How to set up an outreach program: Issues in California

CA Participation Issue Brief: This Brief from the California Nutrition Network, gives some background on the need for outreach and some ideas about how to increase participation in your county. This was published recently, in 2006.

Income Guideline Chart: Shows the income guidelines for Food Stamp Program for 2007. The chart is also in a bi-lingual flyer created by the California Nutrition Network.

Immigrant Eligibility: Many of California's Food Stamp Program eligible non-participants are legal permanent residents. However many immigrants do not know that they or their family members may be eligible. In the case of a mixed status household, where some members have legal-permanent or citizenship status and others do not, it is important to note that the standard income guidelines may not apply. To learn more about eligibility for immigrants, click here.

Screening Tools: California's laws prevent outreach projects in the states from using national screening tools. Click here to learn more about screening tools and to download available screening tools.

Maximum Allotment Chart for recipients 2007: This shows briefly explains the maximum allotments of benefits for recipients, by family size. To help potentially eligible clients estimate their actually monthly allotment, outreach workers should consider using the F.A.S.T.

Economic Benefits: California Food Policy Advocates' calculations of additional benefits to households in the case of full participation within a county. The chart also gives calculations of economic benefits to each county in the case of full participation.

FRAC's LAI calculations: Some California cities are included in FRAC's annual calculations of the Local Access Indicator (developed by FRAC, different from USDA's PAI). The LAI is FRAC's estimate of program participation. See here rates for 2003 and 2004, the latest numbers.

SSI individuals and households: Some of the low-income individuals that outreach workers encounter are SSI clients. Please click on the link to be directed to our explanation of this program and how it might intersect with the Food Stamp Program.