California assistance programs

California's state agencies write the rules and hold the money for the programs on this site, but almost none of them take your application: CalWORKs runs through the 58 county welfare departments, energy help through 41 Local Service Providers under the Department of Community Services and Development (CSD), child care vouchers through local Alternative Payment Programs, and CalHFA homebuyer loans and IBank small business guarantees through approved private lenders.

Expect loans more often than grants. CalHFA has no homebuyer grant: MyHome, ZIP and MyAccess are deferred second loans you repay when you sell or refinance, and the 20% Dream For All loan is awarded by lottery, with the 2026 portal closed since March 16, 2026. The state's small business office lists no open direct-to-business grants, and California's $1,181,997,613 State Small Business Credit Initiative allocation backs loan guarantees, CalCAP and venture co-investment instead. The California homebuyer guide also covers Los Angeles city and county and San Diego programs, and the small business guide sorts the real grants (ETP training pay, STEP export vouchers) from the loans.

Where California is unusually generous is child care and college. State law caps the child care family fee at 1% of income, families below 75% of state median income pay nothing, there is no minimum number of work hours, and transitional kindergarten is free for every child who turns 4 by September 1. A Cal Grant pays full systemwide tuition, $15,588 at UC and $6,838 at CSU in 2026-27, and the California College Promise Grant waives the $46-per-unit community college fee; file the FAFSA or the California Dream Act Application by March 2. LIHEAP uses the highest income ceiling federal law allows, 60% of state median income, and any household with someone on CalFresh or CalWORKs qualifies at any income.

For CalWORKs, CalFresh and Medi-Cal, one online application at BenefitsCal covers all three, or you can apply at your county welfare department. For energy bills, CSD's Find Services in Your Area page or 2-1-1 leads to your Local Service Provider. For child care, your local Child Care Resource and Referral agency (1-800-KIDS-7933) lists the voucher programs and subsidized centers near you, and job training paid by WIOA starts at an America's Job Center of California.