CalFresh, school meals and state supplements central to California's hunger response; agencies push to improve access

At a joint oversight hearing of the California State Assembly's Human Services and Agriculture committees, Alexis Fernandez Garcia, deputy director of the Family Engagement and Empowerment Division at the California Department of Social Services, outlined the state's role operating CalFresh (the state's SNAP program), Sunbucks (summer EBT) and other food-assistance programs and described recent participation gains.

"CalFresh is California's version of SNAP," Alexis Fernandez Garcia said, noting the program serves millions of Californians and that recent federal participation estimates rose markedly. She described work to close participation gaps and to use data-driven outreach to reach non-English-speaking communities.

Nut graf: Researchers and agency officials said CalFresh, school meals and WIC are the largest program levers reducing food hardship in California, but administrative barriers, the state's high cost of living and federal policy changes limit effectiveness for many families. PPIC researcher Tess Thormann said survey-based estimates put food-insecure households in California at roughly 13 percent in 2023 and cautioned that pandemic-era benefit expansions reduced hardship while their expiration contributed to recent increases.

Key details and program notes: - CalFresh and SNAP: CDSS reported higher participation in recent federal-year estimates and a department program reach index that shows narrowing gaps. Officials said outreach, simplified enrollment options for older adults and county-level service improvements are priorities. - Sunbucks (summer EBT): The program provides an automatic, preloaded EBT amount to eligible children during summer; CDSS reported widespread use last summer. - California Food Assistance Program (CFAP): The state-funded benefit for older noncitizens was funded in recent budgets for program setup; CDSS said benefit payments for the expanded CFAP are scheduled to begin 10/01/2027 and that system automation and outreach funding is in place but benefits funding will be part of a later budget year.

Barriers and risks: Panelists repeatedly raised language access and customer service challenges. Multiple members noted long call-center waits for students and non-English speakers. CDSS officials said counties are addressing staffing and technology but that outreach and targeted media campaigns are needed to sustain enrollment gains. Several witnesses also warned that proposed federal changes to SNAP eligibility or benefit levels would have large downstream effects on food security and local food economies.

Ending: Committee members asked agencies for continued refinement of outreach, language supports and simplified renewal pathways for eligible Californians; agency witnesses said they would continue pursuing state policy options available within federal rules and support county and community partners to improve service delivery.