SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In a few months, Sacramento County will launch its guaranteed income program.
The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Family First Sacramento pilot program on Tuesday. Families will receive a basic income of $725 every month for a year.
Michelle Callejas, director of the Department of Child, Family and Adult Services with Sacramento County, said during the board meeting this program is meant to promote family stability and self-sufficiency.
Callejas says it aims at helping African American and Native American families with children between zero to five years old living in 95823 (Valley High) and 95828 (Florin), 95815 (North Sacramento), 95838 (Del Paso Heights), and 95821 (Arden Arcade) areas, as well as the Wilton Rancheria tribe.
“These are families that are living within high rates of poverty across all the zip codes,” said Callejas during Tuesday's board meeting. “In this case, African American and Native American children zero to five and their families are most disproportionately impacted by the child welfare system.”
The county says the program is funded through state money and in partnership with the United Way California Capital Region.
“When families have increased income and income instability, many things happen for families and the kids,” said Dr. Steve Wirtz, a Development Psychologist and Commissioner with First 5 Sacramento.
Wirtz says with a stable income, some families have less stress, parents can tackle their own mental health, and pay the bills on time.
“It has a multitude of effects shown in these other studies,” said Wirtz.
Wirtz says stabilizing families reduces child abuse and neglect and reduces the need to involve the child welfare system.
“This is not a new type of thing. It has been shown to work over and over again, there are 150, or more of these programs going on right now,” said Wirtz. “Investing in children early is the best bet we can make, and it pays off for all of us. Not just in terms of the government, but in terms of you and I not experiencing the problems of homelessness on the streets or crime.”
Families will be selected through a lottery system. The goal is to start giving out payments by July 2024. Cities like Stockton and Sacramento have implemented a pilot program.
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For more information on this program, contact United Way California Capital Region.
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