Download or read book Budget Backgrounders written by and published by . This book was released on with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: • CalWORKs was enacted in 1997 in response to the 1996 federal welfare reform law, which created the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant to replace the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program.1 Implementation of CalWORKs began in 1998. [...] • However, the Governor proposes to increase the amount of TANF funds used to replace Gen- eral Fund spending in non-CalWORKs programs in 2003-04 and 2004-05.5 The Proposed Budget uses $78.1 million in TANF funds to reduce General Fund spending in the Child Wel- fare Services (CWS) and In-Home Supportive Services programs in 2003-04, and $108.5 million to reduce General Fund spending in the CWS an. [...] However, the Governor has declined to provide the statu- tory CalWORKs cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that became effective on October 1, 2003, as a result of the reduction in the Vehicle License Fee (VLF) rate.7 The Governor also proposes to suspend the July 2004 COLA and cut grants by 5 percent. [...] • These changes would affect nearly 50,000 CalWORKs families and would reduce the maxi- mum child-only grant for a family of three in a high-cost county from $540 to $405 per month, if the Governor's proposals to suspend COLAs and reduce CalWORKs grants are also enacted. [...] The CBP engages in independent fiscal and policy analysis and public education with the goal of improving public policies affecting the economic and social well-being of low- and middle-income Californians.