Children’s services.

Assembly Member Hadwick's proposal to modify California Children's Services (CCS) program administration addresses the unique challenges faced by the state's smallest counties, introducing an option for jurisdictions with fewer than 2,000 residents to delegate program operations to larger counties.

The measure builds upon existing CCS administrative frameworks, which currently allow counties with populations under 200,000 to manage their programs independently or jointly with state agencies, while requiring independent administration by counties exceeding that threshold. Under the proposed change, qualifying small counties could transfer program administration to another county that meets standards established by the Director of Health Care Services.

This administrative modification maintains the CCS program's core structure, where county departments of public health or social welfare serve as designated agencies to deliver medically necessary services to eligible children whose families cannot afford care. The Director of Health Care Services would continue to establish and oversee standards for local administration and minimum service requirements across all participating counties, including those accepting delegated responsibilities from smaller jurisdictions.