End Child Poverty California Urges Governor to Use Final Budget to Defend Californians

Progressive Revenues Needed to Counter Federal Tax Giveaways to the Wealthy, Prevent Cuts to Safety Net, and End Child Poverty Across the State

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- End Child Poverty California (ECPCA) applauds investments in the Governor's proposed 2026-27 budget designed to address food insecurity and wildfire recovery, and calls on legislators to build on the Governor's plan to ensure that no Californian goes hungry or lacks access to healthcare because of federal rollbacks.

"As Washington targets immigrant communities and vulnerable populations–while handing out massive tax breaks to the wealthy–we must refuse to balance our budget on the backs of our poorest families. Instead, California must advance progressive solutions to protect communities, restore lost resources, and stay on the path to ending child poverty," said Shimica Gaskins, President & CEO, End Child Poverty California powered by GRACE.

Now is the time for California, the fourth largest economy in the world, to marshal its resources and to protect Californians' ability to meet basic needs and live with dignity.

We welcome the Governor's investments in the SUN Bucks program—ensuring children have access to nutritious food when school is out, investments in child care infrastructure for communities impacted by the LA fires, and additional CalFresh administrative funding to keep the program operating under new federal cuts.

In the face of federal attacks on programs critical to the dignity, health, and wellbeing of California's children and families, the Legislature must do more to defend communities. California's anticipated $7 billion in additional revenues for 2026-27 should directly support families impacted by H.R.1 cuts, but it is simply not enough to address the state's widening racial income and wealth divide.

End Child Poverty California urges the Governor and Legislature to:

• Fully defend CalFresh and Medi-Cal from federal attacks by ensuring access to food and healthcare, as thousands of Californians are projected to lose assistance due to federal policy changes.
• Eliminate the Medi-Cal enrollment freeze, loss of dental care, and discriminatory premiums for certain immigrant adults.
• Adopt sustainable, ongoing revenue solutions to ensure those responsible for California's wealth - our communities, families, and workers - share in its benefits and have the resources to thrive.

ECPCA strongly opposes harmful proposals that would deepen poverty and inequity, including:

• Imposing state-level work requirements on immigrant communities that replicate federal attacks, despite persistent barriers to employment for this population.
• Removing access to full scope Medi-Cal coverage for qualified immigrants already targeted by the federal administration and undermining California's commitment to health equity.
• Cutting IHSS services, which would limit care for seniors and people with disabilities while destabilizing the caregiving workforce essential to community health and economic stability.

ECPCA looks forward to working with Governor Newsom and the Legislature to craft a final budget that reflects our state's values and commitment to uplift all Californians.

Media Contact:
Alexa Bluth
[email protected]
(916) 607-7942

SOURCE End Child Poverty California