLICANT MUST GO
WITHOUT BENEFITS. AND ENSURING
THE NEEDS OF APPLICANTS ARE MET.
HERE TO TESTIFY IN SUPPORT OF
THE BILL OR CYNTHIA GÓMEZ, WITH
COALITION FOR HUMANE IMMIGRANT
RIGHTS OF LOS ANGELES. SHEILA
AND MARIANA FERNANDEZ WITH
LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL IMMIGRANT
JUSTICE CLINIC AND HERE TO
ANSWER ANY TECHNICAL QUESTIONS
IS CHRISTOPHER SANCHEZ WITH THE
WESTERN CENTER ON LAW AND
POVERTY. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME
IS MARIANA FERNANDEZ. I AM A
CLINICAL LAW STUDENT, LOYOLA LAW
SCHOOL'S IMMIGRANT JUSTICE
CLINIC AND WILL SELL LOS
ANGELES, CALIFORNIA HERE IN
STRONG SUPPORT OF A B 3 25. THE
CLINIC ADVANCES THE RIGHTS OF
THE IMMIGRANT POPULATION IN EAST
LOS ANGELES THROUGH DIRECTLY
WILL SERVICES, EDUCATION AND
COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT. OUR
CLIENTS, LIKE MANY OTHER
IMMIGRANTS, FACE EXTREME
CHALLENGES IN ESTABLISHING A NEW
LIFE IN CALIFORNIA. FOR EXAMPLE
, ASYLUM SEEKERS COMING TO THE
U. S HAVE GENERALLY FLED OUT OF
FEAR THAT THEY WILL BE KILLED,
MOST REPORTED BEGIN WITH AND
THEY USUALLY LEAVE QUICKLY,
BRINGING ONLY WHAT THEY CAN
CARRY. BY THE TIME THEY REACH
THE US MANY ARRIVED WITH
NOTHING. THESE ASYLUM SEEKERS
ALWAYS ENCOUNTER GREAT
DIFFICULTIES FROM THE DANGER
THAT INITIALLY PUSHED THEM OUT
OF THEIR HOMELANDS. TOO
TRAUMATIC INCIDENTS ALONG THE
WAY, BUT THE DAMAGE JUST
NEEDLESSLY COMPOUNDED WHEN WE
CUT THEM OFF FROM CRITICAL
SERVICES. WHEN WE DENY PEOPLE
ACCESS TO THE IMPORTANT SERVICES
THEY NEED TO LIVE. IT MAKES IT
THAT MUCH HARDER FOR THEM TO GET
BACK ON THEIR FEET. YOU TOO LONG
PROCESSING TIMES MANY ABUSE
SURVIVORS AND ASYLUM SEEKERS
INTO LONG WAITING PERIODS
BETWEEN THE TIME THEY APPLY FOR
RELIEF AND THE TIME THEY BECOME
ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS. 83 25
WOULD EXTEND STATE AND LOCAL
SERVICES TO SURVIVORS OF ABUSE,
WHO HAVE PETITION FOR RELIEF
UNDER THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
ACT. CHILDREN WHO HAVE FACED
PARENTAL MISTREATMENT AND HAVE
APPLIED FOR SPECIAL IMMIGRANT
JUVENILE STATUS AND MIGRANTS WHO
HAVE FACED PERSECUTION IN THEIR
HOME COUNTRY AND HAVE APPLIED
FOR ASYLUM. THIS BILL WOULD
GRANT ACCESS TO LIFE CHANGING
SERVICES THAT WOULD ALLOW SOME
OF THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE
COMING TO THIS COUNTRY TO HAVE A
SAFE PLACE TO LIVE ACCESS TO
FOOD, HEALTH CARE AND EMPLOYMENT
SUPPORT WHILE THEY WAIT FOR
THEIR APPLICATIONS TO BE
PROCESSED. CURRENTLY ONE OF OUR
CLIENTS ARE WAITING AND ASYLUM
INTERVIEW LIVES WITH A FAMILY
FRIEND IN LOS ANGELES CLIENT
FLED VIOLENT PERSECUTION DUE TO
THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND AT
THE YOUNG AGE OF 20. FINDS
THEMSELVES STRONGLY STRUGGLING
TO COVER THEIR LIVING EXPENSES.
TODAY 83 25 WOULD ALLOW THEM TO
RECEIVE MUCH NEEDED SUPPORT,
SUCH AS MENTAL HEALTH AND
MEDICAL SERVICES. MOREOVER
MOREOVER, THEY WOULD QUALIFY
POOR NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT, WHICH
WOULD FURTHER RELIEVE THEIR
CURRENT SITUATION. LIKE OUR
CLIENT. WE SEE SIMILAR STORIES
EVERY DAY. FOR THESE REASONS. WE
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR VOTE
IN SUPPORT OF 83 3 25. GOOD
AFTERNOON, MR CHAIRMAN MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS CYNTHIA GÓMEZ STATE
POLICY ADVOCATE WITH THE
COALITION FOR HUMANE IMMIGRANT
RIGHTS ACHIEVED LÀ REALIZE
POLITICAL SPONSOR A B 3 TO 5 AND
ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE LEADERSHIP
OF ASSEMBLY MAJORITY LEADER
RAISE IN 2006, CALIFORNIA
ENACTED SB 15 69 TO PROVIDE
STATE AND LOCAL BENEFITS TO
QUALIFIED IMMIGRANTS. ACCESS TO
THESE SERVICES BECAME CRITICAL
LIFELINES FOR VULNERABLE
IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE OFTEN FLEEING
PERSECUTION, VIOLENCE OR NEGLECT
. HOWEVER CURRENTLY THERE LACKS
ACCESS ACCESS ACCESS TO THE
STATUS TO THE SERVICES DURING
THE TIME WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL
APPLIES FOR ADJUSTMENT OR RELIEF
OF STATUS, AND WHEN THAT IS
GRANTED. DURING THAT TIME,
VULNERABLE IMMIGRANTS GO WITHOUT
THE ASSISTANCE THEY NEED AND
QUALIFY FOR FORCING THEM TO
REMAIN IN DANGEROUS LIVING
SITUATIONS. AS IT STANDS,
QUALIFIED IMMIGRANTS MUST WAIT
TO OBTAIN NOTICE OF APPROVAL OF
THE APPLICATION FROM FEDERAL U.
S C. I S AND DELAYS IN
PROCESSING MEANS THAT QUALIFIED
IMMIGRANTS ARE GOING WITHOUT THE
ACCESS TO BENEFITS FOR LONGER
PERIODS OF TIME. MAYBE 3 25
CLARIFIES THAT QUALIFIED
IMMIGRANTS WOULD BE ABLE TO
RECEIVE THE STATE AND LOCAL
BENEFITS AS SOON AS THEY SUBMIT
THEIR APPLICATION WITH FEDERAL
U. S. C. I S AND ENSURES THAT
VULNERABLE IMMIGRANTS DO NOT GO
WITHOUT THE RESOURCES AND
SERVICES THEY NEED AS THEY WAIT
FOR APPROVAL OF THE APPLICATION
BY MOVING THIS BILL FORWARD
WHERE BRIDGING A GAP AND
CONTINUE OUR COMMITMENT TO
PROVIDING SUPPORT TO IMMIGRANTS
IN OUR STATE. WE THANK YOU FOR
YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS BILL
AND APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT ON
83 33 25. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NOW WE WILL HAVE. IS THERE ANY
PUBLIC SUPPORT IN THE HEARING
ROOM AT THIS TIME? GOOD
AFTERNOON MEMBER. GOOD A HAS
BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. GOOD
AFTERNOON, MR CHAIR MEMBERS,
CHRISTOPHER SANCHEZ WITH THE
WESTERN CENTER AND LAND POVERTY,
PROUD SPONSOR IN HERE TO ANSWER
ANY TECHNICAL QUESTIONS. THANK
YOU. COSPONSORS. DRUG SUPPORT.
THANK YOU. ADAM REISS WITH THE
LOYAL IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CLINIC
AND STRONG SUPPORT. GOOD
AFTERNOON. JARED CALL WITH
NOURISH CALIFORNIA ALSO IN
STRONG SUPPORT. THANK YOU. NEXT.
ARE THERE ANY, UH, PUBLIC
SUPPORT ON THE PHONE LINE AT
THIS TIME? AND ONCE AGAIN PASSED
ONE THAN ZERO. IF YOU'D LIKE TO
SHOW SUPPORT LINE. 24 PLEASE GO
AHEAD. YOUR LINE IS OPEN. GOOD
AFTERNOON, UH, WITH THE
CALIFORNIA THEN ETHNIC HEALTH
NETWORK, AND WE SUPPORT 83 25.
THANK YOU. NEXT WE GO TO LINE
16. PLEASE GO AHEAD. YOUR LINE
IS OPEN. LINE 16 PASSIVELY YOUR
MUTE BUTTONS ON. MOVING ON. WE
HAVE NO FURTHER IN. Q OKAY, THEN
WE MOVE ON TO ANY OPPOSITION ANY
OPPOSITION IN THE HEARING ROOM
AT THIS TIME? SAYING NO. AND IS
THERE ANY OPPOSITION ON THE
PHONE LINE? IF YOU'D LIKE TO
SHOW OPPOSITION, PLEASE PRESS
ONE THAN ZERO AT THIS TIME, 10.
AND WE HAVE NO ONE IN CUBA AT
THIS TIME. OKAY WE WILL BRING IT
UP TO OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS. ARE
THERE ANY MEMBERS WHO HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS FOR THE AUTHOR? THE
BILL. ASSEMBLY MEMBER. WOULD YOU
LIKE TO CLOSE? I RESPECTFULLY
ASK FOR YOUR I VOTE. WE HAVE A
MOTION BY ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S
ARAMBULA, SECOND BY
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S BRIAN MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
83 25. THE MOTION IS DUE PASS TO
THE ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE. JACKSON JACKSON, I,
SANCHEZ SANCHEZ STAIN. ELONIS
AYE, ARAMBULA ARAMBULA. AYE
BONTA, TÔI. BRIAN BRIAN. I
CALLED AROUND CALLED HER AND I.
GARCIA GARCIA. AYE. THE VOTE IS
7 TO 0. THE BILL IS OUT. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT HERE. ARE
THERE ANY OTHER MEMBERS HERE AT
THIS TIME FOR THEIR BILLS? I
DON'T SEE ANY OTHER MEMBERS.
WHILE WE'RE WAITING. I FORGOT TO
MAKE A NOTE THAT WE LIMIT
TESTIMONY TO TWO WITNESSES AND
SUPPORT AND TWO WITNESSES AND
OPPOSITION. EACH WITNESS HAS TWO
MINUTES TO TESTIFY. ANY
ADDITIONAL WITNESSES MAY ADD ON
BY STARTING THEIR NAME, STATING
THEIR NAME AND AFFILIATIONS. I
SAY THAT BECAUSE DON'T BE TRYING
TO GET CRAZY IN HERE. ALL RIGHT.
WHILE WE'RE WAITING. WHY DON'T
WE OPEN THE ROLE TO ADD FOR ANY
ADD ONS AT THIS TIME? MADAM
SECRETARY. ON THE COMMITTEE
RULES, ELONIS. ELONIS I BRIAN
RYAN. I CALLED AROUND AND I ON
THE CONSENT CALENDAR, ELONIS. I
BRIAN BRIAN, I CALLED AROUND. I
. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE ONE
MORE SO. HE GETS TOO LONG, YOU
KNOW?
GOOD UP THERE, MR. JUST HELP.
THANK YOU, MY MAN. THE T SHIRT.
YEAH.
SENATE-ROOM WE'RE READY. NEXT
UP, WE ASKED. WE HAVE A B 3 93
BY ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S REVIS
WELCOME. AND YOU LOOKS LIKE YOU
HAVE A ONE WITNESS AS WELL. THAT
WILL BE JOINING US BY PHONE. YES
CORRECT. START WHEN YOU'RE
READY. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. GOOD
AFTERNOON, MEMBERS AND MR CHAIR
. I WANT TO START BY THANKING
JESSICA FOR HER WORK AND
THOUGHTFUL ANALYSIS ON THIS BILL
. UM 83 93 WOULD DEVELOP A
STANDARD PROCESS FOR GENERAL
CHILDCARE PROGRAMS TO IDENTIFY
THE DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS THAT
THEY SERVE. THIS BILL WILL
REQUIRE THESE CHILDCARE PROGRAMS
TO REPORT KEY INFORMATION ABOUT
DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS TO THE
STATE IN ORDER TO MAKE INFORMED
POLICY AND PROGRAM DECISIONS.
60% OF CHILDREN IN CALIFORNIA.
FROM BIRTH TO AGE FIVE LIVE IN
HOUSEHOLDS IN WHICH A LANGUAGE
OTHER THAN ENGLISH IS SPOKEN.
DESPITE THE STATE'S
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF LINGUISTIC
AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY AS ASSETS
, THERE IS NO CONSISTENT MANNER
OF IDENTIFYING DLL S IN
CALIFORNIA'S EARLY LEARNING AND
CARE SYSTEM. APART FROM
CALIFORNIA STATE PRESCHOOL
PROGRAMS. THIS IMPAIRS THE
ABILITY OF STATE POLICYMAKERS TO
MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS OVER
RESOURCES AND OTHER CRITICAL
ELEMENTS OF EARLY LEARNING
PROGRAMS THAT COULD BE LEVERAGED
TO NURTURE AND DEVELOP THE EARLY
LINGUISTIC ASSETS OF THESE
CHILDREN FOR THEIR BENEFIT AND
THE GREATER BENEFIT OF
CALIFORNIA. IT'S IMPORTANT TO
IDENTIFY AND FOSTER DUAL
LANGUAGE LEARNERS WHEN THEY
ENTER CHILDCARE SERVICES BECAUSE
WHEN AT HOME WHEN AT HOME
LANGUAGES ARE NOT FOSTERED, A
CHILD CAN BECOME COMPLETELY
MONOLINGUAL. CHOOSING TO RESPOND
TO ENGLISH WITHIN SIX OR EIGHT
WEEKS OF STARTING PRESCHOOL.
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT ACHIEVING
FLUENCY IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES
BENEFITS CHILDREN BY BROADENING
THEIR COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY,
ENHANCING THEIR ABILITY TO LEARN
AND GIVING STUDENTS THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME MULTI
LINGUAL SO THAT THEY ARE
COMPETITIVE IN THE GLOBAL
WORKFORCE. IN 2020, THE GOVERNOR
RELEASED THE MASTER PLAN
INTENDED TO TRANSFORM THE
STATE'S APPROACH TO EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. THE MASTER
PLAN PROVIDES A ROADMAP TO
ADDRESS RACIAL AND ECONOMIC
INEQUITIES AND CALLS FOR
LEGISLATION TO REQUIRE
DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS ASSESSMENTS
BOTH IN ENGLISH AND IN
CHILDREN'S HOME LANGUAGES, AMONG
OTHER THINGS. IN 2021 I AUTHORED
A B 13 63, WHICH TOOK THE FIRST
STEP OF IMPLEMENTING THE MASTER
PLAN. BY REQUIRING THE STATE
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC
INSTRUCTION TO DEVELOP A
STANDARDIZED PROCESS FOR
CALIFORNIA STATE PRESCHOOL
PROGRAM PROVIDERS TO IDENTIFY
DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS. A B 3 93
BUILDS ON THE PROGRESS MADE AN A
B 13 63 IN ACHIEVING THE GOALS
OF THE MASTER PLAN TO SUPPORT
OUR CHILDREN WHO ARE DUAL
LANGUAGE LEARNERS BY FIRST
IDENTIFYING THEM. UM TODAY I
HAVE WITH ME TO PROVIDE
TESTIMONY. JESSICA GUTIERREZ,
PROGRAM MANAGER IN THE EARLY
LEARNING DEPARTMENT AT FRESNO
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. MEXICO,
TIERRAS BY PHONE. YES GOOD
AFTERNOON PROGRAM MANAGER FOR
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. EARLY
LEARNING DEPARTMENT. UM,
CALIFORNIA IS RICH IN DIVERSITY
, AND WE MUST TAKE THE ESSENTIAL
STEPS TO CELEBRATE OUR DUAL
LANGUAGE LEARNERS, LINGUISTIC
AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY ASSETS.
83 93 BILLS ON LANDMARK
LEGISLATION BY EXPANDING ASSET
BASED YELLOW IDENTIFICATION
ACROSS THE EARLY LEARNING AND
CARE SYSTEM, ENABLING THEM TO
ACCESS THE NECESSARY RESOURCES
AND SUPPORT OUR EXPERIENCE IN
FRESNO, USING THE TOOLS TO
IDENTIFY DLL BECOME INVALUABLE
PART OF OUR EARLY LEARNING
PRACTICE. IT IS ALSO GREATLY
BENEFITED OUR CHILDREN, FAMILIES
AND TEACHERS, TEACHERS INTERVIEW
FAMILIES FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES
AND BETTER THAN EXISTING FAMILY
ENGAGEMENT STRUCTURES DURING
WHICH THEY ENGAGE IN RICH
DIALOGUE ABOUT THE CHILD AND
FAMILY. THIS INTERVIEW
ESTABLISHES A COLLABORATIVE
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TEACHERS AND
FAMILIES THAT HELPS INFORM THEIR
PROGRAMS AND HOW THEY CAN
CELEBRATE THE BENEFITS OF THE
HOME LANGUAGE AND BILINGUALISM.
MAYBE 393 IS A CRITICAL NEXT
STEP IN ESTABLISHING A
FOUNDATION FOR THE CRADLE TO
CAREER DATA SYSTEM. IT WILL
INFORM STATE RESOURCE ALLOCATION
DECISIONS THAT BUILDS UPON THEIR
LINGUISTIC SKILLS AND NEEDS THAT
WILL SUPPORT THEIR LONG TERM
SUCCESS. STILL WILL ENSURE THAT
DLL POSITIVE OUTCOMES AND
PROVIDE THEM WITH THE SUPPORT
THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN A
GLOBAL ECONOMY. A B 393 SUPPORTS
THE GOVERNMENT'S VISION AND THE
MASTER PLAN FOR EARLY LEARNING
AND CARE TO ESTABLISH DELYLAH
IDENTIFICATION SUPPORT SYSTEM.
FOR THESE REASONS, I STRONGLY
SUPPORT A B 393 AND RESPECTFULLY
URGE YOUR I VOTE. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. DO
WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL PUBLIC
SUPPORT IN THE HEARING ROOM AT
THIS TIME? GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD
AFTERNOON. JENNIFER BAKER,
REPRESENTING CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION FOR BILINGUAL
EDUCATION, ONE OF THE BILL'S
SPONSORS AND SUPPORT. GOOD
AFTERNOON, MR CHAIR AND MEMBERS
MALIK BYNUM WITH CHILDCARE
PROVIDERS UNITED, UH,
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN UW AND S. C.
I U HERE IN SUPPORT. GOOD
AFTERNOON HOST. IF ANATOMY IS
NOT TO KNOW, WITH CHILDREN NOW
STRONG SUPPORT. DO WE HAVE ANY
ADDITIONAL PUBLIC SUPPORT ON THE
PHONE LINE AT THIS TIME? FIRST
WE GO TO LINE 28, PLEASE GO
AHEAD. HI GOOD AFTERNOON.
SALAZAR WITH CALIFORNIANS
TOGETHER PROUD CO SPONSOR AND
SUPPORT. NEXT WE'RE GOING TO
LINE 26. PLEASE GO AHEAD. GOOD
AFTERNOON, DR JACKSON. AND
MEMBERS EVER. RIVERA ON BEHALF
OF THE CHILDREN'S PARTNERSHIP IN
SUPPORT OF A B 393. NEXT WE'RE
GOING TO LINE 30, PLEASE GO
AHEAD. HI THERE. GOOD AFTERNOON
. LUIZ MARINA, POLICY ANALYST
WITH EARLY AGE, CALIFORNIA
SPONSOR AND SUPPORT. NEXT. WE'RE
GOING TO LINE 27. PLEASE GO
AHEAD. HI WE'RE COMING. ALICE ON
BEHALF OF THE EDUCATION, TRUST
WEST AND SUPPORT. AND NEXT WE'RE
GOING TO LINE 29. PLEASE GO
AHEAD. GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR.
JACKSON AND MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE TASIA STEPHENS,
CALLING ON BEHALF OF CATALYST,
CALIFORNIA IN SUPPORT. AND WE
HAVE NO FURTHER IN Q AT THIS
TIME. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANY
PUBLIC OPPOSITION IN THE HEARING
ROOM AT THIS TIME? SEEING NONE.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC OPPOSITION
ON THE PHONE LINE AT THIS TIME?
PLEASE PRESS ONE THAN ZERO IF
YOU'D LIKE TO SHOW OPPOSITION 10
. AND WE HAVE NO ONE QUEUING UP
AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU NOW TO
OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS. DO ANY
COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AT THIS
TIME? MOVE THE BILL. IT'S BEEN
MOVED SECONDED. IF I CAN JUST
BARTER COMMENT AND IN GREAT
SUPPORT. I THINK YOU'VE
IDENTIFIED SUCH A CRITICAL ISSUE
OF MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE OUR DUAL
LANGUAGE LEARNERS IDENTIFIED
EARLY AND SUPPORTED SO THAT WE
CAN ACTUALLY RECOGNIZE VALUE ALL
THEIR LANGUAGE ASSETS AS OPPOSED
TO IN A DIFFERENT ALTERNATE
WORLD. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS BILL.
THANK YOU. ANY OTHER MEMBERS AT
THIS TIME. SAYING NONE
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S. WOULD YOU LIKE
TO CLOSE? THANK YOU FOR THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS BILL
. YOU KNOW, I WAS A YOUNG KID IN
A PRESCHOOL ESTATE PRESCHOOL
PROGRAM WHERE WE WERE OFTEN
PUNISHED OR DISCOURAGED OF
SPEAKING OUR NATIVE LANGUAGE. UM
SO I'M GLAD TO BE HERE IN A
DIFFERENT CALIFORNIA OF TODAY TO
PRESENT THIS BILL AND LET
CHILDREN KNOW THAT UM, SPEAKING
MORE THAN ONE LANGUAGE LIKE
THOSE OF US THAT ARE BILINGUAL
OR OR MORE, UM, IS AN ASSET, SO
I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR MY VOTE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE HAVE
EMOTION BY ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S
BRIAN, A SECOND BY
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S CALDERON. MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
A B 393. THE MOTION IS PASSED TO
THE ASSEMBLY EDUCATION
COMMITTEE. JACKSON JACKSON, I,
SANCHEZ SANCHEZ, I ALEDMYS
ARAMBULA ARAMBULA. AYE BONTA.
BRIAN BRIAN. I CALLED IRAN ON I
GARCIA. GARCIA. I. THE VOTE IS 8
TO 0. THE BILL IS OUT. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. COMMITTEE MEMBERS THE
BUSINESS BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE IS
COMPLETE. THE HEARING IS
ADJOURNED. AND IN FIVE MINUTES
WE'LL BEGIN OUR HEARING.
INFORMATION. INFORMATIONAL
HEARING. HAVE A GOOD DAY. JUST
BOUNCING, OKAY?
GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR
JOINING THE ASSEMBLY HUMAN
SERVICES COMMITTEE FOR OUR
DEPARTMENTAL INFORMATIONAL
HEARING. TODAY WE WILL HEAR FROM
THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
ADMINISTRATION OF HUMAN SERVICES
PROGRAMS UNDER THIS COMMITTEE'S
JURISDICTION. I WANT TO THANK
OUR PRESENTERS TODAY FOR MAKING
THE TIME TO SHARE INFORMATION
WITH THIS COMMITTEE ABOUT THE
IMPORTANT HUMAN SERVICES WORK
THEY DO FOR THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. OUR SPEAKERS HAVE
BEEN ASKED TO PROVIDE A GENERAL
OVERVIEW OF THEIR 2023
DEPARTMENT LANDSCAPE TO ENSURE
THAT NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS
HAVE AN EQUAL UNDERSTANDING. OF
THE POLICIES CURRENTLY BEING
IMPLEMENTED UNDER OUR PURVIEW.
AS THIS COMMITTEE BEGINS TO
CONSIDER NEW POLICIES IS
IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND
THAT BARRIER THE BARRIERS THE
ADMINISTRATION IS FACING AND
DELIVERING SERVICES AS WELL
RECOGNIZED. THE SUCCESS IS BEING
ACCOMPLISHED. WE HAVE ALSO ASKED
THAT FOR TESTIMONY TODAY TO
HIGHLIGHT THE EQUITY INITIATIVES
THROUGHOUT DEPARTMENTS ALLOWING
MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT IS BEING
DONE TO REDUCE DISPARITIES AND
IMPROVE OVERALL ACCESS TO
SERVICES. AS THE HUMAN SERVICES
COMMITTEE. WE HAVE OVERSIGHT
OVER THE PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT
OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
, AND THAT POWER COMES WITH
GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. THE
POLICIES HEARD BY THIS COMMITTEE
WILL IMPACT THE EVERYDAY LIVES
OF OUR MOST DISADVANTAGE MEMBERS
OF OUR COMMUNITIES. WE MUST
STRIVE TO UPLIFT THESE GROUPS IN
A WAY THAT PROMOTES EQUITY
THROUGHOUT OUR SAFETY NET
INFRASTRUCTURE. AND ELIMINATE
THE HISTORIC STIGMA ASSOCIATED
WITH THESE PROGRAMS. EACH ONE OF
US SITTING AT THIS DIETS MUST
RECOGNIZE THIS OBLIGATION. AND
SEEK TO APPROACH OUR
CONVERSATIONS AND THIS COMMITTEE
WITH THE THOUGHTFULNESS THAT IT
DESERVES. AS WE ENTER THIS NEW
YEAR. I WANT US, UH, SET REMIND
COMMITTEE MEMBERS, COMMUNITY
LEADERS AND THE PUBLIC THAT IT
IS NOT ENOUGH TO SURVIVE. THEY
HAVE A RIGHT TO THRIVE HERE IN
CALIFORNIA. SO AT THIS TIME, I
WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE FIRST
SPEAKER TO JOIN US. DAN TORRES.
DAN WILL BE PROVIDING US WITH AN
OVERVIEW OF THE CALIFORNIA
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
AGENCY. WELCOME.
OKAY. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON
CHAIR. JACKSON MEMBERS. MY NAME
IS DAN TORRES. I SERVED AS THE
CHIEF EQUITY OFFICER FOR THE
CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES AGENCY. AND THIS IS A
NEW POSITION AT THE AGENCY,
WHICH IS PART OF A BROADER
EFFORT TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON THE
COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE LONG FACED
HEALTH AND SOCIOECONOMIC
DISPARITIES BECAUSE OF
HISTORICAL FACTORS OF RACISM.
SEXISM AND OTHER FORMS OF
DISCRIMINATION. I'M JOINED BY
LEADERS OF, UH, FOUR OF OUR
DEPARTMENTS TODAY WILL BE
SPEAKING SOON. IT IS OUR
PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU THIS
AFTERNOON TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW
OF THE MANY, UM, HUMAN CRITICAL
HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAMS THAT
THEY OFFER AND LESSONS LEARNED
FROM COVID. AND EFFORTS TOWARDS
ACHIEVING EQUITY FOR THE PEOPLE
THAT ARE SERVED BY THESE
PROGRAMS. AND I WILL BE. I'LL
START BY PROVIDING A GENERAL
OVERVIEW OF OUR AGENCY AND OUR
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES. THE
CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES AGENCY OVERSEES 12
DEPARTMENTS AND HAS FIVE OFFICES
THAT PROVIDE A WIDE RANGE OF
SERVICES IN THE AREAS OF HEALTH
CARE. MENTAL HEALTH. PUBLIC
HEALTH, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS
SERVICES. INCOME ASSISTANCE,
SOCIAL SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE
TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
MORE THAN 33,000 PUBLIC SERVANTS
WORK IN CALAIS, HHS DEPARTMENTS
AND OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE
STATE. AT QUÊ, CALIFORNIA HEALTH
AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY. OUR
NORTH STAR IS TO MAKE EQUITY,
NOT JUST A WORD OR CONCEPT, BUT
THE CORE VALUE OF OUR WORK. IN
THE LAST FEW YEARS, THE AGENCY
HAS BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH
OUR DEPARTMENTS TO COORDINATE
EFFORTS TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC
INEQUITIES. WE HAVE DEVELOPED A
SET OF STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF THE
PANDEMIC AND IN REFLECTION OF
LONGSTANDING INEQUITIES IN
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITIES AMONG THE
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES WE ARE
WORKING TOWARDS CREATING AN
EQUITABLE PANDEMIC RECOVERY.
THAT STRENGTHENS OUR SAFETY NET
PROGRAMS TO LIFT FAMILIES OUT OF
POVERTY. WE'RE WORKING TO MAKE
SURE THAT A PERSON'S RACE,
ETHNICITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION,
GENDER, IDENTITY AND OTHER
IDENTITIES. DO NOT PREDICT
HEALTH AND LIFE OUTCOMES. WE'RE
WORKING ON BUILDING A HEALTHY
CALIFORNIA FOR ALL BY EXPANDING
ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, LEVERAGING
TECHNOLOGY INNOVATING THE
HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE. IT'S ALSO
INVOLVES PROMOTING PREVENTATIVE
CARE DELIVERED IN A CULTURALLY
AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE
MATTER. KELLY CHURCHES IS
WORKING TO INTEGRATE HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES SO THAT PROGRAMS
WORK MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER TO
ADDRESS THE UPSTREAM SOCIAL
DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, FOOD
INSECURITY, HOUSING NEEDS THAT
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. WE'RE
AIMING TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF
MOST VULNERABLE, INCLUDING
PEOPLE EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS. WE ARE WORKING TO
PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
PEOPLE. WITH INTELLECTUAL AND
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES TO
PREPARE FOR AND COMPETE FOR
JOBS. AT COUCHES WERE ALSO
ADVANCING THE WELL BEING OF
CHILDREN IN YOUTH TO IMPROVE
OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN LIVING IN
POVERTY, FOSTER CARE AND IN THE
JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM BY
ADDRESSING ADVERSE CHILDHOOD
EXPERIENCES. EDUCATION NEEDS
IMPROVING ACCESS TO A FULL
CONTINUUM OF SERVICES. AND WE'RE
BUILDING AN AGE FRIENDLY STATE
BY REDUCING HEALTH INEQUITIES
AND DISPARITIES. PREVENTING AND
ADDRESSING ISOLATION. EXPANDING
DEMENTIA AWARENESS AND GERIATRIC
CARE. AND SOON YOU'LL HEAR FROM
MY COLLEAGUES AT THE DEPARTMENT
OF SOCIAL SERVICES, COMMUNITY
SERVICES AND DEVELOPMENT, CHILD
SUPPORT SERVICES AND
DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES. AND MY
COLLEAGUES WILL BE PROVIDING
MUCH MORE DETAIL ABOUT THEIR
PROGRAMS, LESSONS THAT THEY'VE
LEARNED FROM THE PANDEMIC AND
THE WORK THAT THEY'RE ENGAGING
IN NOW TO ACHIEVE EQUITY FOR THE
PEOPLE THAT THEY SERVE. I'M
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. I
NEVER SAID ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS
TIME. JUST A FEW QUESTIONS. UM
AS THE CHIEF EQUITY OFFICER. OF
COURSE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT,
UM I HAVE COME ACROSS IS THAT
WHEN YOU ASK SOMEONE ABOUT
EQUITY, UM. YOU ASKED FIVE
PEOPLE, YOU GET THREE DIFFERENT
DEFINITIONS OF EQUITY. DO YOU
HAVE A WORKING DEFINITION OF
EQUITY THAT YOU'RE USING AS YOUR
LENS TO DO GO ABOUT YOUR WORK?
YES WE'RE ARE WORKING FOR YOU.
THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT. AND
THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE'VE ALSO
ENCOUNTERED AND WE'RE WORKING
TOWARDS A COMMON LANGUAGE ACROSS
OUR DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
BECAUSE TO YOUR POINT. A LOT OF
FOLKS, DO YOU CONFLATE EQUITY,
FOR EXAMPLE, WITH EQUALITY? UM,
AND THE WAY OUR WORKING
DEFINITION REALLY IS ABOUT, UM,
ADDRESSING, UM SYSTEMIC BARRIERS
AND REMOVING THOSE BARRIERS SO
THAT YOU KNOW ASPECTS OF A
PERSON'S IDENTITY DO NOT PREDICT
OUTCOMES FOR THEIR LIVES OR
HEALTH AND SOCIOECONOMIC
OUTCOMES. WHETHER IT'S A THE
RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER
IDENTITY SEX. UM SO THAT IS PART
OF THE WORK FOR SURE, MAKING
SURE THAT WE'RE SPEAKING THE
SAME AND THE SAME TERMINOLOGY
AND WORKING TOWARDS THE SAME
GOALS. WHAT WHAT ARE YOU DOING
TO BETTER, UM, ENGAGE COMMUNITY
MEMBERS AND UNDERSTANDING THE
EQUITY ISSUES FACING
CALIFORNIANS, RIGHT? OBVIOUSLY
WE SEE MANY OF THEM THROUGH THE
DATA THAT WE LOOK AT AND WE
COLLECT RIGHT. BUT IN TERMS OF
ACTUAL UM FOLKS ON THE GROUND
HAVE YOU BEGAN TO ENGAGE WITH
DOING ANY FOCUS GROUPS OR
ANYTHING THAT ALLOWS YOU TO HEAR
DIRECTLY FROM PEOPLE'S LIVED
EXPERIENCES. UH WELL, SEVERAL OF
OUR DEPARTMENTS AND, UM,
OFFICERS HAVE ENGAGED WITH
STAKEHOLDER GROUPS ENLISTING THE
HELP OF FACILITATORS THAT CAN
HELP OPEN THOSE CHANNELS OF
COMMUNICATION. ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WILL BE WORKING ON AGENCIES
COMING UP WITH A STRATEGIC PLAN
THAT CREATES BEST PRACTICES FOR
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT. UM AND
IN PARTICULAR PEOPLE WHO ARE
DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY PROGRAMS
AND POLICIES TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE GET A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF
WHAT WORKS. WHAT DOESN'T WORK,
HOW IN AND DEVELOPING BETTER
INTERVENTIONS THAT, UM, CAN
ADDRESS DISPARITIES. ANY OTHER
QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME. SAYING
NONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR
TORRES FOR YOUR TIME LOOKING
FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
THANK YOU. LIKEWISE NEXT UP, WE
HAVE KIM JOHNSON, THE DIRECTOR
OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICES.
AND YOU MAY START WHEN YOU'RE
READY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOOD
AFTERNOON, MR CHAIR AND MEMBERS
KIM JOHNSON, CALIFORNIA
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
AND A PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU
AND THIS TOPIC THIS AFTERNOON. I
WILL SHARE WITH THE COMMITTEE A
BIT ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT AND WHO
WE SERVE AND I WILL DO IT. ALSO
THROUGH THE TELLING OF THE
EXPERIENCE OF THE PANDEMIC, AND
AGAIN, I THINK, GIVEN THE STORM
THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY LITERALLY
IN, WE OFTEN USE THAT ANALOGY IN
THE PANDEMIC THAT IT WAS. IT'S
ABSOLUTELY BEEN A STORM AND THAT
WE WERE NOT ALL EQUIPPED IN THE
SAME WAYS TO WHETHER IT AND YOU
HAVE PEOPLE WITH YACHTS AND
BOATS AND LIFE PRESERVERS AND
PEOPLE WITH NOTHING AT ALL. AND
I THINK THAT ULTIMATELY AS WE
ARE ADDRESSING INEQUITIES ACROSS
OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, WE
ARE LOOKING AT THE SYSTEMIC
STRUCTURES THAT HAVE BEEN
CREATED THAT HAVE LENT US TO
THOSE DISPARITIES AND
DISPROPORTIONALITY IS ACROSS OUR
PROGRAMS. I ALSO JUST WANT TO
SAY IT'S A FOR US. IT'S BEEN
TREMENDOUS THAT WE LOOK AT THIS
EXPERIENCE COLLECTIVELY AND NOT
AS ONE THAT WE HAVE A DIFFERENT
UNDERSTANDING COMING OUT OF THIS
EXPERIENCE ABOUT HOW THE HEALTH
OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND CLERK AT
THE GROCERY STORE IMPACTS OUR
GRANDMOTHER AT HOME, HOW THE
HEALTH OF OUR IN SHELTERED
NEIGHBORS IMPACTS US COMMUNITY
WIDE. SO TO BE ABLE TO WEATHER
THE STORMS, WE MUST DO IT
TOGETHER TO BE STRONGER ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF IT. SO, UM, YOU
KNOW, I HAD THE GREAT PRIVILEGE
THROUGH THE PANDEMIC. THE
GOVERNOR CALLED HIS CABINET AND
LEADERSHIP INTO THE STATE
OPERATIONS CENTER AT THE
CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF EMERGENCY
SERVICES. AND SO ALL OF THE
DECISION MAKERS WERE THERE.
THERE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS,
WORKING IN REAL TIME TO MAKE
DECISIONS, WHICH ALLOWED US TO
REALLY ACCELERATE. THE WAYS IN
WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO RESPOND
AND PROVIDE SUPPORTS IN
COMMUNITIES. UM A LOT OF THE
CONVERSATION, OF COURSE, WAS
DRIVEN BY DATA AND BY A MANY,
MANY PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS WHO
WERE THINKING ABOUT THE PANDEMIC
IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY
HOME, AND THAT WOULD BE THE BEST
WAY TO PREVENT. OBVIOUSLY THE
SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS. AT THE
SAME TIME, I WAS THINKING ABOUT
WHEN HOME IS NOT A SAFE PLACE TO
BE. WHEN WHEN BEING ABLE TO NOT
BE ENGAGED WITH COMMUNITY AND
SCHOOL AND EDUCATION AND THE
ROBUST ARRAY OF THE SAFETY NET
REALLY REQUIRED US TO REALLY BE
QUITE ADAPTABLE AND PIVOT TO
PROVIDING RESOURCES IN THE HOME
AND THINK ABOUT OUR WORK
DIFFERENTLY. THE DEPARTMENT OF
THE MISSION OF SOCIAL SERVICES
TO SURVEYED AND PROTECT NEEDY
AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND
ADULTS IN WAYS THAT STRENGTHEN
AND PRESERVE FAMILIES ENCOURAGE
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND
FOSTER INDEPENDENCE. AND AGAIN,
THAT'S THE LENS IN WHICH WE
WORKED WAY BACK IN 2020. THE
GOVERNOR ALSO CREATED INDICATORS
ON OUR ROADMAP TO HOME IN ONE OF
THOSE INDICATORS WITH
SPECIFICALLY AROUND ADDRESSING
INEQUITIES AND HOW WE WERE GOING
TO HAVE SPECIFIC INTERVENTION.
PINS AND RESOURCES AND POLICIES.
AIMED AT ENSURING THAT THOSE WHO
WOULD HAVE THE MOST SEVERE
CONSEQUENCES OF COVID 19. WOULD
BE PROTECTED AND BE AND BE SAFE
AND SO AGAIN. SOCIAL SERVICE HAD
THE GREAT PRIVILEGE TO LEAD THAT
WORK. AND OUT OF IT CAME MANY OF
THE INITIATIVES THAT I'LL SHARE
WITH YOU THIS AFTERNOON. I WANT
TO SAY I'M GOING TO GIVE THE
COMMITTEE A FLAVOR OF SOME OF
THOSE PROGRAMS, INITIATIVES.
THEY ARE TOO NUMEROUS TO NAME IN
TOTALITY, AND WE ARE HAPPY TO
FOLLOW UP WITH ANY ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION TO THE COMMITTEE.
GOING FORWARD, BUT I ALSO WANT
TO SAY THE EXPERIENCE AND
CONTINUED AT WORK IS
EXTRAORDINARY. IT HAS BEEN
SHAPED AND DEVELOPED THROUGH
COMMUNITY AND VOICE IN THE
COMMUNITY IDENTIFYING TO THE
STATE AND AS ASKING THE QUESTION
ON WHAT THE BIGGEST GAPS WERE IN
THE BARRIERS TO SERVICE AND MANY
, MANY PARTNERS, BOTH IN
GOVERNMENT AND WITH COMMUNITY
BASED ORGANIZATIONS WERE PART OF
THE ABILITY TO MOVE THROUGH THIS
PANDEMIC TOGETHER. I'LL GO
THROUGH SOME THEMES IN OUR SPACE
OF WHAT WE DID THAT LEAD US TO
WHERE WE ARE NOW ONE. I WILL
JUST SAY ECONOMIC SECURITY AND
SUPPORTS THAT. WE RECOGNIZE THAT
BOTH THROUGH UNEMPLOYMENT
THROUGH AGAIN, UM, LESS ACCESS
TO ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR
THAT REVENUE THAT THERE WERE
MANY, MANY INITIATIVES THAT
WE'RE FOCUSED SQUARELY ON
SUPPORTING INDIVIDUALS,
CHILDREN, FAMILIES. EXPERIENCING
POVERTY IN THIS STATE WITH
ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC SUPPORTS,
WHETHER THEY WERE CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES IN OUR COW WORKS
PROGRAM OR IF THEY WERE PART OF
OUR S S I N SSP PROGRAM AND
OLDER ADULTS AND THOSE WITH
DISABILITIES THAT WE HAD
ECONOMIC SUPPORTS, SPECIFICALLY
AGAIN TAILORED TO DISRUPT
POVERTY GOING FORWARD. AND, OF
COURSE, PART OF THAT BASIC
SAFETY NET IS ALSO AROUND FOOD
SUPPORTS, SO FOR THE INDIVIDUALS
THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN OUR
CAL FRESH PROGRAM. THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT WHO ALSO IS A BIG
CONTRIBUTOR TO THE WAYS IN WHICH
WE WERE TOGETHER THROUGH THE
LEGISLATURE AND GOVERNOR ABLE TO
ADDRESS THESE ISSUES HUGE SO,
FOR EXAMPLE, A TOTAL OF $11.4
BILLION HAS BEEN ISSUED IN THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND
EMERGENCY ALLOTMENTS SUPPORTING
2.1 MILLION CAL FRESH HOUSEHOLDS
SINCE MARCH OF 2020. TO DATE, WE
ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO
STAND UP PANDEMIC, ELECTRONIC
BENEFITS, TRANSFER OR PANDEMIC.
NBTY WHICH WAS SPECIFICALLY
FOCUSED AT RECOGNIZING THAT THE
CHILDREN AND FAMILY CHILDREN WHO
WERE USED TO GETTING FREE AND
REDUCED MEALS AT SCHOOL WEREN'T
GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
WHEN THE SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED,
AND SO PANDEMIC E B T WAS A
SUPPORT THAT PROVIDED AN
AUGMENTATION TO AGAIN. CHILDREN
AND FAMILIES. THAT'S $10.6
BILLION IN PC BEATTIE BENEFITS
TO FIVE MILLION CHILDREN OVER
THE LAST SEVERAL SCHOOL YEARS,
UM, FOOD BANKS AND AGAIN JUST A
TREMENDOUS APPRECIATION TO THE
FOOD BANKS THAT WE'VE SEEN OR
REMEMBER OF NEW PROGRAMS SET UP
STOOD UP TO NOT ONLY AUGMENT THE
FOOD CAPACITY AND SUPPLY BUT
ALSO THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF FOOD
BANKS THAT WOULD BE LONG, LONG
OUTLAST THE PANDEMIC ITSELF.
WERE NUMEROUS. AND UH WE CANNOT
COUNT THE NUMBER OF ALL COUNTY
LETTERS AND POLICY CHANGES THAT
WE HAD AGAIN. MUCH OF THAT WAS
THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES TO, UH,
CREATE WAIVERS AND FLEXIBILITY
THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
BUT WE REALLY HAVE CONTINUED TO
REALLY LOOK AT WHAT
FLEXIBILITIES WE PUT IN PLACE
THAT WORK TO THE PANDEMIC AND
HOW WE CAN ESTABLISH THEM GOING
FORWARD. ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS
AND AGAIN AS YOU HEARD, UM, OUR
CHIEF EQUITY OFFICER. SAY IT.
KELLY JESS, MR TORRES THAT WE'RE
LOOKING AT THE INTEGRATION OF
HOUSING, HEALTH AND SOCIAL
SERVICES AS A WAY IN WHICH WE
ARE MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL IN
SUPPORTING UNSHELTERED
POPULATIONS. SIGNATURE EXAMPLE.
IN THIS SPACES PROJECT ROOM KEY
, WHICH IS SERVED OVER 61,000,
CALIFORNIA SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN
2020, AND AGAIN, THIS WAS NOT
ONLY ABOUT LITERALLY SAVING
LIVES, BUT IT WAS ALSO ABOUT
REALLY ENSURING THAT IN THE
EMERGENCY ROOMS WE WEREN'T WE
WEREN'T OVER INUNDATING
EMERGENCY ROOMS IN OUR HEALTH
CARE WORKFORCE WITH PEOPLE WHO
DON'T HAVE THAT EMERGENCY,
ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAD LIMITED
RESOURCES IN RESPONSE TO COVID.
IN PROJECT ROOM KEY TO DATE,
EIGHT COMMUNITIES REPORT
SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITIONING OVER
80% OF PARTICIPANTS TO PERMANENT
HOUSING 19 COMMUNITIES ARE AT 70
TO 79% IN THEIR SUCCESS RATES
AND 15 COMMUNITIES AT 60 62 69%
AND IT'S AN AGAIN AN EXAMPLE OF
HAVING AN IMMEDIATE RESOURCE AND
SUPPORT THAT HAS TRANSITIONED TO
REALLY FURTHER ADDRESS SYSTEMIC
ISSUES LIKE HOMELESSNESS IN THIS
STATE. I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT
IN OUR EVALUATION OF PROJECT
ROOM KEY, THEY NOTE THAT AGAIN.
THIS WAS A QUICK IMPLEMENTATION
, AS WITH MANY OF OUR
INITIATIVES, AND THAT WAS
CERTAINLY KEY, BUT ALSO HOW THE
NON CONGREGATE SHELTER MODEL
REPRESENTS A BETTER ALTERNATIVE
TO EXISTING TEMPORARY OR INTERIM
HOUSING MODELS MOVING FORWARD
AND, OF COURSE, THE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGING WITH
AND HOW'S POPULATIONS THAT WERE
MORE MEANINGFUL GOING FORWARD?
AS WE LOOK AGAIN AT CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES AGAIN THAT BOTH THE
ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE BUT ALSO
YOUTH AND FOSTER CARE THROUGH
OUR CHAFEE FUNDING, WE WERE ABLE
TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
TO OVER 15,000 YOUTH IN EXTENDED
FOSTER CARE AND FORMER FOSTER
YOUTH. WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO
THINK ABOUT ADDITIONAL AND
CREATE ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS IN
FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS,
COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS
ACROSS THE STATE. WHEN WE HAD
FAMILIES WHO COULDN'T ACCESS
MAYBE THEIR DEVELOPMENTAL
SERVICES THAT THEY WERE GOING
TO, BUT NEEDED THE WEDGE OR THE
PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT ALLOWED
THEM TO DO THAT AT HOME WITH
THEIR CHILDREN. FAMILY RESOURCES
WERE THERE TO ADDRESS THOSE GAPS
AND GO FORWARD A TREMENDOUS
AMOUNT OF TECHNOLOGICAL
ADVANCEMENTS IN THIS SPACE TO
SUPPORT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AS
WELL, MAKING SURE THAT EARLY ON
WE HAD THE ABILITY TO HAVE
ONLINE ACCESS OF WHERE YOU COULD
ACCESS OPEN CHILDCARE AND
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. AS OF
COURSE, THEY WERE ALSO
CHALLENGED BY THE EVENTS, AND
MANY WERE TEMPORARILY CLOSING AT
THE TIME. AS WE SUPPORT OLDER
ADULTS AND PERSONS WITH
DISABILITY. I WANT TO SAY THAT
AGAIN USING THE EQUITY LENS
MEANS ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE WHO
IS NOT GOING TO HAVE ACCESS TO
PAID SICK LEAVE WHEN THEY NEED
THAT TIME, IF THEY WERE TO BE,
UH, DEAN COVID POSITIVE, SO PAID
SICK LEAVE FOR THE IN HOME.
SUPPORTIVE SERVICES WORKFORCE
PAID SICK LEAVE FOR THE CHILD
CARE AND DEVELOPMENT WORKFORCE
LOOKING AT WITH IN HOME
SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, HOW WE
NEEDED TO ESTABLISH A BACKUP
PROVIDER REGISTRY THAT COULD
THEN BE ANOTHER SUPPORT TO
SOMEONE WHO MIGHT TEMPORARILY BE
OUT AGAIN HAVING ECONOMIC
RECOVERY FOR THIS PARTICULAR
WORKFORCE HAS BEEN CRITICAL TO
THEIR SUCCESS MOVING FORWARD AS
WELL. STIPENDS FOR THOSE WORKING
IN ASSISTED LIVING SETTINGS TO
ENSURE THAT AGAIN THEY HAVE THE
RESOURCES THEY NEED TO KEEP
THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES
SAFE. THAT'S TRUE ALSO, AS WE
FURTHER IMMIGRANT INTEGRATION
EFFORTS UM, HOUSING FOR THE
HARVEST AGAIN. A POPULATION OF
OUR FARM WORKERS AND AGGREGATION
AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE RIGHT NOW
BEING IMPACTED AS WE KNOW IN THE
STORMS, BUT HOW WERE THEY ALSO
GIVEN THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SAFELY
RECOVER FROM COVID AND HAVE THE
RESOURCES THEY NEEDED TO DO
THAT? UM I'LL JUST ALSO NOTE AS
IT RELATES TO IMMIGRANT
INTEGRATION EFFORTS AS THESE NEW
FEDERAL RESOURCES WERE COMING
SPECIFICALLY, WE ASKED THE
QUESTION WHO IS NOT BEING
RESOURCED THROUGH THESE FEDERAL
WHO'S NOT ELIGIBLE IN BEING
RESOURCED THROUGH THESE, UH
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS AND SO PART
OF THAT POPULATION AND OF ARC,
PROUD CALIFORNIAN WERE
POPULATIONS OF IMMIGRANTS WHO
WEREN'T OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE. WE
STOOD UP A DISASTER RELIEF
ASSISTANCE FOR IMMIGRANT PROGRAM
FOR THAT VERY NEED TO ADDRESS
THOSE THAT GAP AND AGAIN USE
COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO
SUPPORT. WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT
NOW WHILE IT'S BEEN SOME TIME,
BUT THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT FEAR
IN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES RELATED
TO MANY OF THE POLICIES THE
FORMER FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION
HAD PUT FORWARD WITH PUBLIC
CHARGE AND OTHER COMPONENTS. SO
HAVING THAT TRUSTED MESSENGER
AND COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION
ON THE GROUND TO WORK WITH
COMMUNITIES, IT WAS CRITICAL AND
CONTINUES TO BE CRITICAL AS WE
SUPPORT POPULATIONS AND
CERTAINLY AS IT RELATED TO
VACCINE. OUTREACH AND JUST
BUILDING AWARENESS OF WHAT WAS
OCCURRING. THESE PARTNERS WERE
KEY. AS IT RELATES TO SUPPORTING
OUR TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS AND
TRIBES. UM WE NOW HAVE NEW FOOD
ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY
DEDICATED TO SUPPORT THE
NUTRITION NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES
AND TRIBES. WE HAVE SET ASIDES
IN OUR RESOURCES THAT WE'VE
INVESTED IN FOR SUPPORTING
UNSHELTERED POPULATIONS. WE HAVE
NEW AS WE'VE GROWN AND LOOKED AT
KEEPING FAMILIES TOGETHER AND
HAVE NEW RESOURCES FOR FAMILY
FINDING ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT.
WE HAVE A SET ASIDE FOR TRIBES
TO WORK ON THAT, AS WE WORK TO
CONTINUE. OUR WORK IN CALIFORNIA
TO UPHOLD THE INDIAN CHILD
WELFARE ACT, AND AGAIN IT WAS
UNIVERSAL. SO EVEN IN DISASTER
RELIEF TODAY, I CAN TELL YOU WE
HAVE MASCARA SHELTER
RESPONSIBILITIES AND HAVE NEARLY
600 PEOPLE LAST NIGHT THAT WERE
SUPPORTED ACROSS 30 COUNTIES IN
THAT IN THIS SPACE, BUT WE HAVE
NEW RESOURCES AROUND OFFERING
NON CONGREGATE SHELTER, AND NOW
WE KNOW THAT THE TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE WE NEED TO PROVIDE TO
MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE ARE
OTHER PANDEMIC OR CONTAGIOUS
VIRUSES, HOW WE'RE KEEPING
PEOPLE SAFE IN DISASTER AS PART
OF OUR LESSONS LEARNED SO AGAIN
, UNIVERSALLY, WE CONTINUE TO
APPLY BOTH WHAT WE'VE LEARNED,
UM, GOING FORWARD. I WILL
UNDERSCORE AS THE CHIEF EQUITY
OFFICER MENTIONED LANGUAGE
ACCESS THAT WE WHETHER IT'S
UNDERSTANDING AND SHARING
OUTREACH ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS THAT
PROVIDE CASH ASSISTANCE, FOOD
ASSISTANCE, HOUSING SUPPORTS OR
WHETHER IT'S ABOUT HOW TO KEEP
YOU AND YOUR FAMILY SAFE AND
COVID THAT WE MUST AS CALIFORNIA
MAKE SURE THAT INFORMATION IS
BEING SHARED IN LANGUAGES THAT
REPRESENT THE COMMUNITIES. HERE
IN CALIFORNIA, AND THAT'S A HUGE
PRIORITY THAT WE CONTINUE TO
WORK FOR. ALSO JUST WANT TO LIFT
UP THE CARROT KANA, ME AND THE
WORKFORCE. MORE BROADLY, UM,
AGAIN. I MENTIONED RIGHT
CHILDCARE AND DEVELOPMENT
PROVIDE PROVIDERS AND EARLY
LEARNING PROFESSIONALS NEVER
CLOSED RIGHT. BUT FOR THOSE WHO
STAYED OPEN, THEY STAYED OPEN
AND BECAME A VERY RICH AND
ROBUST SUPPORT TO FAMILIES. UM
THE IN HOME, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES
CONTINUED. AND SO WE HAVE TO
CONTINUE THINKING THROUGH HOW
WE'RE PROVIDING SUPPORTS TO
ENSURE THEIR STABILITY AS WE
MOVE FORWARD ON RIGHT REFORM IN
THE CHILDCARE SPACE. AND
CONTINUE LOOKING AT PERMANENT
BACKUP SYSTEMS AND IN HOME
SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, FOR
EXAMPLE. UM WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK
AT OUR OWN STATE WORKFORCE IN
OUR COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY
AND COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION
WORKFORCE TO BE ABLE TO BE ON
THE GROUND, PROVIDING THOSE
SUPPORT, SO A LOT IS HAPPENING
IN THAT SPACE TO SHORE UP AND
STRENGTHEN US GOING FORWARD
WEAVE TOGETHER, THE LEGISLATURE
AND GOVERNOR INVESTED IN MANY,
MANY MORE THINGS RELATED TO
HOUSING. AND OF COURSE, WE HAVE
MASTER PLANS IN EARLY LEARNING,
MASTER PLANS AND AGING THAT HAVE
SET A COURSE FOR US TO WORK
TOGETHER ON THESE ADVANCEMENTS
GOING FORWARD, SO FOR THE
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.
WE ESTABLISHED AN OFFICE OF
EQUITY IN 2019, AND IT WAS RIGHT
ON TIME, BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT
I JUST SHARED WITH YOU IN TERMS
OF PANDEMIC RESPONSE, HAVING
COURT LEADERSHIP EMBEDDED IN OUR
ORGANIZATION TO HELP OUR TEAMS
ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO HAVE
THE DATA TO BE ABLE TO INFORM US
ON THE DIRECTIONS WE NEEDED TO
GO. APPROVED TO BE ESSENTIAL IN
THE WAYS THAT WE INVESTED IN
COMMUNITIES THROUGH THIS
EXPERIENCE, AND WE'RE GLAD TO
CONTINUE THAT FURTHER. WE
SIMILARLY AS WITH CALIFORNIA
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY
HAVE THE SAME DEFINITION OF
EQUITY. WE HAVE HAD THE
PRIVILEGE OF BEING PART OF THE
GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE FOR RACIAL
EQUITY, WHICH IS SUPPORTING
GOVERNMENT IN REALLY
UNDERSTANDING HOW TO LOOK AT ALL
OF OUR POLICIES AND PROGRAMS
THROUGH RACIAL EQUITY LENS. WE
HAVE AMBASSADORS THROUGHOUT THE
ORGANIZATION BASED ON THAT
EXPERIENCE AND THE TRAINING WE
RECEIVED. DATA DASHBOARDS ARE
CRITICAL. AT THE SAME TIME THE
OFFICE OF EQUITY WAS STOOD UP.
SO WAS A RESEARCH AUTOMATION AND
DATA DIVISION AND A CHIEF DATA
OFFICER SO THAT WE'RE MAKING AN
EQUITIES VISIBLE SO THAT WE CAN
TRACK OUR PROGRESS OVER TIME ON
HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING DISPARITIES
AND DISPROPORTIONALITY ACROSS
ALL GROUPS. AND, OF COURSE, NOW
WE HAVE A GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE
ORDER THAT MANDATES AND DIRECTS
DEPARTMENTS TO BE FOCUSED IN
THIS SPACE, SO WE HAVE BEEN
WORKING TO DRAFT AND DEVELOP
EQUITY PLANS ACROSS OUR
ORGANIZATION. AND WE'LL BE
CONTINUING TO ENGAGE COMMUNITIES
TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TAKING THE
RIGHT STEPS TO GO FORWARD. SO
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS CHAIR. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, OBVIOUSLY.
UH THE PANDEMIC HAS
FUNDAMENTALLY SHIFTED SOME OF
THE UM, ISSUES THAT CALIFORNIANS
ARE FACING. UM CERTAINLY HOW WE
DO THINGS IN SOCIETY HAS SHIFTED
IN TERMS OF HOW WE EXPECT TO
WORK, DELIVER OUR SERVICES AND
OUR GO ABOUT OUR DAILY LIVES. OH
WE ALSO SAW A LOT OF WEAKNESSES,
THOUGH IN OUR SOCIETY. THAT YOU
TALK ABOUT THERE BEING A STORM?
WELL IT'S IT WAS THE PERFECT
STORM, RIGHT? WITH AN INCREASE
IN AH! OUR PUBLIC HEALTH IS NOT
THE BEST IN CALIFORNIA, RIGHT?
MANY HAVE HAS SOME PRE EXISTING
CONDITIONS. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
, OBESITY ALL THOSE TYPE OF
ISSUES. UM. OBVIOUSLY HEALTH
CARE BEING ONE HOUSING PEOPLE'S
HOUSING SITUATIONS IF YOU LIVED
IN A BIGGER HOUSE. YOU WERE
GENERALLY SAFER THAN HAVING TO
SHARE ROOM WITH MULTIPLE PEOPLE,
RIGHT? UM HAVING ACCESS TO SICK
LEAVE AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS
WE SAW, AND, OF COURSE. THE BIG
ONE CHILD CARE AND HOW THE
WEAKNESSES AND ALL THOSE THINGS.
IT WAS THE PERFECT STORM FOR
PANDEMIC JUST LIKE THIS. TO BE
ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL
THOSE THINGS AND WREAK HAVOC IN
OUR SOCIETY. WHEN WE LOOK AT
FROM THE PURVIEW OF EVERYTHING
THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
SERVICES HAS IN THEIR PURVIEW.
NUMBER ONE. WHAT WERE SOME OF
THE WEAKNESSES THAT YOU SAW? AND
WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU'RE
DOING TO BEGIN TO RECTIFY THOSE
WEAKNESSES. IS THE UNFORTUNATE
FACT IS, IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO
HAVE MORE PANDEMICS MORE
FREQUENTLY. AND THEREFORE WE
DON'T KNOW. HOW BAD THESE
PANDEMICS ARE GOING TO BE. SO
WHILE WE AT LEAST KNOW THE DEVIL
WE HAVE NOW. UM WHAT ARE WE
DOING TO STRENGTHEN THOSE
WEAKNESSES THAT WE'VE SEEN IN
THE PAST? SURE, THANK YOU FOR
THAT QUESTION CHAIR. I'LL SAY
PART OF, UM UH, WHICH IS TRUE
FOR THE SECRETARY OF HUMAN HUMAN
SERVICES AGENCIES. AND ME AS THE
DIRECTOR IS THAT IT'S CRITICAL
THAT WE ARE THINKING THROUGH ALL
OF OUR PROGRAMS FROM A PERSON
CENTERED WHOLE PERSON, WHOLE
FAMILY LENS THAT WHILE WE DO
HAVE FUNDING SILOS THAT WE AS
CALIFORNIA HAVE BUILT A REAL
BEST SAFETY NET, UNLIKE ANY
OTHER AND IN FACT, WHEN THE
SAFETY NET COMPONENTS ARE PUT
TOGETHER WHEN YOU HAVE FOOD
ASSISTANCE, PAIRED WITH CASH
ASSISTANCE, PAIRED WITH HOUSING
ASSISTANCE PAIRED WITH
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SUPPORTS AND
WRAP AROUND THAT YOU HAVE AN
EXPERIENCE THAT YOU'RE KNOWING
THAT TRAUMA INFORMED APPROACHES
OR HOW YOU EXPERIENCE SERVICES
IN THE ARRAY THAT WE'RE HAVING
THAT WE DO BETTER TOGETHER. SO
PART OF IT IS THAT THE
INTEGRATION OF THESE THINGS IS
KEY, WHETHER IT'S ABOUT APPLYING
TO OBTAIN SERVICES, SO WE'VE
BEEN DOING A LOT IN TERMS OF
BEING ABLE TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO
THAT WHOLE ARRAY RIGHT OUT OF
THE GATE, AS OPPOSED TO ONE, UH,
AT A TIME. AND THEN I AGAIN
WOULD SAY THAT SO MUCH, UM,
SPEAKING AGAIN TO THE DATA WHILE
YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT IN
TERMS OF WHAT COVID ESSENTIALLY
UNVEILED, THE DISPARITY IS EVEN
MORE. WE ALSO SAW A TREMENDOUS
DROP IN POVERTY. DURING THE
PANDEMIC, RIGHT? WE HAD A CHANGE
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE, UM
CALIFORNIA POVERTY MEASURE FROM
17.6% TO 9% BETWEEN 2019 AND
2021, THAT WAS THE CHILD TAX
CREDIT AND THE SAFETY NET
SUPPORTS THAT THE CAL FRESH
EMERGENCY ALLOTMENTS THAT I JUST
SHARED RIGHT? SO I BELIEVE THAT
THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE
OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS TOGETHER
WITH THIS LEGISLATIVE, THE
LEGISLATIVE BODY AND THE
GOVERNOR HAVE BEEN SPECIFICALLY
INFORMED BY WHAT WE ARE LEARNING
. WE KNOW WE NEEDED MORE
INVESTMENT IN HOUSING. WE KNOW
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A HUGE
PIECE THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE
TO INVEST IN TO MAKE THESE
CONNECTIONS HAPPEN. WE KNOW WE
KNOW THAT THE RESOURCES THAT I
MENTIONING ON COW WORKS GRANTS
INCREASES THAT AGAIN. HAVING
ADDITIONAL CASH ASSISTANCE
PROVIDES GREATER STABILITY. I
MEAN, AGAIN, I THINK MUCH WE
HAVE NOW HAVE THE GREAT
PRIVILEGE TO ADMINISTER OVER $50
BILLION AT THE DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICES, LOCAL, STATE
AND FEDERAL RESOURCES COMBINED
AND PRECEDENTED. THESE
INVESTMENTS ARE HISTORIC, UM,
GUARANTEED INCOME WHERE WE'RE
LOOKING AT NOT HAVING CONDITIONS
ATTACHED TO RECEIVING ADDITIONAL
SUPPORT. WHEN YOU'RE
EXPERIENCING POVERTY. ALL OF THE
INVESTMENTS WE'VE MADE HAVE BEEN
BUILT IN INFORMED BY THE
EXPERIENCE THAT WE JUST LIVED
THROUGH IN THE PANDEMIC, AND I
THINK WE ARE NOW DELIVERING ON
THOSE OUTCOMES, WHICH IS THE KEY
COMPONENT, I THINK IS NEXT AND
AGAIN, I THINK MAKING SURE WE'RE
DOING THAT IN A WAY THAT
CONTINUES TO BE INFORMED BY
COMMUNITY AND THAT WE ARE
PUBLICLY SHARING THOSE DATA
DASHBOARDS THAT INFORMATION IN A
WAY THAT WE CAN ALL UNDERSTAND
OUR PROGRESS TOGETHER IS KEY AT
MOVING FORWARD AL AGAIN
UNDERSCORE THE WORKFORCE. WE HAD
TO ADAPT, ADAPT AT THE STATE
LEVEL AT THE LOCAL LEVEL IN
TERMS OF THE MODALITIES THAT
PEOPLE WERE REACHED STATE
HEARINGS DIVISION, FOR EXAMPLE
FOR US WHERE PEOPLE GET DUE
PROCESS IF THEY FEEL LIKE THEY
HAVE BEEN IN INAPPROPRIATELY.
TERMINATED FROM BENEFITS WENT TO
VIRTUAL, AND IT'S BEEN MUCH MORE
SUCCESSFUL. AND ACTUALLY, IN
FACT, PARTICIPANTS WOULD PREFER
VIRTUAL. SO HOW ARE WE CHANGING
OUR PRACTICES MOVING FORWARD
AGAIN INFORMED BY WHAT WE'VE
LEARNED AND WHERE THOSE GAPS
WERE GOING FORWARD, SO THE
INVESTMENTS AT THE WAYS IN WHICH
WE DO BUSINESS AND THE WAYS IN
WHICH WE SHARE OUR PROGRESS OVER
TIME AND OUTCOMES. AND OFF ALL,
OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD HISTORIC
INVESTMENTS AND OUR OUR SAFETY
NET. AND MANY CASES SOMETIMES
WE'VE THROWN MORE MONEY THAN WE
CAN ACTUALLY PROCESS WHEN WE'RE
TRYING TO GET SOME OF THESE
PROGRAMS GOING. UM SO OBVIOUSLY
THERE'S BEEN SOME DELAYS AND
SOME PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATIONS.
CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND MORE
? WHAT IS CAUSING THESE DELAYS
AND HOW WE CAN HELP THE
DEPARTMENT TO BE SUCCESSFUL?
SURE THANK YOU. IT GOES BACK TO
THAT WORKFORCE AND CAPACITY
COMPONENT THAT I'M REFERENCING.
I'LL USE THE EXAMPLE OF CHILD
CARE SUBSIDIES, UH, THAT THE
GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE HAVE
PUT IN A MARKER TO HAVE 200
CHILD CARE SUBSIDIES. WITHIN
FIVE YEARS AS PART OF OUR
INVESTMENTS, AND WE DO THE
GOVERNOR IN HIS JANUARY 10 A
BUDGET IS PROPOSING TO DELAY THE
20,000 SUBSIDIES THAT WOULD HAVE
OTHERWISE OCCURRED IN BUDGET
YEAR FOR A YEAR TO ALLOW FOR THE
THAT THE EXISTING SUBSIDIES THAT
WE PUT TO DATE TO BE FULLY
UTILIZED. PART OF THAT WE
TOGETHER IDENTIFIED THAT THE
ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THAT
OUTREACH AND ENROLLING FAMILIES
INTO THESE SUBSIDIES NEED
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE THAT WE'VE
PUT $20 MILLION TO THE
ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT PROGRAMS TO
ENSURE THAT THEY CAN STAFF UP
AND HAVE THE HAVE THE RESOURCES
. THEY NEED TO DO THAT AT WORK
EFFECTIVELY. ALSO THE RESOURCE
AND REFERRAL PROGRAMS AND
CONSUMER EDUCATION. ANOTHER 10
MILLION ONGOING TO PROVIDE
SUPPORT FOR THEM TO DO THAT
CONSUMER EDUCATION AND THAT
CRITICAL CHOICE OF IDENTIFYING
THE CHILDCARE OPTIONS THAT ARE
AVAILABLE. SO I THINK IT'S TRUE
THAT WE HAVE PAIRED THE
WORKFORCE PIECE. WE'VE
TREMENDOUS WORK WORKFORCE
INVESTMENTS IN SOCIAL WORK AND
HEALTH CARE AND BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH, BUT WE'VE ALSO SEEN IT
TAKES MORE TIME THAN MAYBE ANY
OF US WOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED TO
ACTUALLY FILL THOSE VACANCIES TO
ACTUALLY RECRUIT THOSE NEW HIRES
TO GET PEOPLE INTO THESE FIELDS
TO DO THE WORK AND END REALLY?
TRULY. IT HAS BEEN EXTRAORDINARY
OVER THAT TIME, SO PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNIZE KIND OF
WHAT IT TAKES TO WORK IN THE
FIELD, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE
TO KIND OF GAIN THAT EXCITEMENT
ABOUT JOINING IN SOCIAL SERVICES
AND PEOPLE SERVING CAREERS GOING
FORWARD, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF
INVESTMENT IN THAT SPACE OR
WORKFORCE. BUT IT'S ALSO THE
CAPACITY BUILDING COMPONENTS OF
COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
THAT'S KEY. I UNDERSTAND THAT
DEPARTMENT IS HAVING SOME
DIFFICULTY PROCESSING
APPLICATIONS THROUGH THE
GUARDIAN SYSTEM. CAN YOU TALK A
LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHAT THE
DEPARTMENT IS DOING WHILE
WAITING FOR SOME FOR THE SYSTEM,
FIX OR REPLACE? UM HOW ARE STEP
PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
OR SUPPORT? SURE SO OUR GUARDIAN
PROCESS WITHIN COMMUNITY CARE,
LICENSING AND AGAIN A PLACE I
WANT TO AGAIN CALLED OUT A FEW
DIFFERENT WAYS IN TERMS OF THEIR
RESPONSE. BUT WE ARE IN A PLACE
OF RECALIBRATE BRAIDING AND ALL
THINGS AND LICENSING WE HAD
CREATED INFECTION CONTROL
MODULES. AND REALLY, WE'RE
GETTING BACK TO KIND OF THE
CORE. VISITS A THE BUSINESS OF
INSPECTIONS, ETCETERA. PART OF
THAT BACKGROUND CHECK PROCESS IS
WE HAD A NEW SYSTEM THAT
LAUNCHED RIGHT BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC CALLED GUARDIAN THAT
DOES THE BACKGROUND CHECK
PROCESS FOR A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT SETTINGS TO SUPPORT.
WE HAVE HAD A BACKLOG IN THAT IN
THAT AREA. PART OF THE WAYS THAT
WE HAVE ADDRESSED THAT BACKLOG
IS REDIRECTION OF STAFF. SO
WE'VE PUT NEW STAFF AND OTHER
PARTS OF THE COMMUNICATION
LICENSING DIVISION. WE'VE
REDIRECTED THEM TO FOCUS ON THIS
SPACE, AND THERE'S BEEN
LEGISLATION PASSED THAT
SUPPORTED WHAT WE CALL
SIMPLIFIED EXEMPTIONS.
BASICALLY, THERE ARE TWO
PATHWAYS AS INDIVIDUALS ARE
APPLYING ONE PATHWAY. THERE'S
NOTHING IN YOUR BACKGROUND. IT'S
THE SIMPLIFIED EXEMPTION PATH
AND BY THE RECENT LEGISLATION
THAT PASSED MORE PEOPLE ARE
GOING INTO THAT SPACE IN THAT
GROUP IS CLEARING WITHIN 3 TO 5
DAYS. THAT'S 90% OF THE
APPLICANTS, CLEARING 3 TO 5
DAYS. SO IF THERE IS SOMETHING
IN SOMEONE'S, UH, BACKGROUND
HISTORY, THAT'S THE PLACE WHERE
WE'RE SEEING A DELAY IN THE WE
HAVE TO ACTUALLY MANUALLY REVIEW
THOSE FILES GET THE INFORMATION
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
IN TERMS OF THE BACKGROUND THAT
WE'RE SEEING TO FOLLOW UP TO
DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY
CAN BE CLEARED TO WORK IN THE
SETTING THEY'VE APPLIED FOR SO
PART OF THE SOLUTION IS A NEW
SYSTEM THAT INSTITUTE TO YOUR
POINT WHILE WE'RE WORKING ON
THAT WE ARE REDIRECTING STAFF
AND SEEING HOW THE RECENT POLICY
IMPLEMENTATION IS CHANGING IN
SPEEDING UP OUR PROCESSING GOING
FORWARD. NOW. OUR NEXT QUESTION
IS JUST SOMETHING FOR, UM I
THINK THAT IN MANY CASES, TWO
THINGS FIRST I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT AND MR TORRES YOU CAN
CHIME IN ON THIS IS
UNDERSTANDING AT THIS TIME, WHO
ARE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
ARE IN CALIFORNIA. RIGHT? TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND
THAT WE SEE THEM. WE HEAR THEM
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN
MAKE SURE THAT THEIR NEEDS ARE
BEING THERE IS SPECIFIC AND YOU
NEED UNIQUE NEEDS ARE BEING
TAKEN CARE OF. OH, WHAT HAS WHAT
HAS THE LAST THREE YEARS SHOWN
US IN TERMS OF WHO ARE MOST
VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN
CALIFORNIA? SURE SO I. ALL OF
OUR DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN TASKED
WITH LOOKING AT THEIR PROGRAMS
FOR TO ANSWER THAT VERY QUESTION
WHO'S NOT BEING STRUCK? WHO'S
BEEN LEFT BEHIND AND WHO NEEDS
MORE SUPPORT TO GET, UM, PARODY
WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE
BEING SERVED BY THE SAME
PROGRAMS? UM SO THAT IS A
PROCESS THAT OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE
ENGAGING IN NOW FOR STRATEGIC
PLAN, BUT YOU KNOW, JUST OUR
OBSERVATION AS AS DIRECTOR
JOHNSON HAS IDENTIFIED WE'VE
SEEN DISPARITIES, RACE LANGUAGE
HAS BEEN A HUGE DETERMINANT OF
DISPARITIES. AND SO THAT IS ONE
OF THE REASONS WHY WE ARE
ENGAGING IN A LANGUAGE ACCESS
PLANNING PROCESS AND PURSUANT TO
THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER
FROM US FAR ON EQUITY. WE'RE
PUTTING FORWARD RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR LANGUAGE ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS
LATER THIS FALL. SO THAT FOLKS
HAVING ACCESS TO INFORMATION, UM
AND BETTER ACROSS THE BOARD WITH
OUR PROGRAMS, BUT I THINK IN THE
SERVICE DELIVERY, I THINK THAT'S
ALSO A KEY PLACE WHERE LANGUAGE
ACCESS CAN IMPROVE EQUITY. SO
I'LL LEAVE IT AT YOU MEAN THOSE
EXPERIENCING POVERTY, WHETHER
THEY BE A CHILD OF FAMILY, OLDER
ADULTS, THOSE WITH A DISABILITY
, CERTAINLY OR AT THE TOP OF THE
LIST QUART OF THE ARRAY OF
SERVICES WE PROVIDE. UM I'LL
ALSO NOTE THAT OBVIOUSLY
CHILDREN INVOLVED IN THE CHILD
WELFARE SYSTEM AND ESPECIALLY IN
FOSTER CARE ARE CERTAINLY AT THE
TOP OF THE LIST AND A NUMBER OF
KIND OF FOCUS THAT WE'VE HAD HAS
REALLY ABOUT WHAT MORE WE CAN DO
TO KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER. SO
IT'S THE PREVENTATIVE END OF ALL
THINGS IN THAT SPACE, BUT IT'S
ALSO IDENTIFYING THE YOUTH WITH
WHO HAVE THE GREATEST AND MOST
COMPLEX NEEDS HOW WE ARE
ADDRESSING THE GAPS AND THOSE
THOSE IN THE PRIMARY PRIORITY
AND FOCUS OF OURS IN TERMS OF
WHERE WE'RE PUTTING OUR TIME.
THOSE THAT ARE IN HOUSED, UM AND
AGAIN, UM, FOR ALL OF THE
REASONS RELATED TO HEALTH AND
WELLNESS, UH AND FUTURE OUTCOMES
AGAIN, AND THAT'S HOW WE WERE
ABLE TO TARGET THAT POPULATION
IN THE PROJECT ROOM KEY
EXPERIENCE, BUT BROADLY, THOSE
THAT THOSE ARE THE VULNERABLE
POPULATIONS AND DISPARITIES IN
DISPROPORTIONALITY VARIES BUT
MANY IN MOST CASES THEY ARE
PEOPLE OF COLOR. UM AND ALSO IN
CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM. I WOULD
HIGHLIGHT THAT'S ALSO, UH,
DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF
LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL,
TRANSGENDER PLUS POPULATIONS AND
IN THAT SPACE, UM EVEN IN OUR
MASTER PLAN ON AGING. WE HAVE
SOME SPECIFIC INTERVENTIONS IN
THE EQUITY SPACE THEY'RE LOOKING
AT, UM OLDER ADULTS, UH, AND HOW
WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THE
HOUSING SUPPORT NEEDS OF THAT
POPULATION, OTHER OTHER
INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORTS THAT
WE HAVE ENOUGH COURSE. THAT WORK
IS PRIMARILY LED BY OUR
DEPARTMENT OF AGING. SO UM, UH,
IT'S YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ASK ME
SOMETIMES. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO
ADDRESS AN EQUITIES? IT'S KIND
OF HARD FOR ME TO SAY THAT WHAT?
WE'RE NOT. I MEAN, THAT IS THE
CORE WORK THAT WE DO BY VIRTUE
OF OUR MISSION, SO, YES,
ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY
NOT ONLY THE COMPOUNDING EFFECT
RIGHT THAT IF YOU'RE AFRICAN
AMERICAN AND TRANS RIGHT. IT
JUST COMPOUNDS THAT THE AH, THE
BARRIERS UM, AND THE LACK OF
SERVICES THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY
TO THEM. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT OUR
PACIFIC ISLANDER BROTHERS AND
SISTERS WHO IN THE PANDEMIC A
LOT OF TIMES WE TALKED ABOUT
AFRICAN AMERICANS AND WE TALKED
ABOUT LATINO POPULATIONS, BUT WE
ALWAYS FORGOT. SOMETIMES
DIMENSION ARE PACIFIC ISLANDER
BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO ARE
EXPERIENCING SOME OF THOSE SAME
THINGS. THE THINGS THAT KEEP ME
UP AT NIGHT ARE SENIORS AND ARE
SINGLE MOTHERS AS WELL. RIGHT
HOW HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE CAN UPLIFT THEM?
UM, AND A MORE WAY? HOW CAN WE
EXPAND MORE ELIGIBILITY IN MANY
CASES? UH AND I WAS SOME WOULD
SAY THIS IS NOT THE YEAR TO
START TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING
ELIGIBILITY, BUT I'M JUST GONNA
SAY IT. AH UM AND UNTIL WE ARE
PREPARED, UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE
TALKED ABOUT CAL FRESH RIGHT
WHEN IT COMES TO SENIORS
ALREADY. UM AND ALSO ABOUT
SINGLE MOTHERS AND THE IDEA
BEING THAT THOSE WHO REQUESTED
THE MOST OUT OF RENTERS
ASSISTANCE SINGLE MOTHERS, RIGHT
, ESPECIALLY FDR, A BLACK SINGLE
MOTHER. UM. SO JUST WANT TO MAKE
SURE WE DO THAT, BUT I'M VERY
GRATEFUL FOR THE U UP. ALSO
UPLIFTING THOSE WITH DIFFERENT
THE DIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AS
WELL. UM OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE
STARTING TO SEE WHAT THE FUTURE
OF CALIFORNIA WAS GOING TO BE
GETTING TO LOOK LIKE. I REMEMBER
GOING TO SAN DIEGO AND LOOKING
AT SOME OF THE, UM. IMMIGRANT
FACILITIES TO HELP THOSE WHO
HAVE CROSSED ACROSS THE BORDER,
RIGHT. AND WHAT DOES THAT SAY?
WE GOT TO GET READY FOR MORE
FRENCH SPEAKERS, RIGHT PEOPLE
FROM HAITI COMING OVER TO
CALIFORNIA, RIGHT? UM RUSSIANS
ARE STARTING TO COME MORE
FREQUENTLY OVER THE BORDER DUE
TO THE INTERNATIONAL CRISIS THAT
WE HAVE IN TERMS OF, UM RUSSIAN
AND UKRAINE. UM AND SO,
OBVIOUSLY WE JUST KNOW THAT
CALIFORNIA WILL CONTINUE TO BE
AND GET MORE DIVERSE. AS THE
YEARS GO BY. THEREFORE WE NEED
TO BE ABLE TO PROJECT INTO THE
FUTURE WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE
THINGS AS WELL. GLIMMERS OF
HOPE. MISS JOHNSON. I AM OF HOPE
. AH YEAH. YOU HAVE A SET OF
RECOMMENDATIONS COMING OUT. DO
YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT? NOT
SPECIFICALLY WITH THE
RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BUT WHAT THE
RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE
ADDRESSING SOME IN BROADER
TERMS. IN MANY CASES WILL SEE
THIS BIG BEHEMOTH. OF SERVICES
AND DEPARTMENTS AND ALL THOSE
THINGS, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE
GREAT TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW
ALSO THAT HEY, WE ARE THINKING
ABOUT HOW WE CAN FIX SOME OF
THESE THINGS. YOU WANT TO TALK A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH,
SOMETHING'S COMING FOR THE
FUTURE. SURE THANK YOU FOR THAT
OPPORTUNITY CHAIR AND MAYBE I'LL
JUST ALSO BUILDING ON YOUR POINT
AROUND SENIORS AND ACCESS TO
FOOD SUPPORTS, FOR EXAMPLE. IT'S
NOT ALWAYS A MATTER OF
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE, ALTHOUGH
AGAIN WE'VE JUST HAD MADE THESE
HISTORIC COMMITMENTS. IT'S ALSO
PIVOTS THAT WE MADE EARLY IN THE
PANDEMIC TO HAVE MORE RETAILERS
TO ALLOW FOR ONLINE FOOD. UM
ACCESS RIGHT HAVING FOOD COME TO
THE HOME AND AGAIN, THERE'S A
LOT OF AGAIN KIND OF SPECIFIC
EXAMPLES THAT I COULD SHARE. THE
BORDER RESPONSE WAS A HUGE PIECE
TO THAT. I ALSO APPRECIATE YOU
LIFTING UP. THERE'S AN I MEAN,
IT'S AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE
POPULATION AS YOU THINK ABOUT
THE PROGRAM. WE ARE DOING A LOT
IN TERMS OF MOVING FORWARD. SO,
FOR EXAMPLE, FOR CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES EXPERIENCING POVERTY
AND COW WORKS, AND FOR US TO
CONTINUE SETTING COURSE TO HAVE
NO FAMILIES EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS IN CALIFORNIA. THAT
INTEGRATION THAT I REFERENCED
EARLIER IS KEY. WE KNOW THAT
PART OF THE HISTORIC CHALLENGE
THAT WE'VE HAD IS A LOOMING
FEDERAL OUTCOME CALLED WORK
PARTICIPATION RATE SINGLE METRIC
BY WHICH WE ARE ASSESSED ON OUR
SUCCESS. AND SO WE HAVE, UM,
CONVENED SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH
WORKGROUP MEMBERS TO THINK ABOUT
HOW WEAK WHAT THEIR
RECOMMENDATIONS ARE THERE. THERE
THERE CONSULTATION TO S AS THE
DEPARTMENT AND HOW WE CAN
TRANSFORM THE COW WORKS PROGRAM
. AND SO WE HAVE A REPORT DUE TO
THE LEGISLATURE NEXT MONTH THAT
WILL BE SHARING THAT SHARE OUR
RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS SPACE,
BUT, UM, ULTIMATELY, I WOULD
JUST SAY WHETHER WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN
COW WORKS, OR WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT IN HOME. SUPPORTIVE
SERVICES PROVIDERS UNIVERSALLY
IN OUR PROGRAMS. WE ARE ENGAGING
COMMUNITIES TO HELP GET US TO
THE NEXT SPACE BACKUP PROVIDERS
WAS A COVID PANDEMIC PEACE
FREEDOM SUPPORTERS SERVICES. WE
MADE THAT COMPONENT PROGRAM
PERMANENT IN THE PROGRAM. HOW
ARE WE AGAIN? NO MATTER WHAT
PROGRAM WHAT PIECE MOVING
FORWARD, AND SO THERE'S JUST A
LOT OF HOPE A LOT OF THINGS TO
BE HOPEFUL FOR WHETHER IT'S THE
OUTCOMES OF THE GUARANTEED
INCOME PILOT HOW WE'RE
TRANSFORMING COW WORKS. HOW
WE'RE LOOKING AHEAD AT I H S S,
UM HOW WE'RE HOW WE'RE PROVIDING
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INTO THE
MILLIONS OF INDIVIDUALS IN OUR
CHILDCARE SETTINGS, ADULT SENIOR
CARE SETTINGS, CHILDREN'S
RESIDENTIAL HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT
PREVENTATIVE EFFORTS MOVING
FORWARD FOR CHILD WELFARE AND
KEEPING FAMILIES TOGETHER THE
$150 MILLION INVESTMENT AND THAT
SPACE AROUND TO YOUR EARLIER
CONVERSATION IN THE IN THE
COMMITTEE, UM, KEEPING FAMILIES
TOGETHER AND WITH KEN AND THE
OUTCOMES THAT WE SEE ARE SO MUCH
MORE SIGNIFICANT, SO I WOULD
JUST SAY THERE'S TREMENDOUS HOPE
BECAUSE WE ARE INVESTING IN THE
RIGHT THINGS. BASED ON WHAT WE
ARE HEARING FROM COMMUNITY BASED
ON WHAT THE DATA IS SHARING WITH
DEATHS BASED ON OUR EVIDENCE
PRACTICES, AND WE ARE IT'S
ROBUST AND WE'RE ON COURSE TO DO
BETTER IN TERMS OF ANY NEXT
EXPERIENCE WE HAVE WITH PANDEMIC
OR OTHERWISE. THANK YOU SO VERY
MUCH FOR THAT. AND UH, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
APPRECIATE YOU NEXT. WE HAVE, UM
, DR ANDRE LOCKET AND CHRISTINE
KRISTEN. DONATI. DONNA DONNA DI
DONNA, D. THERE WE GO. WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT
SERVICES. WELCOME WELCOME. THANK
YOU. CHAIR JACKSON FOR HAVING US
HERE TODAY. IT'S GREAT TO HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU
MORE ABOUT OUR PROGRAM AND HOW
WE ARE FOCUSING ON ADDRESSING
DISPARITIES, PARTICULARLY DURING
THE PANDEMIC. I'LL TELL YOU A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR DEPARTMENT.
FIRST WE ARE A SMALLER
DEPARTMENT. UH WE ARE ALSO KNOWN
AS D. C S S THE DEPARTMENT OF
CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES. WE ARE
THE SINGLE STATE AGENCY
DESIGNATED TO ADMINISTER THE
FEDERAL TITLE. FOUR D. IT'S PART
OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT CHILD
SUPPORT PROGRAM. THE MISSION OF
OUR PROGRAM IS TO SUPPORT THE
WELL BEING OF CHILDREN BY
PROVIDING SERVICES TO ESTABLISH
PARENTAGE AND COLLECT CHILD
SUPPORT. FOR CONTEXT OR
DEPARTMENTAL FUNDING IS TWO
THIRDS FEDERAL AND ONE THIRD
STATE GENERAL FUND. AS STATE 40
PROGRAMS CAN VARY IN TERMS OF
HOW THEY'RE ORGANIZED IN
CALIFORNIA. WE ARE ADMINISTERED
HERE AT THE STATE LEVEL AND THE
DIRECT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED AT
THE COUNTY LEVEL THROUGH OUR
LOCAL CHILD SUPPORT AGENCIES.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT
CHILD SUPPORT IS A KEY FACTOR IN
LIFTING FAMILIES OUT OF POVERTY
ARE FEDERAL OFFICE NOTES THAT
750,000 PEOPLE ANNUALLY ARE
LIFTED OUT OF POVERTY BY
DOUBLING THEIR AVERAGE INCOME
THAT THEY RECEIVED THROUGH THE
CHILD SUPPORT. IN FEDERAL FISCAL
YEAR 2021 CHILD SUPPORT PROGRAMS
NATIONWIDE COLLECTED $32.7
BILLION IN SUPPORT. CALIFORNIA
COLLECTED OUR CONTRIBUTED $2.8
BILLION TO THAT TOTAL, AND WE
ARE SECOND HIGHEST IN THE
NATION. WE MANAGED OVER ONE
MILLION ACTIVE CHILD SUPPORT
CASES AND SERVE OVER TWO MILLION
UNIQUE DEPENDENCE IN OUR STATE.
FOR BOTH THE STATE AND FEDERAL
COLLECTIONS. THE GREAT MAJORITY
OF THAT SUPPORT IS PAID DIRECTLY
TO FAMILIES SO VERY LITTLE THAT
IS RETAINED AS RECRUITMENT.
RELEVANT TO OUR DISCUSSION
TODAY. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A
COUPLE OF OUR INITIATIVES. UM IN
MARCH, 2020. WE TOOK IMMEDIATE
ACTION TO REVIEW ALL OF OUR
AUTOMATED ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS.
WE ARE REQUIRED BY FEDERAL
STATUTE AND REGULATIONS TO HAVE
A SERIES OF STATE STATUES OR
STATE LAWS IN PLACE TO UTILIZE A
NUMBER OF ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS,
AND THESE INCLUDE THE INTERCEPT
OF FEDERAL AND STATE TAX REFUNDS
AS WELL AS LEVY OF LEVY OF BANK
ACCOUNTS. BUT IN BOTH MOST
INSTANCES STATES ARE PERMITTED
TO ESTABLISH THE CRITERIA. IN
WHICH IT IS APPROPRIATE TO TAKE
ACTIONS LIKE THE LEVY ON BANK
ACCOUNTS. SO WE HAD ALREADY HAD
A PROJECT UNDERWAY TO REVIEW OUR
BANK LEVY PROCESS. SO WE
ACCELERATED THAT PROJECT AND WE
IMMEDIATELY ALTERED IN MARCH
2020 OUR PROCESS OF LIVING BANK
ACCOUNTS TO BETTER TARGET THIS
ENFORCEMENT ACTION TO ONLY THE
APPROPRIATE CASES, THIS ACTION
FOCUSED ON REDUCING HARM TO THE
PARENTS WERE ORDERED TO PAY
SUPPORT WHILE BALANCING THE
NEEDS OF THE CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES WHO RELIED ON THAT
SUPPORT. WE WERE ABLE TO
FINALIZE THE CHANGES TO OUR
STATEWIDE COMPUTER SYSTEM TO
AUTOMATE THESE GOALS, AND THAT
RESULTED IN A DECREASE IN THE
NUMBER OF BANK LEVY SENT BY OVER
95. SO WE WENT FROM OVER 600,000
BANK LEVIES ANNUALLY. WELL WE
DID THAT. WE MAINTAINED A
CONSISTENT LEVEL OF COLLECTIONS
FROM THAT SOURCE, AND WE RE
CONSIDERING WHEN TO SEND BANK
LOBBIES AND SUCH A DRAMATIC
FASHION RESULTED IN AN
INCREDIBLY POSITIVE IMPACT TO
PARENTS ORDERED TO PAY SUPPORT.
WE ESTIMATE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO
REDUCE THE BANK LEVY FEES
CHARGED BY THEIR BANKS BY OVER
$20 MILLION ANNUALLY. AND WHILE
MAINTAINING LIKE I SAID THAT
LEVEL OF COLLECTIONS FROM THAT
SOURCE, WHICH ARE DESPERATELY
NEEDED BY THE FAMILIES, TO WHOM
WE PASS IT THROUGH THE NEXT
INITIATIVE I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE
ABOUT RELATES TO THE CARES, ACT
STIMULUS FUNDS. SO WHEN WE GOT
WORD IN EARLY, 2020, SO MARCH
AND APRIL ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY
FOR THIS TYPE OF STIMULUS RELIEF
, WE CAREFULLY WATCHED THE FINAL
LANGUAGE. THERE'S A NUANCE THAT
WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH IN CHILD
SUPPORT BECAUSE WE ARE REQUIRED
TO INTERCEPT FEDERAL TAX
REFUNDS. UM IN 2008. THERE WERE
TWO DIFFERENT STIMULUS FUNDS
RELEASED FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND ONE WE WERE
REQUIRED UNDER THE CHILD SUPPORT
PROGRAM TO INTERCEPT THOSE FUNDS
. AND IN THE SECOND ITERATION,
THE STIMULUS FUNDS WERE EXEMPT
FROM THAT TYPE OF INTERCEPT. SO
IT'S DOWN TO THE VERY WIRE. WE
FINALLY RECEIVED. THE CARES ACT
LANGUAGE. UNFORTUNATELY WE DID
HAVE TO INTERCEPT THOSE FUNDS
FOR CHILD SUPPORT. HOWEVER THERE
WAS A NUANCE IN FEDERAL LAW FROM
A 2005 ACT. IT'S THE DEFICIT
REDUCTION ACT OF 2005. WE OFTEN
CALL IT THE D R A. WHICH WE LOVE
OUR ACRONYMS. UM AND ER A
PROVIDED STATES AND OPTION TO
ESSENTIALLY MOVE OURSELVES TO
THE END OF THE LINE WITH REGARD
TO THOSE FEDERAL TAX REFUNDS.
CALIFORNIA AND MOST STATES OF
THAT TIME IN 2020 PRIORITIZED
THE STATE RECRUITMENT OF FUNDS
SO EVEN IF THE FAMILY WAS NO
LONGER RECEIVING AID IF THEY HAD
ASSIGNED OBLIGATIONS, THOSE
FEDERAL TAX REFUNDS WOULD APPLY
FIRST TO THE ASSIGNED SUPPORT.
AND SO WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH
THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE
GOVERNOR. HE SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE
ORDER AND APRIL 2020, WHICH
PERMITTED US TO STAY EXECUTION
OF ONE LINE OF OUR CODE OF CIVIL
PROCEDURE, WHICH ALLOWED US TO
PASS THOSE FUNDS THROUGH FIRST
THE FAMILY TO THE EXTENT IF THEY
ALSO HAD A SIGNED ARREARS, BUT
THEY WERE NOT CURRENTLY
ASSISTED. FOR CONTEXT. I WANT TO
SHARE THAT IN MAY. 2020 ARE IRS
INTERCEPT COLLECTIONS WERE
ALMOST $270 MILLION WHEN WE LOOK
AT COMPARABLE MADE MONTHS AND
2021 2022 THAT AVERAGE OUT TO
ABOUT $31 MILLION IN EACH OF
THOSE YEARS, SO JUST
EXPONENTIALLY LARGER BECAUSE OF
THOSE INTERCEPTED FUNDS. THAT WE
HAD NO CHOICE TO INTERCEPT. BUT
WE WERE ABLE TO PRIORITIZE THE
SUPPORT TO FAMILIES IN NEED AT
THAT TIME. COINCIDING WITH THE
TERMINATION OF THAT EXECUTIVE
ORDER. IN JUNE, 2022, THE
LEGISLATURE PASSED A PERMANENT
STATUTORY CHANGE TO ELECT THAT
DIARRA OPTION UNDER FEDERAL LAW
, SO IT DOES NOT WAIVE ANY
SUPPORT DUE TO THE STATE. BUT IT
SAYS WE WILL BE AT THE BOTTOM OF
THE LIST. FOR THAT. WE WILL
ALWAYS PRIORITIZE SUPPORT TO THE
FAMILY FIRST, REGARDLESS OF
WHERE IT COMES FROM. NEXT THE
HUMAN SERVICES OMNIBUS BUDGET
FOR STATE FISCAL YEAR 21 22
INCLUDED STATUTORY AUTHORITY AND
SOME BUDGET DOCUMENT
AUGMENTATION FOR US TO UPDATE A
20 YEAR OLD COLLECTIBILITY STUDY
. UM SO THIS IS REVIEWING CHILD
SUPPORT ARREARS OWED BOTH TO
FAMILIES AND TO THE GOVERNMENT
AND REVIEWING TO SEE IF THEY ARE
COLLECTIBLE, OR IF THEY SHOULD.
WE SHOULD CEASE COLLECTION ON
THEM. ALSO, AS PART OF THAT BILL
, IT ALTERED A STATE STATUTE
WHICH REQUIRES US TO CEASE
COLLECTION OF CERTAIN ARREARS
OWED TO THE STATE IF THE PARENT
WHO IS ORDERED TO PAY THAT
SUPPORT FITS IN ONE OF FOUR
CATEGORIES WITH REGARD TO THEIR
SOLE SOURCE OF INCOME, SO THAT
INCLUDES A PARENT WHOSE SOLE
SOURCE OF INCOME IS A
COMBINATION OF S S. I S S P OR S
S E S P AND SSD I SO THE
DISABILITY PORTION OR IF THEY
RECEIVE CAPPY, SO A STATE
BENEFIT VERY SIMILAR TO S S I OR
IF THEY RECEIVE VÀ DISABILITY
BENEFITS IN AN AMOUNT AT OR
BELOW. THAT S S I S S P LEVEL,
SO THOSE ARE MANDATORY, AND
WE'RE CURRENTLY IDENTIFYING
THOSE CASES SO WE CAN CEASE
COLLECTION OF ANY ARREARS OWED
TO THE STATE. THERE'S A SEPARATE
PORTION WHERE THERE'S A LIST OF
CRITERIA WE ARE REQUIRED TO
CONSIDER WHEN DETERMINING
WHETHER THOSE STATES OWED
ARREARS ARE ENFORCEABLE. WE ARE
WORKING DILIGENTLY TO COMPLETE
THE COLLECTIBILITY STUDY. WE'RE
WORKING WITH A UNIVERSITY ON
THAT WHICH WILL PROVIDE
RECOMMENDATIONS AND GIVE US A
FRAMEWORK IN ORDER TO ANALYZE
THOSE CRITERIA AS LAID OUT BY
THE LEGISLATURE. LASTLY THE
ADMINISTRATION PROPOSED IN STATE
FISCAL YEAR 22 23, A STATUTORY
CHANGE THAT WOULD TAKE ANOTHER
OPTION AVAILABLE UNDER D R A
FEDERAL LAW. THIS IS THE PASS
THROUGH OF ARREARS THAT WE SPOKE
ABOUT RECENTLY AT THE BUDGET
HEARING, SO THIS PERMITS US TO
PASS THROUGH ANY ARREARS THAT
ARE COLLECTED TOWARDS ASSIGNED
OBLIGATIONS, PASS THEM THROUGH
TO THE FAMILY INSTEAD OF
RETAINING THEM AS RECRUITMENT TO
THE GOVERNMENT. GENERALLY THAT
RECRUITMENT IS ABOUT 50% FEDERAL
47, A HALF TO THE STATE'S
GENERAL FUND IN 2.5 2 COUNTIES
IF WE PASS IT THROUGH TO THE
FAMILIES IN ITS ENTIRETY, THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL WAIVE
THEIR SHARE. WE ESTIMATE THAT TO
BE 100 AND $87 MILLION ANNUALLY
, THAT WILL BE NUT NEW FUNDS TO
THESE FAMILIES. WE'VE DONE SOME
RESEARCH IN TERMS OF THE
FAMILIES WHO FIT INTO THIS
CATEGORY OF BEING FORMERLY
ASSISTED. WE BELIEVE THAT MOST
OF THESE FAMILIES HAVE AN INCOME
OF LESS THAN $40,000 PER YEAR.
57% ACTUALLY, WE HAD NO REPORTED
EARNINGS FOR THESE FAMILIES AT
ALL. SO I THINK IT'S VERY
IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO PASS
THESE FUNDS THROUGH.
FURTHERMORE, 18% OF THOSE CASES
IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS BLACK
AND 39% AS LATIN X. WE NOTE THAT
BOTH OF THOSE COMMUNITIES WERE
ALSO DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED
BY COVID 19, AND WE FELT IT WAS
ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT AT THAT
TIME TO WORK TO IMPLEMENT THIS
FEDERAL OPTION. FURTHER CHANGE
PROPOSED IN THE GOVERNOR'S
BUDGET AND ULTIMATELY SIGNED IN
THE OMNIBUS ON SEPTEMBER. 27TH
2022 EXPANDS THE RELIEF OFFERED
TO PARENTS PAYING SUPPORT WHO
ARE INCARCERATED THIS CHANGE TO
AN EXISTING LAW REMOVED A SUNSET
DATE, AND IT ALSO MADE IT
APPLICABLE TO ANY PERIOD OF
INCARCERATION AFTER THE TIME OF
SIGNATURE BY THE GOVERNOR. AND
THIS GIVES AN AUTOMATIC
SUSPENSION OF THE CHILD SUPPORT
OBLIGATION DURING A PERIOD OF
INCARCERATION WHEN THE PERSON IS
NOT OTHERWISE ABLE TO PAY THAT
SUPPORT, SO THIS IS VERY
IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE ARE
NOTICED ISSUES IN TERMS OF BEING
IN AND OUT OF INCARCERATION,
WHERE YOU MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY
THE CHILD SUPPORT AGENCY MIGHT
NOT KNOW WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO
RETROACTIVELY. MODIFY THE
SUPPORT, BUT THIS LAW ALLOWS US
TO AUTOMATICALLY SUSPEND THAT
SUPPORT, SO WE'RE NOT OBLIGATING
FOR FURTHER SUPPORT. THIS RELIEF
IS ROOTED IN EQUITY AS YOU KNOW
THAT MANY COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED
BY INCARCERATION. IN TERMS OF
OUR LOCAL CHILD SUPPORT AGENCIES
TO PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICES ARE
LCS, A STAFF PRIORITIZED A FOCUS
ON REVIEW AND ADJUSTMENT ORDERS
THAT WERE ACCRUING CURRENT
SUPPORT WHERE THEY SAW A CHANGE
IN INCOME, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE
INFORMED IF SOMEBODY IS
RECEIVING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
, AND WE WOULD SEEK TO MODIFY
THAT ORDER AS APPROPRIATE, SO WE
WERE ABLE TO PREVENT
ACCUMULATION OF ARREARS. THROUGH
THIS CAREFUL REVIEW OF THE
CASES. AND THEY ALSO FOCUSED ON
ACCESS TO JUSTICE WORKING WITH
THEIR COURTS TO ALLOW FOR VIDEO
COURT HEARINGS AND THINGS LIKE
THAT. IN ADDITION, PROMOTING
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
IS A DEPARTMENTAL PRIORITY AND
DOCTOR UNDER LOCK. IT JOINED OUR
OFFICE IN NOVEMBER OF THIS PAST
YEAR AS OUR CHIEF EQUITY
OFFICER. WE ARE FOCUSING ON
CURRENT PRACTICES AND ENSURING
THAT POLICY LANGUAGE DRIVING OUR
CHILD SUPPORT ACTIVITIES PROMOTE
AN ADVANCED D E I. WE RECENTLY
RELEASED AN RFP SEEKING A FULL
EQUITY AUDIT OF BOTH OUR
EXISTING POLICIES AS WELL AS OUR
DECISION MAKING PROCESSES THAT
WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO SEE THAT
ROLL OUT. UM IT DOES FALL RIGHT
IN LINE WITH OUR FEDERAL OFFICE
AS WELL WHO THEY FORECAST AND
UPCOMING GRANT OPPORTUNITY TO DO
A VERY SIMILAR STUDY NATIONWIDE
FOR EQUITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR YOUR TIME. WE CAN TAKE ANY
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR US.
OBVIOUSLY WORKING IN A UM.
DEPARTMENT YOU HAVE A DIVERSE
GROUP OF FOLKS. WHAT DO WE DO?
WHAT? WHAT ARE, UM. WHAT ARE
SOME TECHNIQUES USED WHEN FOLKS
I MEAN, HOW DID AGREE WITH YOUR
DEFINITION OF EQUITY? THAT DON'T
AGREE WITH OUR DEFINITION OF
EQUITY. I THINK WE'RE WORKING
VERY HARD TO, UM, BUILD OUR
CAPACITY AS A DEPARTMENT, BOTH
FOR OUR STATE STAFF, THE COUNTY
STAFF AS WELL. SO I THINK THAT'S
SOMETHING DR ROCKET AND I ARE
WORKING VERY CLOSELY ON WITH
THIS AUDIT. WE'RE GOING TO DO AN
EXHAUSTIVE KIND OF SURVEY
PROCESS AND TRAINING, WORKING
VERY CLOSELY IN THAT SPACE.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING TO MONITOR
THROUGH ARE THE DATA AVAILABLE
TO US AND MONITOR DECISIONS MADE
BY OUR STAFF AND MAKE SURE THAT
WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING
IN OUR CASELOAD AND WHY.
HISTORICALLY CHILD SUPPORT
POLICIES HAVE DISPROPORTIONATELY
IMPACTED BLACK AND BROWN
FAMILIES. UM. INTEREST COLLECTED
ON PAST DUE PAYMENTS MAKE IT
ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CATCH UP.
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE
MAJORITY OF NON CUSTODIAL
PARENTS MAKE LESS THAN 15,000
YEAR. ONCE A CHILD SUPPORT DEBT
IS ACCUMULATED. IT IS DIFFICULT
TO CLIMB OUT OF MUCH LIKE OUR
GOOD OLD CREDIT CARDS. UM. UNTIL
RECENTLY. THE MONEY THE STATE
GARNISHED FROM WAGES DID NOT
EVEN GO TO THE CHILDREN
IMPACTED. BUT THE STATE AND
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UM, WHILE
JUST LAST BUDGET YEAR WE RAVE
CALIFORNIA KEEPING THIS MONEY.
THERE ARE STILL SERIOUS EQUITY
WORK TO BE DONE, THOUGH, WHEN IT
COMES TO OF THOSE THINGS. CAN
YOU DESCRIBE MORE? HOW THE
DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING BACK TO
CORRECT THESE AND EQUITY USED TO
ENSURE FAMILIES ARE ABLE TO BE
REUNITED AND NOT PURPLE
PERPETUATE THE CYCLE OF POVERTY
. ABSOLUTELY THANK YOU, TREY
JACKSON. SO I WILL, UM,
CLARIFIED THAT MOST OF THE FUNDS
WE COLLECT GO TO FAMILIES SO OUT
OF THAT 2.8 BILLION. IT'S ONLY
ABOUT 200 MILLION. UM THAT'S
RETAINED TO AS RECRUITMENT. SO
THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE FUNDS
THE CHILD SUPPORT, WE COULD GO
STRAIGHT TO FAMILIES IN
CALIFORNIA. AS YOU MENTIONED,
THE PASTOR OF ARREARS IS
SOMETHING ROOTED EQUITY THAT WE
WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE PASS THAT
MONEY THROUGH TWO FAMILIES. WE
ARE ALSO WORKING CLOSELY WITH
OUR PARTNERS AT SOCIAL SERVICES
TO MEET THE, UM REPORT REQUESTED
FROM THE BUDGET COMMITTEES TO
REVIEW THE POTENTIAL OF PASSING
THROUGH ALL CHILD SUPPORT FOR
FAMILIES WHO ARE CURRENTLY
ASSISTED AS WELL. WE STRONGLY
BELIEVE THAT THAT CHILD SUPPORT
SHOULD GO TO THE FAMILY THAT
SHOULD COME TO YOU FIRST AND
THEN OUR SAFETY NET CAN ASSIST
AS WELL. WE ALSO ARE VERY PROUD
OF OUR DEBT REDUCTION PROGRAM,
WHICH IS THE REFINEMENT OF THE
COMPROMISE OF ARREARS PROGRAM
THAT WAS AUTHORIZED IN STATUTE
OVER A DECADE AGO. SO THIS
PERMITS THE STATE TO COMPROMISE
ANY ARREARS OWED TO THE STATE.
UM IF THE PARENTS ORDERED TO PAY
SUPPORT IS NOT ABLE TO PAY ALL
THAT SUPPORT, OR AS YOU
MENTIONED WITH INTEREST, IT GETS
OUT OF HAND. THE INTEREST
STATUTE IS ONE OF GENERAL
APPLICATION NOT NECESSARILY ONLY
RELATED TO CHILD SUPPORT. SO
THAT HAS I KNOW IT'S A
COMPLEXITY THAT HAS COME UP AT
THAT BUDGET HEARINGS IN THE PAST
OR POLICY HEARINGS ON THAT
MATTER. WITH REGARD TO THAT WE
RELEASED A REVISED DEBT
REDUCTION PROGRAM THAT MODELS
ITSELF OFF I R S DEBT
FORGIVENESS OR TAX FORGIVENESS
WHERE WE LOOK AT THE COST OF
LIVING IN THE AREA WHERE THE
PARTICIPANT RESIDES IN THE SIZE
OF THEIR HOUSEHOLD, AND SO WE'VE
BEEN ABLE TO WITH THIS
REINVIGORATED PROGRAM RESOLVE A
LOT OF CHILD SUPPORT DEBT THAT'S
OWED TO THE STATE. FOR UM A LOT
LESS THAN IS OWED, SO I WOULD BE
HAPPY TO PREPARE SOME SOME
NUMBERS ON THAT AND SHARE WITH
THE COMMITTEE IF YOU'D LIKE.
RIGHT? THAT WOULD BE, UM,
HELPFUL. OF COURSE WHEN WE START
TALKING ABOUT UM. RIGHT MEANING
THESE ARE NOT JUST SURVIVAL
PROGRAMS WITH THEY SHOULD BE
EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS, MEANING
WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THESE
PROGRAMS, YOU SHOULD BE BETTER
OFF BEFORE, AS OPPOSED TO SOME
TYPE OF STAGNATION. SO AH, LOOK
FORWARD TO CONTINUE
CONVERSATIONS ON HOW WE CAN UH,
UM. CONTINUE TO WORK ON THESE.
THANK YOU ISSUES. I SHOULD NOTE
AS WELL WITH THE PASS THROUGH OF
ARREARS PROGRAM THAT FEDERAL
OPTION PROVIDES TWO OPTIONS AND
CALIFORNIA PROPOSED AND IT WAS
APPROVED TO RETAIN THE
ASSIGNMENT OF THOSE ARREARS THAT
WE'RE PASSING THROUGH BECAUSE
THAT RETAINS THE OPTION TO
RESOLVE THROUGH THAT DEBT
COMPROMISE PROGRAM, WHICH CAN
OFTEN BE FOR MUCH LESS THAN IS
WHAT THEN WHAT WAS OUT THERE?
FANTASTIC THANK YOU ALL VERY
MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. NEXT STEP.
WE HAVE CARLA CASTANEDA.
DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL
SERVICES. WELCOME. THANK YOU.
CARLA CASTANEDA. DEPARTMENT OF
DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES. THANK
YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO
SECTION TO SHARE AN UPDATE OF A
NUMBER OF OUR INITIATIVES THAT
HAVE, UM, BEEN IMPLEMENTED TO
REDUCE TO IMPROVE SERVICE,
ACCESS AND EQUITY AND REDUCE
DISPARITIES. UM, BUT THEN ALSO
SHARE HOW WE ADDRESS SOME OF THE
CHANGING NEEDS DURING THE
PANDEMIC. UH THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR ADMINISTERING
THE LETTERMAN DEVELOPMENTAL
DISABILITY SERVICES ACT. WE DO
THAT FOR THROUGH CONTRACTS WITH
21 REGIONAL CENTERS, SO THOSE
ARE LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE
STATE. THEY RANGE IN SIZE FROM A
SERVING A FEW 1000 INDIVIDUALS
TO NEARLY 40,000 INDIVIDUALS PRO
REGIONAL CENTER UM, AND THE
NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS SERVED IN
THE SYSTEM. UM, IN THE CURRENT
YEAR, WE'RE LOOKING AT A LITTLE
OVER 400,000 INDIVIDUALS AND
WE'RE PROJECTING THAT THAT WILL
INCREASE TO A LITTLE OVER
421,000 INDIVIDUALS NEXT YEAR.
IN ADDITION TO THE LETTERMAN ACT
SERVICES, THERE'S A PROGRAM FOR
INFANTS AND TODDLERS TO HELP
THEM IN THEIR WHEN THEY'RE AT
RISK FOR DEVELOPMENTAL
DISABILITIES. UM THIS IS FOR
CHILDREN FROM 0 TO 3, SO AT
THREE THEY WOULD TRANSITION TO
OTHER SERVICES. UM. AND SOME OF
THE PROPORTION OF CHILDREN THAT
ISN'T THERE PUT A 58 TO 60,000
CHILDREN SERVED IN THE PROGRAM
OF THAT 400,000. THE ISSUE, OF
COURSE OF ACCESS TO SERVICES HAS
BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN A
LOT OF CONVERSATION. A LOT OF
RESEARCH OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF
DECADES. UM IN 2016, WE
ESTABLISHED A RESEARCH UNIT TO
HELP MONITOR SOME OF THOSE
TRENDS. IT WAS A SMALL TEAM. SO
OF COURSE LOTS OF WORK TO DO.
STILL, EVEN WITH THE FEW YEARS
THAT HAS BEEN IN OPERATION, UM,
BUT A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES CAME
THROUGH, UM, TO SUPPORT THAT. SO
IN THE CURRENT YEAR WE HAVE $22
MILLION THAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR
75 PROJECTS AND THAT WOULD
SUPPORT UH, APPROXIMATELY 30
LANGUAGES AND 16 ETHNICITIES. UM
DOING A NUMBER OF THINGS LIKE
PROVIDING EDUCATION AND TRAINING
TO HELP SELF ADVOCATES TO HELP
WITH MENTAL HEALTH AMBASSADORS.
THIS ALSO ALLOWED US TO CREATE
THE FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN
NAVIGATOR PROGRAM. SO IN PRIOR
GRANT CYCLES, THERE HAD BEEN A
SMALLER NAVIGATED PROGRAMS IN
THE RECENT BUDGETS THAT WAS
EXPANDED STATEWIDE, SO AN
OPPORTUNITY AS SOME OF THE
CONVERSATIONS EARLIER MENTIONED
HAVING THE INDIVIDUALS WITH
EXPERIENCE IN THE SYSTEMS BEING
A TRUSTED SOURCE FOR FAMILIES
AND INDIVIDUALS TO ACCESS OF THE
SERVICES. UM WE ALSO HAD A
NAVIGATOR PROGRAM FOR
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE THEY'RE
CALLED DEAF PLUS, WHICH MEANS
THEY ARE DEAF OF OR HARD OF
HEARING, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE A
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY. SO
IT'S A NEW PROGRAM IN THIS
CURRENT GRAMPS CYCLE. UM ANOTHER
NAVIGATING PROGRAM WE HAVE IS IN
THE EARLY START SERVICES SO
AGAIN, HELPING THOSE INFANTS AND
TELL THERE'S BUT FOCUSED ON
AFRICAN AMERICAN INFANTS IN THE
NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNITS,
SO TRYING TO GET THEM AS EARLY
AS POSSIBLE, AND SOME OF THOSE
SUPPORTS TO HELP THEM. UM
ANOTHER FOCUS OF THE GRANTS THIS
YEAR WAS DEVELOPING A MORE
CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE WORKFORCE
, SO HELPING TO PROVIDE TRAINING
PROGRAMS AND BRINGING IN MORE
INDIVIDUALS TO THE SYSTEM. UH WE
WERE ALSO LOOKING AT
STREAMLINING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
TREATMENT FOR FOSTER YOUTH AND
THEN, ADDITIONALLY CONNECTING
SELF ADVOCATES WHO ARE CHINESE
OR VIETNAMESE. WHAT? THEIR AGING
CAREGIVERS, SO YOU HEARD THAT
ANOTHER OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS
WELL, LOOKING AT THAT
COMBINATION OF THE LIFE CYCLE
AND OVERLAPS OF CARE.
SPECIFICALLY THOUGH, IN THE
RECENT YEARS WHAT THE COVID 19
PANDEMIC DID WAS FORCED US TO
LOOK AT HOW WE WERE PROVIDING
SERVICES AND, OF COURSE, FOCUSED
ON MAKING SURE PEOPLE HAD THEIR
IMMEDIATE NEEDS ADDRESSED SO
EARLY IN THE STATE'S RESPONSE,
WE WERE PROVIDING FLEXIBILITIES
, SO SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES LIKE
INDIVIDUAL PROGRAM PLANNING OR
ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION WAS
DONE IN PERSON AND WE HAVE A LOT
OF US WERE STAYING HOME AND WE
WERE AVOIDING CONGREGATE
SETTINGS, UM, SO THAT THOSE WERE
ALLOWED TO BE DONE REMOTELY
CERTAIN OTHER ACTIVITIES OR FEES
WERE WAIVED DURING THIS PERIOD.
AND THOSE WERE, UM, REVIEWED
MONTHLY, SO TO THE EXTENT OF
FLEXIBILITY WAS NO LONGER
NEEDED, SUCH AS, UM, DELAYS FOR
TRAINING. DELAYS FOR AUDITS.
THOSE THAT WERE PULLED BACK AND
OTHERS MIGHT HAVE MIGHT HAVE
CONTINUED. UM ONE OF THE
FLEXIBILITIES THAT WE
IMPLEMENTED WAS EXPANDING
PARTICIPANT DIRECTED SERVICES SO
INDIVIDUALS SELECTING THEIR OWN
PROVIDER. THIS CAME FROM A LOT
OF WORK GROUP DISCUSSIONS. WE
HEARD THAT FROM STAKEHOLDERS AND
FAMILIES, UM PARTICULARLY DURING
A PANDEMIC, WHERE YOU'RE
LIMITING YOUR EXPOSURE TO OTHER
INDIVIDUALS. THE PARTICIPANT
DIRECTED SERVICES ALLOWED THEM
TO MAINTAIN THOSE SAFE
CONNECTIONS BUT ALSO GET THE
SUPPORT THEY NEEDED. THIS WAS
ACTUALLY ONE OF THE
FLEXIBILITIES THAT BECAME A
PERMANENT UM, CHANGE THE
REGULATIONS. UM WE ALSO BECAUSE
THERE HAD BEEN A LOT OF, UM,
WHEN FOLKS WERE EXPOSED OR WHEN
THEY WERE ACTUALLY DIAGNOSED
DURING SOME OF THE EARLY WAVES.
UM IT WAS HARDER TO GET STUFF TO
DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. SO ONE OF
THE THINGS WE LOOKED AT WAS
ACTUALLY PROVIDING AN OVERTIME
RATE SO THAT FOLKS COULD ISOLATE
TOGETHER THE PROVIDERS AS WELL
AS THE INDIVIDUALS. UM. AND
THEN, OF COURSE, THOSE ARE DONE
EARLY ON, BUT AS THE PANDEMIC
CONTINUED, UM, WANTING TO HELP
HELP THE TRANSITION, IT WENT
LONGER THAN FOLKS THAT INITIALLY
ANTICIPATED. UM SO THERE WERE
CERTAIN SERVICES THAT WERE
UNABLE TO OPERATE THE WAY THEY
HAD, TRADITIONALLY SO IN AUGUST
OF 2020, WE HAD LOOKED AT
ESTABLISHING ALTERNATIVE NON
RESIDENTIAL SERVICES. SO THIS
ALLOWED PROVIDERS TO PROVIDE A
DIFFERENT SERVICE THAN WHAT
THEIR PROGRAM DESIGNS ARE
ORIGINALLY RENDERED AS THAT WAS
PARTICULARLY HELPFUL FOR
PROVIDERS WHO PROVIDED IN PERSON
SERVICES AS WELL LIKE DAY
PROGRAMS WHERE EVERYONE WENT TO
A LARGER SETTING OR EVEN THE
TRANSPORTATION THAT GOT THEM TO
THOSE SETTINGS THAT WAS NO
LONGER NEEDED AT THE TIME. UM SO
THIS ALLOWED THEM TO EITHER
COORDINATE DELIVERY OF SERVICES
, COORDINATE RESOURCES OR
PROVIDE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF
SERVICE TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS.
OF COURSE, THOSE CONVERSATIONS
WITH STAKEHOLDERS CONTINUED AND
WANTING TO ESTABLISH SOME SOME
CERTAINTY IN AN UNCERTAIN
ENVIRONMENT, NOT KNOWING HOW
LONG FLEXIBILITIES WOULD LAST,
UM, SEEING THE MONTH TO MONTH
EXTENSIONS. ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WE DID WAS IN LAST YEAR'S
TRAILER BILL PROVIDED A LITTLE
CERTAINTY THAT HAD THOSE
ALTERNATIVE NON RESIDENTIAL
SERVICES AUTHORIZED THROUGH
DECEMBER OF 2022 AFTER THAT, OF
COURSE, STILL KIND OF IN A
LITTLE BIT OF UNCERTAIN
ENVIRONMENT, KNOWING THAT THE
PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY WAS
ENDING SOON. LOOKED AT PROVIDING
SOME EXTENSIONS THROUGH THE END
OF THE CALENDAR YEAR. UM A
COUPLE OF THOSE INCLUDE UM
EITHER REMOTE SERVICES FOR
SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES THAT BLENDED
THEMSELVES TO THAT, OF COURSE,
IF THAT'S PREFERRED BY THE
INDIVIDUAL IN THE FAMILIES BUT
THEN ALSO PROVIDING AN
ALTERNATIVE RATE FOR
TRANSPORTATION, RECOGNIZING THAT
THAT'S KIND OF STILL IN A
TRANSITION PHASE. OF COURSE,
THESE WILL BE REVISITED AGAIN,
JUST AS THEY HAD BEEN DURING THE
PANDEMIC. I WANTED TO ALSO
MENTION A COUPLE OF OTHER
FLEXIBILITIES THAT WE PROVIDED,
UM, KIND OF RELATED TO, UM THE
OTHER SYSTEMS THAT WERE
AVAILABLE SO EARLIER YOU HAD
HEARD ABOUT IMPACTS FROM SCHOOLS
AND, UM, OUR EARLY START PROGRAM
DOES PROVIDE THE SERVICES OF
THROUGH EACH THREE AND CHILDREN
TYPICALLY TRANSITION TO
ESPECIALLY EDUCATION SERVICES.
WITH SCHOOLS NOT AVAILABLE OR
SOME OF THEM NOT AVAILABLE FOR
CERTAIN TIMES, UM, THAT WE HAVE
EXTENDED THE AUTHORITY TO
PROVIDE EARLY START SERVICES
PAST AGE THREE. UM THIS ALSO
LENT ITSELF TO AS WE WERE SEEING
A DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF
CHILDREN IN EARLY START SERVICES
LOOKING AT, UM TAKING ANY OF THE
RESOURCES THAT WERE NOT USED IN
A FISCAL YEAR AND EXTENDING THAT
TO PROVIDE MORE OUTREACH TO
INDIVIDUALS SO THAT THEY WOULD
BE FAMILIAR WITH EARLY START AND
EVEN DOING SOME OF THE OUTREACH
TO CONNECT FAMILIES TO THE
SERVICES. UM. MAKING SURE I
DIDN'T FOR GETTING TOGETHER. I
THINK ANOTHER ONE THAT WE
MENTIONED WITH THE, UM
TRANSPORTATION WAS LOOKING AT
THAT, UM, ALSO RECOGNIZING SOME
OF THE STAFFING CHALLENGES THAT
PROVIDERS SAW THIS YEAR. SO ONE
OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE
IN THE CURRENT BUDGET IS
PROVIDING STIPENDS TO TRAIN
CURRENT PROVIDERS. BUT ALSO IN
IN, UM. FOR REGIONAL CENTER
STAFF TO SUPPORT THE SERVICE.
COORDINATION UH, TUITION
REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FOR HIGHER
EDUCATION OR FOR HIGHER DEGREE.
AS WELL AS AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
TO EXPAND THE WORKFORCE. UM BUT
ALSO LOOKING AT BECAUSE WE SAW
SO MANY ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY
AND THE USE OF THAT AND HOW THAT
MIGHT IMPROVE HOW INDIVIDUALS
ACCESS SERVICES PILOTING A
REMOTE SERVICES OPTION. SO UM
DDS, OF COURSE, REMAINS
COMMITTED TO THE ONGOING
LEARNING ON HOW TO HELP
INDIVIDUALS. ACCESS SERVICES
RECOGNIZING THAT'S AN ONGOING
CONVERSATION, UM, BUT ALSO
HELPING TO MAKE PROGRESS IN
REDUCING DISPARITIES. HAPPY TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR THAT OVERVIEW. UM
OBVIOUSLY, I'VE, UH EVEN UM
AMONGST MY COLLEAGUES IN THE
LEGISLATURE, THERE ARE SOME WHO
HAVE RAISED SOME CONCERNS ABOUT
REGIONAL CENTERS, OF COURSE. UH
UM. AND. PART OF IT ALSO DEALING
WITH THE FACT THAT THEIR THEIR
NONPROFIT STATUS. UM. CAN YOU
PROVIDE A LITTLE CONTEXT OF
CONTEXT? NUMBER ONE. WHY HAVE WE
CHOSEN TO DO THE REGIONAL CENTER
APPROACH WITH A NONPROFIT
STATUS? UM AND, UM. COULD THAT
ALSO BE A REASON WHY, YOU KNOW
IT'S REALLY MAKING IT DIFFICULT
FOR THEM TO COLLECT. UH, SERVICE
AND OUTCOME DATA. SURE I THINK
TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE
COLLECTING DATA. UM I DON'T
THINK THAT NECESSARILY THERE.
THE REGIONAL CENTER. UM
CONSTRUCT, PROHIBITS THAT A LOT
OF THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED WITH
SOME OF THE LIMITATIONS OF OUR
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM,
SO ANOTHER INITIATIVE WE HAVE IN
PROGRESS IS MODERNIZING THAT OUR
SYSTEMS WERE DEVELOPED IN THE
EIGHTIES, UM, 19 EIGHTIES, AND
THEY DO HAVE, UM, WHILE THEY'RE
STABLE, THEY'RE NOT AS FLEXIBLE
AND SO WHEN WE START DIVING INTO
PURCHASE OF SERVICES DATA, WE
MIGHT HAVE AN OVERALL FIGURE.
BUT DIVING INTO BY RACE BY
ETHNICITY MIGHT DISCOVER THAT
SOME OF THE INFORMATION IS
INCOMPLETE. SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU
MIGHT SEE A LARGER AMOUNT OF, UM
OTHER AS THE RACE INSTEAD OF
HAVING AN ESSENCE OF OUR
POPULATION. LOOKS LIKE THIS, UM
, THE REGIONAL CENTERS
THEMSELVES. UH PART OF THAT
STRUCTURE WAS REALLY TO ALLOW
FOR THAT THAT SEPARATION ON THE
CASE MANAGEMENT SIDE AND THE
WORK WITH THE PROVIDERS. UM SO I
DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS ARE
HAPPY TO GET MORE INFORMATION
FOR THE CHAIR. DO WE? DO YOU
BELIEVE WE HAVE A CONSISTENT
STATEWIDE SYSTEM OF SERVICES?
TÂM WHEN IT COMES TO
DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES. WE
ACTUALLY HEARD OF A LOT OF
INCONSISTENCIES. UM SOME OF THAT
MAYBE THERE COULD BE MORE CLEAR
DIRECTION, UM OR OR MORE
GUIDANCE, AND SOMETIMES WE MIGHT
NEED OTHER DIRECT AUTHORITY TO
DO THINGS BUT ESPECIALLY OVER
THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND A
NUMBER OF INCONSISTENCIES HAVE
BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION.
UM SOMETIMES WE WANT TO HAVE THE
FLEXIBILITY FOR REGIONAL CENTER
TO ADDRESS WHAT THE NEEDS ARE OF
THEIR COMMUNITY. BUT THERE ARE
OTHER THINGS WHERE IT MAKES
SENSE TO HAVE SOME MORE
STANDARDIZATION. SO UM,
SOMETHING THAT THE DEPARTMENT
AND THE ASSOCIATION OF THE
REGIONAL CENTERS IS LOOKING AT
ARE THE VENDOR IZATION PROCESS
IS HOW THOSE VARY, WHICH ALLOWS
YOU TO HAVE A DIVERSE SERVICE
PROVIDER NETWORK. UM MAYBE
THERE'S SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO BE
MADE IN THE INTAKE PROCESS IF
THAT VARIES ACROSS REGIONAL
CENTERS THAT MIGHT MAKE THAT
MORE DIFFICULT, SO THERE'S A
NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES. FOR
IMPROVEMENT THERE. ANY OF THESE
FIXES REQUIRE LEGISLATIVE, UM
ASSISTANCE. BUT THOSE TWO I
DON'T BELIEVE DO I THINK IT'S
MORE OF A WHAT? WHAT IS THE
BEST? THE BEST PRACTICE TO
APPROACH AND ADDRESS THAT, UM
WILL YOU IF IS THEIR MEANING? DO
YOU HAVE A TIMELINE IN WHICH
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE. WE'VE HAD
ENOUGH TIME TO BE ABLE TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BEST
PRACTICES ALRIGHT. AND HOW WE
CAN MAKE SURE THEY BECOME SYSTEM
WIDE. UM DO YOU HAVE A TIMELINE
TO BEGIN TO STANDARDIZE THESE
THINGS TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH
INEQUITIES THAT WE'RE SEEING IN
THE UM, UTILIZATION AND QUALITY
OF CARE. UM I DON'T NECESSARILY
HAVE THE TIMELINE FOR THOSE
IMPROVEMENTS. BUT I DO KNOW THAT
THERE IN PROGRESS SO HAPPY TO
GET BACK TO YOU WITH A LITTLE
BIT MORE OF THAT PROGRESS. IF
YOU CAN. I APPRECIATE IT. OKAY
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME
REALLY APPRECIATE IT. NEXT UP.
WE WILL HAVE JASON WEMBLEY FROM
THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY
SERVICE AND DEVELOPMENT.
WELCOME. THANK YOU. SO GOOD
AFTERNOON CHAIR. JACKSON AS YOU
KNOW, I'M JASON WEBLEY, CHIEF
DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR THE
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES
AND DEVELOPMENT. AND THANK YOU
FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE
WITH YOU. THE INFORMATION ABOUT
THE DEPARTMENT PROGRAMS AND HOW
WE'VE ADDRESSED HOW WE'VE
ENCOURAGED EQUITY AND PROMOTED
SERVICES AND OUR VARIOUS
PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE MINISTER
CS DS FOCUS. CS DS FOCUSES ON
PROGRAMS THAT HELP THAT CAN HELP
REDUCE POVERTY IN CALIFORNIA ARE
PROGRAMS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY
SERVE LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND
FAMILIES, AND THEY ARE ORIENTED
TOWARDS ASSISTING THOSE
CONSIDERED MOST VULNERABLE TO
ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN ECONOMIC
SECURITY. HISTORICALLY THE
DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN ALMOST 100%
FEDERALLY FUNDED, WITH THE
MAJORITY OF FUNDING COMING FROM
TO ANNUAL GRANTS. THE COMMUNITY
SERVICES BLOCK GRANT, ALSO KNOWN
AS C S, P G, AND THE LOW INCOME
HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE. GRANT
ALSO REFERRED TO AS LIKE A HEAP.
SEE SPG FUNDS AND NETWORK OF
COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS
AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE
LOCALLY DETERMINED ANTI POVERTY
SERVICES. THAT AND ACTIVITIES.
LIKE HE PROVIDES AN ARRAY OF
SERVICES DESIGNED TO ASSIST LOW
INCOME HOUSEHOLDS MANAGE AND
MEET THEIR HOME ENERGY NEEDS,
SUCH AS TO BILL ASSISTANCE AND
HOME WEATHERIZATION SERVICES.
DUE TO THE LIMITED FUNDING
NATURE OF ANNUAL GRANT FUNDING,
AND THEN COINS WITH FEDERAL
REQUIREMENTS LIKE HEAP FUNDS ARE
TARGETED TO HOUSEHOLDS WITH THE
LOWEST INCOMES AND THAT INCLUDE
MEMBERS OF VULNERABLE
POPULATIONS, SUCH AS YOUNG
CHILDREN THROUGH DISABLED AND
OLDER ADULTS. OTHER PROGRAMS
WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT'S
PORTFOLIO INCLUDE THE FEDERALLY
FUNDED LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLD
WATER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. WHICH
IS A NEW LIMITED TERM PROGRAM
THAT PROVIDES FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE TO LOW INCOME
CALIFORNIANS TO HELP MANAGE
THEIR RESIDENTIAL WATER UTILITY
COSTS. AND THE STATE FUNDED LOW
INCOME WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM,
WHICH PROVIDES ENERGY EFFICIENCY
AND RENEWABLE ENERGY SERVICES,
SUCH AS FREE SOLAR INSTALLATION
SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE THE ENERGY
EFFICIENCY OF LOW INCOME FARM
WORKER AND MULTI FAMILY
AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND REDUCE
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. DURING
THE PANDEMIC. CSD WORKED CLOSELY
WITH THIS LOCAL PARTNERS TO
IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS SPECIFIC
CHALLENGES THE COMMUNITIES THEY
SEVERAL FACING ONE EXAMPLE
INCLUDES CSD, WORKING WITH CSB G
AGENCIES TO IDENTIFY THAT DUE TO
SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTIONS. PPE
DIAPERS, WIPES, HAND SANITIZER,
DISINFECTANT SPRAY AND OTHER
ESSENTIAL ITEMS WERE IN SHORT
SUPPLY, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL
COMMUNITIES. USING CSP G FINDS
AND LEVERAGING EXISTING
CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH
SUPPLY BANK .ORG, A NONPROFIT,
WHICH FUNCTIONS LIKE A FOOD BANK
TO PROVIDE THE CENTRAL GOODS,
TOO, UNDER RESOURCED
COMMUNITIES. SUPPLY BANK, SECURE
SUPPLY CHAINS AND PARTNERED WITH
C SPG AGENCIES TO STORED AND
DELIVER THE SUPPLIES TO
ESSENTIAL WORKERS
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY
THE PANDEMIC, INCLUDING MIGRANT
AND SEASONAL FARM WORKERS AND
CHILDCARE PROVIDERS. THIS MODEL
PROVED SO SUCCESSFUL THAT CST
ADAPTED IT TO DISTRIBUTE INFANT
FORMULA TO SEE SPG AGENCIES
DURING RECENT SHORTAGES. CST WAS
ALSO GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO
ADDRESS HISTORIC LEVELS OF
ENERGY DEBT ACCRUED DURING THE
PANDEMIC THROUGH HIS
ADMINISTRATION OF THE CALIFORNIA
REARS PAYMENT PROGRAM OR CAP.
UNDER THE CAP CST DISTRIBUTED
OVER 1.6 BILLION AND FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE TO THREE MILLION
CALIFORNIA HOUSEHOLDS THAT
STRUGGLE TO PAY PAST TWO
ELECTRIC AND GAS BILLS DUE TO
THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF THE
PANDEMIC. COMPARED TO OTHER
BENEFIT PROGRAMS CAP IS UNIQUE
IN THAT ELIGIBILITY IS BASED ON
CUSTOMERS HAVING A CREW THAT
PAST DUE BALANCE DURING THE
PANDEMIC CRISIS, PUTTING THEM AT
RISK OF DISCONNECTION FROM THEIR
ENERGY UTILITIES. QUALIFIED
CUSTOMERS RECEIVE THE CAT BILL
BILL CREDIT WITHOUT HAVING TO
APPLY FOR ASSISTANCE. TODAY
THERE WERE TWO PHASES OF THE CAP
IMPLEMENTATION. THE FIRST WAS
ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE 2021
STATE BUDGET. AND DISTRIBUTED
APPROXIMATELY $989 MILLION IN
ASSISTANCE TO ELIGIBLE CUSTOMERS
THROUGH JANUARY. 2022 THIS PHASE
REDUCED OR ELIMINATED ABOUT 50%
OF THE DEBT THAT WAS REPORTED BY
UTILITY UM BIÂU PARTICIPATING
UTILITY COMPANIES CREW DURING
THE PERIOD OF MARCH 4TH 2023
JUNE 15TH 2021. THE SECOND
ITERATION OF CAP ESTABLISHING
THE 2022 STATE BUDGET EXPANDED
THE QUALIFYING PANDEMIC RELIEF
PERIOD TO DECEMBER. 31ST 2021
ELIGIBILITY WAS LIMITED TO
ACTIVE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
THE PROGRAM DISPERSED 647
MILLION TO ELIGIBLE CUSTOMERS TO
ASSIST THE COMPLETE PAY DOWN THE
CUSTOMER ARREARAGES BUT REPORTED
BY PARTICIPATING UTILITIES.
THROUGH THE SUCCESSFUL
DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION
OF BOTH PHASES OF CAP THE STATE
WAS ABLE TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE
AND IN MANY CASES ELIMINATE
THEIR BRIDGES FOR UTILITY
CUSTOMERS THAT QUALIFIED THIS
MADE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE
LIVES OF MILLIONS OF CALIFORNIA
HOUSEHOLDS STRUGGLING BEFORE THE
COST OF ENERGY AND ADDRESS
UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS OF ENERGY
DEBT AND HELP TO MITIGATE THE
RISK OF DISCONNECTION FOR MANY
VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS. NOW
RESPECT TO EQUITY. UM, SPECIFIC
. MORE. SPECIFICALLY THE
DEPARTMENT IS ALWAYS INHERENTLY
BE THE PLACE. FOCUS ON ON EQUITY
, AS MOST OF OUR PROGRAMS FOCUS
ON LOW INCOME AND VULNERABLE
PRIORITY POPULATIONS. WHEN THE
OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS, CSD
ENGAGES LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND
ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE
RESOURCES AND INFORMATION, FOR
EXAMPLE, WITH OUR LOW INCOME,
WHETHER IT'S ASIAN PROGRAM, THE
FARMWORKER PROGRAM, WE ACTUALLY
CONVENED THE COMMUNITY EVENTS
AND MET WITH THE COMMUNITIES
CONVENE PUBLIC MEETINGS WHERE IT
WAS ATTENDED BY COMMUNITY
MEMBERS. PARTIES THAT WERE
INTERESTED IN IN WHAT BEING
INVOLVED IN THE ADMINISTRATION.
THOSE THAT WERE RECIPIENTS OF
SERVICES WHERE FOR THESE
SERVICES AS WELL AS THIS
INTERESTED STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH
THAT PROCESS, WE WERE ABLE TO,
UM PRODUCE A VERY INNOVATIVE
PROGRAM DESIGN THAT EMPLOYED
INDIVIDUALS FROM THOSE LOCAL
COMMUNITIES AND EMPLOY THE USE
OF TRUSTED ORGANIZATIONS THAT
WOULD BE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY
OUTREACH AND PROVIDE SERVICES TO
THE HARD TO REACH FARMWORKER
FAMILIES. THAT PROGRAMS
DIFFERENTLY, YOU KNOW,
TRADITIONALLY HAVE A DIFFICULT
TIME REACHING AND WHAT WAS THE
CENTRAL TO THAT WAS AGAIN THE
EMPHASIS ON THE USE OF TRUSTED
ORGANIZATIONS. AH MORE FORWARD
LOOKING CST WILL CONTINUE TO
FOCUS ON PROGRAM EFFORTS TO
BRIDGE THE AFFORDABILITY GAP FOR
HOME ENERGY AND WATER THAT MANY
LOW INCOME FAMILIES FACE. AND UM
MOST OF OUR PROGRAMS WITH
EXCEPTION TO CAP OR ADMINISTERED
BY COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS
AND GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES. SO
FOR US TO MOVE THE NEEDLE ON D E
I, WE ARE STARTING TO DO.
TRAINING TO ACCLIMATE OUR LOCAL
SERVICE PROVIDERS, UM, ON THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE EI IN THE
WORLD THAT THEY PLAY IN ENSURING
THAT IN HOW THEY DELIVER
SERVICES THAT THEY'RE PROMOTING
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
, NOT JUST WITH HOW THEY SERVE
THE COMMUNITIES, BUT ALSO MADE
ATTAINING IT WITHIN THEIR
OPERATIONS AND STAFFING. UM ALSO
, UM, OUR PROGRAMS, MAINLY OUR
FEDERAL PROGRAMS DID NOT ALWAYS
PERMIT US TO COLLECT DATA TO
HELP US TO BETTER ASSESS THOSE
WHO WE ARE SERVING AND NOT
SERVING. BUT RECENTLY, THERE WAS
CHANGES THAT WILL NOW LABEL US
TO DO A BETTER JOB OF ASSESSING
THOSE THAT WE DO SERVE UNDER THE
PROGRAM AND AGAIN, THOSE WHO
WERE NOT, AND THEN WAS SHARING
THAT INFORMATION WITH OUR SUB
GRANTEES TO ENSURE THAT THAT
THEY'RE TARGETING EMPHASIZES
THAT GOING FORWARD UM SO THAT
CONCLUDES MY REMARKS AND
OVERVIEW AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
OBVIOUSLY, UM WE HAVE. RECEIVED
WIDESPREAD REPORTS ON. HIGH
UTILITY COST. ONE OF THOSE
REPORTS BEING A BILL I RECEIVED
IN THE MAIL. AND I MEAN,
OBVIOUSLY. TRYING TO TRACK AND
FIND FOLKS THAT ACTUALLY
QUALIFIED TO BE ABLE TO GET
THESE THIS ASSISTANCE. IT'S VERY
IMPORTANT. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A
TIME WHERE IT SEEMS AS THOUGH NO
MATTER WHAT UTILITY IT IS,
WHETHER IT'S YOUR GAS WHEN THERE
WAS ELECTRICITY. BECAUSE OF UM.
OUR WEATHER DISRUPTIONS AND ALL
KINDS OF THINGS. OH, WHAT DO YOU
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS? WHAT IS
US PROVIDING THIS SERVICE OR
THIS ASSISTANCE LOOK LIKE IN THE
FUTURE, RIGHT? MEANING WE'RE AH
, WITH FLOODS WITH VARIOUS
UTILITIES TURNING OFF IN ONE
REGION, RIGHT THE COST OF BEING
ABLE TO IMPORT ENERGY AND ALL
THOSE THINGS. WHAT ARE THINGS
ARE YOU LOOKING AT TO HELP
STABILIZE OUR POPULATION THAT
ARE CONTINUOUSLY GOING THROUGH
THESE THINGS? UM SO THE FIRST.
EFFORT FOCUSES ON DATA. UM SO
WITH THE CALIFORNIA ARREARAGES
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WE WERE
POSITION TO COLLECT INFORMATION
FROM THE UTILITIES TO GIVE US A
BETTER SENSE ON THE DEBT THAT
CUSTOMERS WERE WERE CARRYING AS
A RESULT OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS
OF THE PANDEMIC, AND SO THROUGH
THAT WE WERE ABLE TO THE SPIRITS
FUNDS IN THE WAY THAT PROVIDED
THE MOST EQUITABLE TREATMENT OF
ALL CUSTOMERS, SO WE PAY DOWN
THE DEBT PROPORTIONATELY FOR ALL
CUSTOMERS IN THE FIRST ITERATION
OF THE CAP PROGRAM, AND THEN
ALSO IN THE SECOND ITERATION, WE
BASICALLY PAID 100% OF THAT DEBT
OFF AGAIN FOR A DEBT THAT WAS
ACCRUED DURING OR ATTRIBUTED TO
THE PANDEMIC EMERGENCY. HOWEVER
GOING FORWARD. THERE ARE REPORTS
THAT DEBT CONTINUES TO BE UM, A
PROBLEM FOR MANY UTILITY
CUSTOMERS, AND THAT'S COMPOUNDED
BY THE FACT THAT THEY WERE
SEEING RATE INCREASES AS A
RESULT OF THE RECENT NATURAL
GASPAR SPIKE. ALSO THE SEVERE
WEATHER THAT CALIFORNIA HAS BEEN
EXPERIENCING IS CONTRIBUTING TO
THAT AS WELL. SO, UM SO
FORTUNATELY WITH LIGHT HEAT, WE
HAVE RECEIVED SOME ADDITIONAL
SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS THAT WILL
BETTER POSITION THE LIGHT. HE
PROGRAMMED TO PROVIDE SERVICES
TO CUSTOMERS THAT ARE IN NEED.
WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR UTILITY
PARTNERS TO DO A BETTER JOB OF
TRYING TO IDENTIFY LOWER INCOME
CUSTOMERS THAT ARE EXHIBITING,
UM, CHALLENGES WERE PAYING THEIR
UTILITY BILLS, AND THEY'VE
ACCUMULATED DEBT AND REFERRING
THEM TO THE LYCHEE PROGRAMMED TO
READ TO RECEIVE SERVICES. AND
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE POINTS I
WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MAKE IS THAT
DURING THE PANDEMIC, UM CUSTOMER
BEHAVIORS DID CHANGES YOU KNOW,
WITH RESPECT TO HOW THEY SOUGHT
AND APPLIED FOR, LIKE
PERSISTENCE. A LOT OF THAT HAD
TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THE
STATE TOOK, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW
MEASURES TO PROTECT CUSTOMERS
THAT WERE UNABLE TO PAY THEIR
BILLS BY INSTITUTING MORATORIUMS
TO PREVENT THE DISCONNECTION OF
THEIR UTILITY SERVICES DURING
THE PANDEMIC, AND A LOT OF THOSE
PROTECTIONS ARE STILL IN PLACE
AND ARE SOON TO EXPIRE. SO AS AS
THOSE PROTECTIONS ARE LIFTED,
AND FOLKS START TO RECEIVE THE
BILLS AS WELL AS ARE NOW GOING
TO BE PRESSURED TO PAY THOSE
BILLS. THERE'S ANOTHER
OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE THE
AVAILABILITY OF OUR LIKE
PERSISTENCE AND OTHER RESOURCES
THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR CUSTOMERS
AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO ACT AND
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE SERVICES
THAT ARE AVAILABLE. ANY RED
FLAGS. BUT. WE MIGHT BE
CONCERNED ABOUT FOR THE FUTURE.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS GOING TO BE A
ROUGH YEAR. MHM. TO SAY THE
LEAST. UH IN MANY ASPECTS AND,
UM, MAY NEVER GOING TO BE COMING
TO YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR RELIEF.
IN MANY CASES, UM. ARE WE ARE WE
PREPARED? SO UM, WE'RE IN THE
PROCESS OF PREPARING OUR NETWORK
AGENCIES FOR THAT. WE ANTICIPATE
THAT THE COMING MONTHS THERE
WILL BE A STRONG DEMAND FOR LIKE
HE PERSISTENCE AND THAT OUR
AGENCIES NEED TO BE READY TO
MEET THE PUBLIC DEMAND FOR
SERVICES. UM YOU ALSO TOUCHED ON
THAT THIS ISSUE AROUND AND YOU
AFFORDABILITY IS A VERY COMPLEX
ISSUE, AND IT'S ONE THAT'S OFTEN
PLAYED THE STATE AND IT'S ONE.
THAT'S A VERY DIFFICULT PROBLEM
TO SOLVE. UM YOU KNOW WHEN YOU
LOOK AT THE TYPES OF RESOURCES
THAT ARE AVAILABLE, LIKE HEAP IS
JUST ONE OF THEM. YOU KNOW, MANY
UTILITIES OFFER OTHER TYPES OF
SUPPORTS AND ASSISTANCE THAT CAN
HELP CUSTOMERS MANAGER ENERGY
COSTS MORE SUCCESSFULLY HAND SO
I THINK PART OF THE STRATEGY IS
NOT JUST FOR OUR PREPARATION,
BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT. THE
COLLECTIVE RESOURCES THAT ARE
AVAILABLE CAN BE BEST UTILIZE IN
AND WEEK AGO ENSURE PROPER
PROGRAM COORDINATION TO ENSURE
THAT WE'RE DELIVERING THE MOST
COMPLETE AND HOLISTIC, YOU KNOW
SERVICES TO CUSTOMERS IN NEED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME
AND THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR
YOUR TIME, REALLY APPRECIATE AND
LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
ALL OF YOU IN THE COMING MONTHS
AS WE GO THROUGH OUR TRADITIONAL
PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO, UM
CONTINUE TO PREPARE FOR THE FOR
THE TIMES AHEAD OF US. SO THANK
YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION. WE
APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP AS
WELL. ABSOLUTELY. WE WILL NOW
OPEN THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC
COMMENT. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO
MAKE A COMMENT, PLEASE MAKE YOUR
WAY TO THE MICROPHONE. SAYING
NOT IN THE ROOM. ARE THERE ANY
ON THE PHONE LINE? AS A REMINDER
, PLEASE PRESS ONE OF THEM ZERO
IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE PUBLIC
COMMENTS. ONE, THEN. ZERO AND WE
HAVE NO ONE QUEUING UP AT THIS
TIME. OKAY WELL AS WE CLOSE HERE
, WE WANT TO THANK ALL EVERYONE
HERE WHO PROVIDED TESTIMONY OR
GOAL IS AS A STATE. UH, MUST BE
TO ESTABLISH A SAFETY NET THAT
SERVES ALL CALIFORNIANS AND THE
WAY THEY NEED TO BE SERVED. UM,
OBVIOUSLY. UM TOO OFTEN IN THE
PAST. WE'VE HAD SYSTEMS THAT SAY
THAT WE EXPECT THE PUBLIC TO UM
, MOLD THEMSELVES TO HOW THE
SYSTEM CHOOSES TO OPERATE. UM,
BUT IT IS NOW. TIME TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE CONTINUE WITH THIS
PARADIGM SHIFT OF ENSURING THAT
SYSTEMS MØT THEMSELVES TO HOW
THE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA OPERATE
WITH THEIR KNEES ARE AND
ESPECIALLY THEIR DIVERSE NEEDS.
REGARDLESS OF THE RACE,
REGARDLESS OF THEIR AGE
ORIENTATION. LOCATION OR
ABILITY. UH UM, I APPRECIATE
EVERYONE TAKING THE TIME TO
INTRODUCE THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
TO THE WORK BEING DONE AND YOUR
DEPARTMENTS TO HELP REACH THAT
GOAL. WHILE THE INITIATIVES
PRESENTED TODAY GIVE GIVES ME
HOPE FOR A FUTURE WITH SEAMLESS
SERVICE COORDINATION STATEWIDE.
AH, WE AS LAWMAKERS HAVE MORE
PROGRESS TO MAKE STILL. AND WE
MUST BRING POLICIES FOR THAT
BREAK DOWN EXISTING BARRIERS TO
ACCESS AND INCREASE THE LASTING
IMPACT. OF OUR PROGRAMS.
ESTABLISHING A COHESIVE SAFETY
NET SYSTEM TO BETTER SERVE THE
NEEDS OF TODAY WILL TAKE TIME
WORK. AND THOUGHTFULNESS. BUT WE
MUST NOT ONLY EXPAND THE PROGRAM
OPTIONS AND SERVICE MODELS
OFFERED AND TO THOSE IN NEED,
BUT WORK TO OVERHAUL THE STIGMA
THAT HAS LONG BEEN ASSOCIATED
WITH PUBLIC ASSISTANCE. BEING
ONE MYSELF WHO HAS BEEN A
BENEFIT OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.
THROUGH MY SINGLE MOTHER. UM HAS
BEEN ESSENTIAL TO ME AND MY
SIBLINGS AS WELL. AND THAT IS
NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF. THAT
IS JUST TO SAY. THAT CALIFORNIA
IS READY AND ABLE TO ENSURE THAT
EVERYONE IN CALIFORNIA HAS THE
ABILITY TO THRIVE AND BE SELF
SUFFICIENT. THE SUPPORT PROVIDED
TO OUR MOST DISADVANTAGED
THROUGH OUR SAFETY NET IS NOT A
HANDOUT OR CHARITY. BUT A TOOL
OF EQUITY. A TOOL THAT AIMS TO
PROVIDE EVERY CALIFORNIA WITH
THE BASIC NEEDS. THEY NEED TO
SURVIVE IN AN EQUAL CHANCE TO
THRIVE IN THE GOLDEN STATE. I
LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU
ALL THIS YEAR TO PUSH FORWARD
MEANINGFUL LEGISLATION THAT WILL
ALLOW US TO HOLD THAT TITLE.
WITH THE STEAM. SO WITH THAT,
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH, AND WE
WILL ADJOURN FOR TODAY.