2023‑24
Revised
2024‑25
Proposed
Change From 2023‑24 Revised
to 2024‑25 Proposed
Amount
Percent
CalFresh Households
3,054,600
3,085,200
30,600
1%
CFAP Households
23,800
26,300
2,500
11%
Benefits
CalFresh Benefits
$11,884
$12,107
$223
2%
CFAP Benefits
99
110
11
12
Subtotals
($11,983)
($12,218)
($235)
(2%)
Administration
Federal Share
$1,295
$1,276
‑$19
‑2%
State Share
962
939
‑23
‑2
County Share
368
362
‑6
‑2
Subtotals
($2,626)
($2,577)
(‑$48)
(‑2%)
Totals
$14,609
$14,795
$186
1%
An additional $2.9 billion in federal funds were appropriated in 2023‑24 for temporary pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer benefits and associated administration and automation costs.
CalFresh benefits are 100 percent federally funded. The Governor’s budget estimates an average monthly benefit of $316 per household. CalFresh benefits also include replacement benefits.
CFAP benefits are 100 percent General Fund. The Governor’s budget estimates an average monthly benefit of $337 per household. CFAP benefits also include replacement benefits.
CFAP = California Food Assistance Program.
CalFresh and CFAP Caseloads Have Grown in Recent Years. Figures 2 and 3 show CalFresh and CFAP caseload increases over the last five years. CalFresh and CFAP caseload have both increased over 40 percent since the beginning of 2019‑20, although annual rates of growth have varied from year to year. Multiple factors likely contributed to this growth. First, starting in 2019‑20, Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment recipients became newly eligible to receive CalFresh benefits. Due to this policy change, and a decades-long effort to increase CalFresh enrollment, CalFresh caseload was at an historic high prior to the COVID-19 public health crisis (about 2.2 million households in February 2020). Second, the public health crisis and consequent economic downturn likely led to further caseload increases for both programs. Finally, as mentioned, maximum benefit amounts for both programs increased in the last five years. This increase in benefits also may have made the program more attractive to recipients relative to the administrative requirements to enroll. This may have made some recipients more likely to enroll or maintain enrollment. In June 2023, CalFresh and CFAP served approximately 3.2 million households total. Both programs’ caseloads continue to increase in 2023‑24, although initial data suggests CalFresh caseload growth may be slowing.
Caseload Projections Appear Reasonable. Our office independently forecasts CalFresh caseload. Our 2023‑24 and 2024‑25 estimates generally align with the administration’s forecast at this time. We will revisit this estimate in the spring when additional data is available.
Budget Continues to Provide Funding for CFAP Expansion Automation and Outreach. As mentioned, recent spending plans included funding to begin expanding CFAP to previously ineligible immigrants aged 55 and older, such as income-eligible undocumented immigrants. The 2023‑24 spending plan included $40 million General Fund for automation and outreach associated with the expansion. The Governor’s 2024‑25 budget proposal shifts some of these funds to 2024‑25 and also provides refined automation cost estimates. The budget includes about $11 million General Fund in 2023‑24 and about $23 million General Fund in 2024‑25 for outreach and automation. Implementation of the expansion is expected in October 2025. Because implementation of the benefit is not expected to occur until 2025‑26, the Governor’s budget does not include General Fund costs to pay for this benefit.
Budget Updates Cost Estimate for EBT Security Technology Improvements . In recent years, CalFresh and other benefits loaded onto EBT cards have been subject to increasing levels of theft. When benefits are stolen, recipients may apply to get replacements benefits, which are funded by a combination of state and federal funds. The administration projects this theft will cost the state over $260 million total funds ($196 million General Fund) to provide and administer reimbursements in 2023‑24. Most of this theft is believed to be accomplished through creating “clones” of EBT cards. EBT card cloning is possible, in part, because EBT cards lack many security features common to debit and credit cards, such as security chips. The Governor’s budget includes $65.8 million ($20.4 million General Fund) in 2023‑24 and $10.7 million ($3.5 million General Fund) in 2024‑25 to improve EBT card technology and security. The proposal shifts about $16 million from 2024‑25 and 2025‑26 to the current year. This funding shift is due to expedited implementation; the projected multiyear cost remains unchanged. The administration currently anticipates that, beginning in May 2024, EBT cards will be issued with chip and tap-to-pay technologies, which provide improved fraud protection over magnetic stripe technology.
Budget Includes $1.2 Billion in Mostly Federal Funding for Other CDSS Food Programs. As shown in Figure 4, the Governor’s budget proposes over $1 billion in total funds ($89 million General Fund) for other CDSS-administered food assistance programs and pilots (some federal or state food programs, like the CDE’s Universal Meals Program, are administered by other departments). CDSS food programs with the largest year-over-year changes from 2023‑24 to 2024‑25 include CalFood, the Summer EBT Program, and the CalFresh Minimum Nutrition Benefit Pilot. CalFood funding is proposed to decrease by $52 million General Fund due to the expiration of a one-time augmentation. An increase of about $206 million in Summer EBT Program funding ($14 million General Fund) largely reflects the impact of a full-year’s caseload in 2024‑25 (compared to 2023‑24 partial-year caseload) as the program implementation continues. The Governor’s budget proposes a year-over-year increase of $14 million General Fund for the Minimum Nutrition Benefit Pilot (which will ensure pilot participants receive, at minimum, $50 in monthly CalFresh benefits, rather than the current minimum of $23) to begin providing pilot benefits in 2024‑25.
Proposed 2024‑25 Funding for Other CDSS‑Administered State and Federal Food Assistance Programs
(In Millions)
Program | Description | Total | Federal | State |
CACFP | Reimburses some operators of child care centers, day care homes, and adult day care centers for food served. | $588 | $579 | $9 |
Summer EBT Program | Provides food benefits during the summer months to school‑aged children qualified for free or reduced‑price meals. | 501 | 466 | 35 |
TEFAP and Emergency Food for Families | Distributes domestically grown foods to food banks and emergency feeding organizations. Emergency Food for Families supplements existing TEFAP funds. | 32 | 32 | 1 |
SNB and TNB Programs | Provide monthly supplemental or transitional benefits to households that saw a decrease in CalFresh benefits or became ineligible for CalFresh when SSI/SSP recipients became newly eligible for CalFresh in 2019. | 32 | — | 32 |
WINS | Provides a supplemental $10 food benefit to families who are receiving CalFresh or CFAP, but not receiving CalWORKs assistance, and who are working 20 to 35 hours per week, depending on family composition. | 24 | — | 24 |
CalFresh Minimum Nutrition Benefit Pilot | Will provide eligible CalFresh recipients with a minimum monthly benefit of $50 for 12 months. CDSS is in the process of determining the pilot area or population. | 15 | — | 15 |
CalFood Program | Provides funding for food banks for emergency food and administration. | 8 | — | 8 |
Tribal Nutrition Assistance Program | Provides grants to eligible tribes and tribal organizations to address food insecurity and inequities between CalFresh benefits and the Food Distribution Program for Indian Reservations. | 5 | — | 5 |
CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot | Provides a dollar‑for‑dollar match up to $60 per month when CalFresh households purchase fresh fruits or vegetables at select farmers’ markets and grocery stores. | 3 | — | 3 |
CalFresh Safe Drinking Water Pilot | Provides some Kern county CalFresh households who have failing water systems with a time‑limited supplemental monthly benefit of $50 for the purchase of safe drinking water. | 2 | — | 2 |
Totals | $1,210 | $1,076 | $134 | |
CACFP is federally funded through the Food and Nutrition Service. The state funding is provided through Proposition 98 and non‑Proposition 98 General Fund. | ||||
Summer EBT benefits funding is 100 percent federal. Outreach, administration, and automation funding is 50 percent federal and 50 percent General Fund. | ||||
TEFAP is 100 percent federally funded. Emergency Food for Families funding is 100 percent state tax revenue collections. | ||||
CDSS = California Department of Social Services; CACFP = Child and Adult Care Food Program; EBT = Electronic Benefit Transfer; TEFAP = The Emergency Food Assistance Program; SNB = Supplemental Nutrition Benefit Program; TNB = Transitional Nutrition Benefit Program; and WINS = Work Incentive Nutritional Supplement |
Continue Monitoring CFAP Expansion. The administration has not provided the Legislature with recent estimates on how quickly or how significantly CFAP caseload is forecasted to grow after the expansion is implemented in October 2025. An up-to-date estimate on how much the expansion is likely to cost after implementation is also needed, particularly in light of the significant budget deficits expected in the future. We recommend the Legislature ask the administration for routine updates regarding the CFAP expansion. These updates should include any changes to the expected time line, caseload estimates, and cost estimates. This information would provide the Legislature greater clarity on the implications of the expansion in the context of continued fiscal constraints.
Consider Future Goals for Work Incentive Nutrition Supplement (WINS) Program. WINS, introduced in 2014, provides some working CalFresh households with additional monthly food benefits of $10. (Currently, WINS costs roughly $25 million annually.) These households help the state meet a federal California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) requirement called the work participation rate (WPR). The Federal Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 set new rules for programs like WINS. Beginning October 1, 2025, working families enrolled in programs of this nature must receive at least $35 in monthly benefits to be included in state WPR calculations. As a result, starting in 2025‑26, the WINS program would only help the state meet its WPR requirements if benefits were increased to $35. This change would increase WINS annual cost to roughly $63 million.
WINS was established with a primary goal of boosting the state’s WPR, with a secondary goal of providing additional benefits to working CalFresh families. This upcoming federal change presents an opportunity for the Legislature to reevaluate its goals for the WINS program moving forward. The Legislature might begin to consider if and how it would like to respond to the change in 2025‑26. For example, the state could continue to operate the WINS program as is, regardless of the upcoming change, by continuing to provide $10 monthly benefits. Alternatively, California could plan to increase WINS monthly benefits in 2025‑26 to $35 to align with the new federal requirement. Finally, the legislature could eliminate the WINS program altogether beginning in 2025‑26, reducing about 125,000 WINS participants’ food benefits by $10 monthly, but generating about $25 million in annual General Fund savings. Additional details on the trade-offs for each of these potential actions will be provided in our upcoming post: Overview of the Federal Fiscal Responsibility Act’s Impacts on CalWORKs .
An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock Locked padlock icon ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
See what documents a child needs to travel to or from the U.S. alone or with a parent or relative.
All children, including infants, must have their own travel documents such as a passport or document from a Trusted Traveler Program to enter the U.S. If you travel or are going to travel with a child, consider taking the following documents:
Ports of entry in many countries have security measures to prevent international child abduction . If you are traveling alone with your child, you may be required to present documentation proving you are the parent or legal guardian. You may also need a letter of permission from the other parent for your child to travel.
If your child travels alone, depending on the country, they may be required to present a notarized letter from both parents or their legal guardian. If a minor is traveling abroad and is not accompanied by both parents or a legal guardian, contact the embassy or consulate of the country you will be visiting and ask about entry and exit requirements for that country.
LAST UPDATED: December 6, 2023
Ask a real person any government-related question for free. They will get you the answer or let you know where to find it.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Application Letter for Private Chef Position. Dear [Client Name], I am excited to apply for the Private Chef position at your home. With ten years of experience in the culinary industry, including three years as a Private Chef for high-profile clients, I am confident in my ability to create customized, delicious meals for you and your family ...
Cook Cover Letter Examples. Cooks follow chef instructions to prepare food. These employees often work at odd hours, such as early morning or late evenings, and also on weekends. Common duties of a Cook include stocking cooking stations, preparing food, collaborating with kitchen staff, maintaining the working area clean and organized, cleaning ...
Example 2: Pastry Chef Cover Letter. Dear Hiring Manager, I am delighted to apply for the Pastry Chef position at The Walt Disney Company. The reputation of Disney for its exceptional quality and creativity in the culinary arts is truly inspiring, and I would be honored to contribute my skills and passion to the team.
Here is an example of a cover letter for an entry-level cook: Angela Williams. 234-567-6675 | [email protected] | Toronto, Ontario April 12, 2022 Sous Vide Restaurant Dear Mr. Johnson, My name is Angela Williams, and I am contacting you regarding the open junior cook position at your restaurant.
Key Takeaways For a Cook Cover Letter. Highlight relevant experience, such as food preparation, customer service, and kitchen safety. Include specific details about your culinary skills and abilities. Explain why you are a good fit for the position. Describe any special certifications or qualifications you have.
Cook cover letter example. Use this Cook cover letter example to finish your application and get hired fast - no frustration, no guesswork. This cover letter example is specifically designed for Cook positions in 2024. Take advantage of our sample sentences + expert guides to download the perfect cover letter in just minutes.
6. Key In a Cook Cover Letter Sign-Off. The expo handed off the above paragraphs, but don't leave just yet—. The cover letter closing is on deck. Here's how to write it on the fly: Use a formal sentiment followed by your full name. Go for "With best regards," "Yours sincerely," or a simple "Thank you.".
In the undertones of your story or cook cover letter body, hint at the difference you'd make and sell your application as the perfect one for the job. Body Paragraph Spearheaded a menu revamp for a mid-size bistro, devising a farm-to-table concept that increased customer satisfaction by 35% and cut food costs by 20%.
Step-by-step tips on how to write a line cook cover letter that will land you more interviews. A cook cover letter template you can copy, adjust, and have ready in 15 minutes. Save hours of work and get a cover letter like this. Pick a template, fill it in. Quick and easy. Choose from 20+ cover letter templates and download your cover letter now.
Here are three tips for writing an impressive chef cover letter to ensure your application gets a positive reception: Highlight your chef skills Because a chef's main responsibilities include overseeing kitchen operations, supervising cooking staff, and planning menus, the right mix of hard and soft skills is vital to success in the kitchen.
Add these to the ideas in the free kitchen staff cover letter sample. Dexterity: Food preparation workers use sharp knives to chop veggies, slice meat, and do many other tasks. They must be able to work quickly and safely with sharp objects. Listening: Prep workers must understand customers' orders and follow directions from cooks, chefs, or ...
Dear [Mr./Mrs./Ms.] [Hiring Manager's Surname], I've been in the kitchen since I was five years old, so I'd be thrilled to bring a lifetime of passion for food to [Restaurant Name] as your new Line Cook. With an associate's degree in culinary arts, ACF certification, and 5 years of experience in Cajun, Creole, and Middle Eastern ...
Cook and serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner to over 200 customers daily. Developed new recipe for breakfast sandwich; became one of the most popular menu items. Awarded Employee of the Month four times due to customer service and culinary skills. Line Cook, XYZ Fast Food Restaurant, New York City, NY September 2017 - May 2019
If you want to be a chef, it is important to know the responsibilities. A chef not only cooks for the customers, but also manages the food inventory and purchases, develops and maintains the menu, and manages the kitchen. There are countless restaurants and also countless chefs out there hoping to get the position. A good application letter for the chef position may grant you the opportunity ...
Cover letter template for a chef. Copy and paste the text below to use as a foundation for your chef cover letter. May 25, 2024. Dear Ms. Cook, I am writing to express my genuine interest in the chef position with The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, as advertised.
A prep cook is a professional who prepares ingredients for line cooks. If you want to gain experience in a kitchen at a restaurant, this job description may be perfect for you. Reviewing resume samples and cover letter samples may help you in preparing your own application documents. In this article, we discuss what elements to include in this document, explain what industry skills to ...
314-555-0165. [email protected] May 1, 2023 Dear Hiring Manager, I'm delighted to be applying for your currently open Line Cook position at The Flagship Bar and Grill. I've been hoping to find an opportunity where I can advance my culinary career while working with a collaborative and forward-thinking team.
[email protected]. Dear Mr. Davis, I would like to apply for the Line Cook position at Sanders Family Restaurant. I have two years of experience in the restaurant industry and am dedicated to my craft. As a prep cook with Papa Sam's Restaurant I assist the chef by chopping food cleaning vegetables and other duties as assigned.
Here is a sample application letter for Chef that you can use to showcase your expertise and experience in the industry as a chef. If you aim to have a job role of a professional chef in a hotel, this sample application letter will help get your application noticed. Template 1 For An Application Letter As A Cook In A Hotel. Hi,
In this guide you'll find: Line cook cover letter examples designed to get your creative juices flowing. A customizable cover letter template carefully tailored for roles in the culinary arts. Step-by-step guidance on writing each section of your cover letter. Key takeaways to help make your line cook cover letter shine.
Cook Assistant Cover Letter Sample. Dear [Recruiter], I am writing to apply for the position of Cook Assistant at [Company Name]. With over five years of experience in food service, I am confident that I am an ideal candidate for the role. Throughout my career, I have developed an advanced level of knowledge about food preparation, presentation ...
This Cook cover letter sample is well-suited for applicants seeking entry-level positions with little or no job experience. [Your City, Your State]. [Company Address]. Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the entry-level Cook position at your esteemed restaurant.
Thank you for considering my application. I would be grateful for the opportunity to further discuss my qualifications in an interview. Sincerely, [Your Name] Use these Assistant Cook cover letter examples to help you write a powerful cover letter that will separate you from the competition.
Introduction. Open your letter with a formal introduction. Introduce yourself and note your credentials and affiliations. Then, introduce the prospective MBA candidate you're writing about and a bit about your relationship with them. You'll have the body of the letter to go into further detail, so keep this part brief.
On Dec. 13, CTP issued warning letters to 11 online retailers selling unauthorized e-cigarette products marketed under the brand names Lost Mary, Funky Republic/Funky Lands, Elf Bar/EB Design ...
Send a Formal Request. Send a well-written request to each person who agreed to write you a letter by email. Your email subject line should read "Request for Letter of Recommendation" or ...
December 14, 2023. Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is announcing the issuance of nine warning letters to manufacturers and distributors of unapproved and misbranded antimicrobial ...
Total CalFresh and CFAP Funding Increases. As shown in Figure 1, the Governor's budget proposes $14.8 billion in total funds ($1 billion General Fund) for the CalFresh and CFAP programs in 2024‑25, a net increase of $186 million total funds (1 percent) and net decrease of $12 million General Fund (1 percent) compared to the revised 2023 ...
Children traveling to the U.S. All children, including infants, must have their own travel documents such as a passport or document from a Trusted Traveler Program to enter the U.S. If you travel or are going to travel with a child, consider taking the following documents: If the child is traveling with only one of their custodial parents, they ...