A Sacramento County pilot program will offer “guaranteed income” for one year to Native American and African American families at risk of losing their children to social services.
The program—which starting in July will provide $725 per month to families for a limited time—will receive $2.5 million from the state through California’s Family First Prevention Services, created to promote “child safety and well-being,” with services that help prevent kids being stripped from parents who cannot afford their care, according to a staff report in the supervisors’ online meeting agenda.
Sacramento County submitted a plan in April 2023 to the California Department of Social Services to take advantage of the funds—the first county in the state to do so—according to the county’s director of the Department of Child, Family and Adult Services, Michelle Callejas.
In a prepared presentation, Ms. Callejas said the program, which county supervisors approved unanimously, is basically recurring cash payments to a certain population for a specified time, “to support recipients and meet the needs they deem most important.”
In this case, Native American and African American families will be eligible for $725 per month for 12 months, with other wrap-around services to assist such families in the long term, according to the March 12 agenda.
Referring to a report by her department, Ms. Callejas said it was found that African American children in the county ages 5 and under are more than four times more likely to be removed from their homes and placed in foster care than white children, among other disparities, and Native American children are twice as likely.
The department intends to offer the income to about 200 families who earn equal to or less than the federal poverty level, and who have children under 5 in specific ZIP codes, according to the report. A household of four must earn $15,000 or less to qualify, according to the 2023 federal poverty line.
Fourth District Supervisor Sue Frost said she supported the proposal, calling it “budget training” for families who qualify.
“I am going to support the pilot because I’m hoping it'll bring good things to some families,” she said.
She said such programs would be more effective than previous methods such as the COVID-era eviction moratorium, which helped renters but hurt landlords.
“There are landlords who actually rely on that income, so you’re disrupting others,” she said.
She said by offering not only income but services, families can learn to budget and prepare for when the funds are gone.
“There’s going to be training, budget training, and there’s going to be all kinds of education and services and support so that hopefully at the end of that year ... they’re ready [and] they’ve taken advantage of it,” she said.
The income will be supplemental to services such as CalFresh or CalWORKS that offer cash and food benefits to qualifying families, also funded by the state, according to the report.
