SACRAMENTO — Assemblymember Dr. Darshana Patel (D-San Diego County) celebrates the Legislature's passage of AB 1074, which eliminates bureaucratic barriers that prevent low-income parents from accessing financial support while working to reunify with children in foster care. The bill now heads to Governor Newsom's desk with bipartisan support.
The California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids program (CalWORKs) offers cash aid, social services, and employment assistance to eligible low-income families with children. The CalWORKs Family Reunification Program allows parents receiving benefits to continue receiving aid even if their children are placed in foster care or with relatives, aiming to support family reunification.
Current rules create a patchwork of confusing and sometimes contradictory requirements that deny aid to eligible families. Foster care costs the state three times more than CalWORKs support, yet bureaucratic barriers force children into foster care instead of supporting reunification. AB 1074 creates a single, statewide system that makes it easier for families to access reunification support.
“Today’s vote moves us closer to reunifying families receiving CalWORKs aid,” said Assemblymember Dr. Patel. “Keeping a child with their family is not only a moral goal, but it is a fiscally responsible one I encourage the Governor to sign AB 1074 so we can stop punishing families when they need support most."
“AB 1074 ensures CalWORKs families aren’t penalized during the most vulnerable moments of their lives,” said Rebecca Gonzales, Policy Advocate at the Western Center on Law & Poverty. “By removing bureaucratic barriers and restoring the original intent of the Family Reunification Program, this bill helps families stay together and gives parents a fair chance to reunify with their children. We commend Assemblymember Patel for championing this effort.”
