FAQs
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About the Family First Economic Support Pilot
It is a guaranteed income pilot for parents/legal guardians caring for children 0-5 years of age, in certain zip codes of Sacramento County, who are under 200% of the federal poverty level. 200 randomly selected participants will receive $725.00 per month for 12 months.
FFESP will assess how the provision of guaranteed income to the eligible population affects families over time. Families will also have access to supportive services, such as connection to community-based organizations in their communities, access to one-on-one financial coaching, and monthly financial webinars and peer support groups.
The pilot will be administered and facilitated by United Way California Capital Region in collaboration with Sacramento County Department of Child, Family and Adult Services (DCFAS).
The FFESP is funded primarily through State Block Grant funding provided by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) to DCFAS and some private funding. The State Block Grant funding was provided to counties to support prevention and early intervention, with a goal of keeping families together. CDSS specifically identified goals of reducing incidences of abuse and neglect, decreasing entries into foster care, and improving economic and other concrete resources for families. For more details, CDSS’s Five-Year state prevention plan executive summary can be accessed by clicking here.
In order to receive the funding, each county had to opt-in and create a Comprehensive Prevention Plan (CPP). Sacramento County’s CPP was approved by CDSS in April 2023, and a portion of the funding was designated to create and implement a guaranteed income pilot that includes an evaluation component (research on how the pilot impacts families). The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved this pilot on March 12, 2024. More information on Sacramento County’s CPP can be found here.
The FFESP seeks to offer an additional source of reliable income to assist eligible households in our focus zip codes with a goal of improving child and family well-being and decreasing the potential of contact with or entry into the foster care system within those zip codes.
Eligibility, Application and Selection of Participants
Applicants must meet ALL four eligibility criteria listed below:
1. Residence:
Applicants must reside within one of the following zip codes: 95815, 95821, 95823, 95825, 95828 and 95838.
2. Applicants must have a child 0-5 years of age:
Applicants must be the parent/legal guardian of a child ages 0-5 years, and the child must reside with the parent/legal guardian at least 50% of the time.
Note: Only one application is allowed per household.
3. Household Income:
Applicants must have an annual household income of less than 200% of the federal poverty line (FPL). Annual household income is calculated by adding all household members’ income or wages before taxes. It does not include any government benefits you may receive.
The 200% FPL income limit is dependent on household size (number of adults and children), for example:
– 2 people (i.e. 1 adult and 1 child): $40,880
– 3 people (i.e. 1 adult and 2 children, or 2 adults and 1 child): $51,640
– 4 people: $62,400
– 5 people: $73,160
– 6 people: $83,920
– 7 people: $94,680
– 8 people: $105,440
– For households with more than 8 people, add $10,760 for each additional person.
4. Not already receiving guaranteed income from another pilot or program:
Applicants may not currently be participating in other government or privately funded guaranteed income programs.
Note: Immigration status does not impact eligibility. Families of any immigration status are welcome to apply.
A link to the online application can be found here starting April 14, 2025. Any eligible individual can submit an electronic application via the application link on the ffesp.org website. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on April 27, 2025. Applications are only available electronically.
For those interested, community-based organizations will be available to provide in-person assistance to complete the online application. The list of community-based organizations will be available on the FFESP webpage. You may also call FFESP staff at 916-368-3013 or email at uwgi@uwccr.org if you have additional questions or need further assistance with the application.
We have tried to keep documentation minimal but will need some documents to verify that you meet the eligibility criteria, such as your household income, that you live in one of the eligible zip codes, and that you are the parent/legal guardian caring for a child 0-5 years of age. Some examples of documents that will help establish your eligibility are listed below, but the list is not all-inclusive. We will work with you individually after you are selected into the program if you have questions about this.
Documents to verify identity:
– Native American Tribal Photo ID/Enrollment card
– Driver’s License or State ID
– US Passport
– Non-United States Passport
– Military ID
– Green Card
– Certification of naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570)
– Certificate of citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561)
– Learner’s Permit
– Temporary Visitor Driver’s License
– Other governmental or Tribal issued photo ID
– Two forms of non-photo ID
Documents to verify residence in one of the eligible zip codes
– Driver’s License, state ID or government issued photo ID with home address (applicants may use this for both identity and residency verification)
– Auto Insurance card
– Lease Agreement or mortgage payment documents with home address, indicating current residency from a recent month
– House deed with full address and applicant’s name
– Utility bill, landline phone bill, internet bill or property tax bill in applicant’s name from last 90 days with service address
– Paycheck stub with address information within last 3 months with full address
– Public Assistance/benefit card or letter with full address
– Military ID with issues and expiration dates and full address
– Medical Insurance card or registration paperwork
– Residency verified by a current service provider
Documents to verify household income:
– Notice of Action or proof of participation in CalFresh, Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, etc.
– Most recent Federal Income Tax Form (Form 1040, Schedule C or other filed tax form)
– Wage documents from a relevant time period for all adults in the home that earn income:
– Most recent paycheck stub(s) from employer(s)
– W2 or 1099s
– Unemployment award letter (last 12 months)
– Self-employed tax forms
– SSDI income forms
– Letter on company letterhead with gross monthly/annual income
– Bank statement showing income deposits/transactions
Documents to verify you are the parent/legal guardian caring for a child ages 0-5 (one or more may be used)
– Doctor’s note/medical visit summary
– Birth records
– Child’s birth certificate
– Documentation from a Tribe, Tribal Organization, or Bureau of Indian Affairs
– Daycare/Pre-school/school records
– Other documentation that speaks to eligibility requirements
*Note: FFESP Staff will work with each family as needed to verify child eligibility.
Two-hundred eligible applicants will be randomly selected after the application period closes on April 27, 2024. We will use a random number generator to make the initial (conditional) selection of applicants. The randomly selected applicants will be notified and asked to provide verification of their eligibility before enrollment. We will also conduct individual meetings with the selected applicants to review any potential impact that receiving FFESP funds might have on their current public benefits.
If an initially selected applicant is determined to be ineligible or withdraws their application, we will select additional applications via the same randomized and review process until 200 eligible applicants have been selected and enrolled into the FFESP.
Selected participants will also receive additional information and provide consent to participate before enrollment in the program.
Selected applicants will be contacted and informed of their acceptance by email, phone and text message by FFESP staff starting the week of May 5, 2025. If you are contacted by FFESP Staff, it is important to respond back by the deadline provided.
If you do not contact FFESP Staff by the deadline provided, your spot may be given to another participant. If FFESP staff doesn’t reach out to you about conditional selection by June 6, 2025, it indicates that your application wasn’t chosen through the random selection process.
If you have any questions about the FFESP you can contact FFESP staff at 916-368-3013 or email at uwgi@uwccr.org .
FFESP Guaranteed Income – How will it work?
Enrolled participants will receive $725 per month for 12 months (1 year). The first payment is expected to be issued June 15, 2025 and the last payment will be July 15, 2026.
You are free to choose how to best spend the money to meet the needs of your family. You do not need to do anything to receive the guaranteed income, and you are not required to participate in any services. We will offer assistance to help connect you to other community-based organizations or services should you have a particular need or interest.
Enrolled participants can choose between signing up for a debit card or opening a bank account to receive FFESP funds. Those interested in the debit card option will provide information to FFESP Staff to be used to sign up for and receive a debit card through a company called Usio before the first payment is sent out.
Those interested in opening up a bank account will be supported with the necessary steps to open up an account with SAFE Credit Union. FFESP funds would then be deposited into your SAFE Credit Union bank account for you to access as needed.
Note: You do not need to have a bank account in order to participate, but you can get support in getting one set up if you are interested. Payments will be sent directly to Usio debit cards and/or SAFE bank accounts on the 15th of each month, starting June 15, 2025.
No, you do not have to pay the money back.
If a family permanently moves out of state or it is later determined that a family does not meet the criteria of the FFESP, the guaranteed income will need to be discontinued.
No, there are no additional requirements. However, participation in the research component of the FFESP is greatly appreciated (more on this below) and FFESP Staff will contact participants once a month for the purpose of connecting you with additional resources that may be helpful to you.
Participants may decline to receive these monthly calls at any time throughout the duration of the pilot.
Public Benefits & Taxes
Will receiving cash assistance from the FFESP affect other benefits like CalFresh and CalWORKs?
The State of California, Department of Social Services, has determined that all guaranteed Income (GI) Programs throughout the State are exempt from eligibility calculations for CalWORKs benefits, and pilots that meet certain criteria can also be exempt from eligibility calculations for CalFresh benefits. The FFESP meets the required criteria; thus FFESP funding will not affect eligibility or benefit calculations related to CalWORKs or CalFresh. Many other benefits have also been assessed and will not be impacted, such as Tribal TANF, housing subsidies through the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA), subsidized childcare through DHA for CalWORKs participants, and WIC for families who also receive CalWORKs, CalFresh, and/or Medi-Cal.
However, FFESP funds may change your total household income threshold and your eligibility for other benefits not listed above. It is every applicant’s responsibility to take this into consideration and make the best decision for their family if selected for the program. It is highly recommended that each individual household additionally check and confirm their benefits status with their Case Worker at the agency administering their current benefits (for example, the local Social Security Administration office should you receive a benefit like SSI or the Department of Human Assistance if you receive Medi-Cal).
Your eligibility for public benefits will NOT be affected by simply applying for the FFESP. If you apply and are selected, a FFESP staff member will schedule a one-on-one meeting with you to discuss the possible impact that participating in the FFESP may have on any current public benefits you receive. If it looks like your benefits will be negatively impacted, FFESP representatives will discuss with you the possible impacts. However, FFESP representatives do not give legal advice or make formal benefit impact decisions for other entities. It will be your responsibility to carefully consider your individual situation, talk with the entities from whom you are receiving benefits (SSI, DHA, etc.) and then make the best decision for your family as to whether you would like to proceed with participating in the FFESP.
DCFAS has assessed that the guaranteed income should be non-taxable. However, consulting with your tax preparer to confirm this is advised. A letter of participation will be provided to participants who are randomly selected and enrolled into the pilot, and this letter can be provided to tax preparers and other entities as needed.
FFESP Research Project
Yes. MEF Associates will be leading the evaluation to understand how receiving a guaranteed income affects families over time. MEF will administer several surveys to learn about children and families who apply for the pilot and who participate in the pilot:
– Baseline and follow-up survey: Applicants will complete a short eligibility screening and a baseline survey. This survey is mandatory for participation in the pilot, however many questions are optional. MEF will also invite participants and a subset of applicants who were not selected to participate in the pilot to complete the survey a second time at the end of the pilot.
– Snapshot surveys: MEF will also administer voluntary snapshot surveys to gather information from participants and a subset of applicants who were not selected to participate in the pilot every other month after the first cash payment.
MEF Associates will be combining information from these surveys with data from government agencies (such as DCFAS and DHA) to understand how the pilot affects participants and their families. All data will be confidential, and MEF Associates will never identify participants by name in any reports or written materials.
Additionally, MEF Associates will be working with pilot participants and a subset of applicants who were not selected to participate in the pilot who volunteer to tell their stories about how receiving—or not receiving—the guaranteed income affects their families. This evaluation will contribute to research that informs expansion of guaranteed income as a strategy to support families.
An Independent Review Board (IRB) has reviewed and approved the FFESP research activities.
Applicants who complete the online application will also complete a baseline survey included with the application. Altogether the application and corresponding baseline survey should take about 30 to 60 minutes to complete.
Participants will receive more information about how to complete the ongoing snapshot surveys after they have been selected into the FFESP and the research study.
Aside from completing the application, which includes an initial survey, continued participation in the research is voluntary. If you initially decide to participate in the research and change your mind after submitting your application, you can let the research team know, and you will be excluded from further research activities.
If you have questions or concerns about the research study, you can contact the MEF Associates research team SacramentoGIstudy@mefassociates.com.
If you have concerns or complaints about the research study, or do not feel comfortable reaching out directly to MEF Associates, you can also contact the DCFAS Director at dcfasdirector@saccounty.gov.
MEF Associates will have access for the purpose of evaluating the pilot. United Way will have access for the purposes of contacting applicants who have been randomly selected through the lottery, to verify eligibility, provide benefits counseling and complete onboarding for those who choose to participate. Although part of the pilot evaluation will gather child welfare data outcomes, Child Protective Services (CPS) will not have access to any identifying information for participants (name, DOB, etc.). Data will be shared with the Sacramento County Department of Child, Family and Adult Services – Quality Management team who will work with the contracted evaluator, MEF Associates, to look at child welfare outcomes for families. CPS will not be tracking families in any way.