CA Alliance Statement on 2025-2026 Budget Agreement

“The California Alliance of Child and Family Services offers our utmost gratitude to Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Senate and Assembly for agreeing on a budget that will allocate $31.5 million for Foster Family Agencies (FFAs) facing skyrocketing insurance premiums. These funds will serve as a lifeline for FFAs on the brink of shutting their doors and are vital to meeting the state’s goal of a supportive family home, including kinship care, for every foster youth. Additionally we’re thankful for the $81 million allocated for the Bringing Families Home program and $20 million for the Mental Health Wellness grants. These investments will go a long way toward creating more stability and success for our children and families. We are heartened to see state leaders acknowledge that the well-being of foster youth must be a priority even in a difficult budget year.”

“As we work to implement this short-term solution, the work must begin now to truly stabilize community-based, non-profit FFAs doing the vital work of family reunification and when that is not possible, recruiting, training, and supporting foster families. In California, there are over 7,000 foster youth at risk of losing their supported family placement if the state does not take long-term action to financially address the insurance crisis that is putting FFAs at risk of having to close their doors. We urge Gov. Newsom’s administration to join together with legislators and stakeholders as we work toward a sustainable solution to a financial crisis that imperils vulnerable youth. This prudent investment by the administration and Legislature has given us the time we need. Now we must make sure we don’t waste it.”
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