The Government of Sacramento launched the Family First Economic Assistance Pilot Program to support children of eligible families and reduce child poverty. Eligible families who have applied for the program and are awaiting payment can check the payment date and other details here.
$725 in incentive checks
The Sacramento County Department of Child and Family Services for Adults administers the FFESP Guaranteed Income program to ensure that children from eligible families receive adequate care and move out of poverty. The program is funded by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) in cooperation with United Way California Capital.
The government plans to provide financial relief to select populations, particularly Alaska Native/American Indians and African American/Black groups struggling to make ends meet due to the rising cost of living. Under the pilot program, eligible families will receive $725 each month for a year.
Applications for the FFESP program began on September 30, 2024 until midnight on October 13, 2024. Eligible families who applied for the Sacramento FFESP program before the deadline are now awaiting payment. According to the FFESP program guidelines, the program payment will be distributed in mid-December 2024 (December 15, 2024), followed by 15 days of each month throughout the year.
How will you receive the $725 incentive checks?
The $725 incentive check will only be offered to select applicants who will be selected at random. Selected applicants who are verified and enrolled in the program have two options for receiving payouts, (i) opening a SAFE Credit Union bank account and (ii) applying for a debit card.
Enrolled applicants interested in the debit card option must provide relevant information to FFESP staff in order to apply and receive the debit card through Usio Company in a timely manner so that the $725 payment can be sent to selected applicants.
Enrolled applicants who are interested in opening a SAFE Credit Union bank account will receive account opening assistance so that the FFESP payment will be processed directly into your bank account for you to use at your convenience.
How will the $725 incentive checks be provided to the selected population?
Sacramento County offers the FFESP program through a lottery system where authorities will select random applicants from focus zip codes for the benefit. The government is trying to reduce the entry of children into foster care in the mentioned zip codes among eligible families.
As we said, the authority will select the beneficiaries through a lottery system, where the authority will use a random number generator to select the candidates. In the pilot program, the government plans to provide benefits to 200 randomly selected applicants.
The Authority will notify shortlisted candidates of their selection through a random process during October and December prior to the start of distribution of payments. Selected applicants must respond before the deadline and confirm their eligibility before enrolling in the program to receive the $725 incentive check.
If a selected applicant withdraws or is found ineligible for the program, the authority will re-select applicants as beneficiaries based on a random process until 200 applicants become beneficiaries.
Who will receive $725 in incentive checks under the Sacramento FFSEP?
According to Sacramento FFESP guidelines, individuals who meet the eligibility requirements below may participate in the program:
Residence:
- You must be a resident of any of the followingMr Postal codes:
- 95838
- 95823
- 95815
- 95825
- 95821
- 95828
Household income:
- Your household must be less than 200% of the federal poverty line for FFESP. Annual family income includes members’ wages and 200% FPL depends on family size to determine the limit. Applicants can check the FPL limit for the program below:
- For 2 family members (1 adult and 1 child), the limit is USD 40,880.
- For 3 members (2 adults and 1 child/1 adult or 2 children), the limit is $51,640
- For 4 members, the limit is $62,400
- For 5 members, the limit is $73,160
- For 6 members, the limit is USD 83,920
- For 7 members, the limit is USD 94,680
- For 8 members, the limit is 105,440 USD
- For more than 8 members, you must add $10,760 per person to the limit to determine the value.
Child’s age and ethnicity
- The child’s age must be between 0-5 years old and must stay with parents/legal guardians at least 50% of the time. The child should be of Alaska Native/American Indian and African American/Black ethnic groups.
- Parents may not receive any guaranteed income from any other state-funded pilot program.
Will the FFESP benefit affect other benefits?
Many families who are eligible and receive other benefits such as CalFresh and CalWORKS through the State of California must be wondering about the effect of the FFESP benefit on their benefits.
The agency evaluated other state assistance programs, such as Tribal TANF, SHRA, Subsidized Child Care, WIC for CalWORKS families, Medi-CAL and CalFresh, and housing subsidies and confirmed that their other benefits would not be affected.
However, the FFESP benefit may affect your annual household income and entitlement to other income-related benefits. FFESP recipients should not worry about tax bills as DCFAS has confirmed that this is a non-taxable benefit, but you should still consult your tax preparer for better guidance.
The State of California and Sacramento County have jointly launched a pilot Guaranteed Income program to benefit the children of eligible families. Selected candidates will be notified of their selection shortly, so be ready to complete verification and enroll in the program to receive a $725 incentive check.
