California Alliance of Child and Family Services Sees Promise in Governor’s State of the State Address 

Sacramento, CA--The California Alliance applauded the bold and targeted vision that Governor Newsom charted today in his second State of the State address.

“We welcome Governor Newsom’s focus on the needs of our most vulnerable Californians and his bold, compassionate vision.  For the first time in decades, state leaders are committed to addressing the full continuum of needs for children, youth and families”, said the Alliance’s CEO, Christine Stoner-Mertz. “Coming together as a system of providers, advocates, counties and state agencies is the only way to address the need of Californians, particularly those in the social safety net.”

As he outlined a multipronged and coordinated approach to solve California’s housing and homelessness crisis, he noted the toll decades of disinvestment in our mental health and social safety net systems has taken on California communities.  “After all, every homeless Californian, living on a boulevard of broken dreams, is a casualty of institutional failures—a person who’s fallen through every possible hole in the safety net”. In particular, the Governor emphasized the vulnerability of foster youth aging out of the system who face a 25% chance of becoming homeless without support from services like the Transitional Housing Program for Non-Minor Dependents (THP-NMD).

California Alliance members, organizations working “on the ground” to implement policies and support youth and families, welcomed the opportunity to support the Governor’s vision and expand opportunities to prevent and alleviate homelessness through prevention, early intervention, intensive behavioral health and foster care services, as well as mobile crisis and housing supports.

“Governor Newsom’s promise of ensuring housing and behavioral health supports to children and families is heartening”, said Dr. Laura Heintz, President of the California Alliance and CEO of Stanford Youth Solutions + Sierra Forever Families. “The earlier we can get families the support needed, the fewer children we will see growing up in foster care.”

As the details of the Governor and his leadership’s budget are revealed, it will be essential to ensure that the broad array of services needed are supported and sustained. The Alliance looks forward to a strong partnership with Newsom’s leadership that includes transparency, accountability and a targeted approach to ensuring health, safety and well-being for California’s children, youth and families.

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The California Alliance of Child and Family Services is a non-profit advocacy organization representing over 140 nonprofit service providers that support children, youth and families in California’s public mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice and education systems.