Many young families with little children are having difficulty making ends meet in this economy. Daycare, food, nappies, and doctors may be expensive.
But what if we informed you about a program where, if you choose to participate, you will receive a monthly cheque to assist with bill payment, with no conditions attached?
The Family First Economic Support Program (FFESP) is selecting 200 families in Sacramento and sending them up to $8,700 per family, one $725 cheque at a time, much like a kind cousin who gives you money when you need it most.
The FFESP, which was introduced in May 2025, is a year-long financial safety net for 200 low-income couples with young children, making it more than just another short-term assistance program.
Sacramento’s unconditional approach to family support is known as FFESP
Fundamentally, the FFESP is Sacramento’s approach to addressing financial difficulties in a more comprehensive manner than merely bandaging them.
For 12 months, the program provides a steady, unconditional $725 each month, allowing chosen families to prioritise stability above survival.
At a time when inflation is straining household budgets in every way, many parents are attempting to figure out how to pay for groceries, childcare, and rent without falling behind.
An increasing number of municipal governments in California are experimenting with guaranteed income. Sacramento’s daring attempt to explore if a little less paperwork and a little more trust may help families plan for more than just the next pay cheque is known as FFESP.
Traditional welfare frequently falls short in this regard. This is the organically rewritten section on the eligibility conditions based on the paper you attached:
Who was eligible to apply for FFESP?
Not everyone was eligible to enter the FFESP ring. For families to be eligible for the $8,700 annual assistance, they had to fulfil certain requirements.
A minimum of one kid between the ages of 0 and 5 had to live with the applicants at least half the time, and the applicants had to be the parents or legal guardians of the child.
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Making ensuring the program concentrated on families with small children in their care on a daily basis was the aim.
Second, candidates have to be full-time residents of one of six Sacramento ZIP codes:
- 95815
- 95821
- 95823
- 95825
- 95828
- 95838
Depending on the number of occupants, a household’s income had to be less than 200% of the federal poverty level in order to be eligible. For instance:
| Household Size | Maximum Annual Income |
| 2 People | Less than $40,880 |
| 4 People | Less than $62,400 |
| 6 People | Under $83,920 |
| Each Additional Person (Over 8) | Add $10,760 per person |
Finally, candidates could not already be registered in any other government or charity guaranteed income scheme.
With the goal of providing help to families who had not yet had an opportunity to receive this kind of aid, this regulation made sure the money reached individuals who were not already receiving benefits from comparable programs.
Additionally, families who identified as Black, African American, American Indian, or Native American were subtly given preference.
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In order to ensure justice in a program that, regrettably, was unable to assist everyone this time, those who fulfilled all the requirements participated in a lottery-style selection process, with 200 families chosen by an unbiased drawing.
How are families going to know whether they were chosen?
You won’t be left in the dark about whether you made the cut. Using the data they submitted on the application, the 200 chosen families are being contacted personally by the Sacramento County Department of Child, Family, and Adult Services.
Depending on the information you provided when applying, notifications may be sent by phone, email, or mail.
You can always contact the program administrators if you haven’t received a call yet and believe you ought to have.
What is the source of the funds?
A combination of public and private funds support the FFESP, with the California Department of Social Services providing the majority of the funding through a state block grant.
The initiative was able to meet its 200-family goal thanks to additional contributions from private individuals and groups like United Way California Capital Region.
The program is administered by the Sacramento County Department of Child, Family, and Adult Services, which ensures that the money reaches the families without being caught up in red tape.
FFESP gives families the freedom to choose how their money is spent, in contrast to traditional assistance that has strict guidelines about what can and cannot be done with the funds.
It is completely up to them whether they want to fix the car, buy groceries, pay for childcare, or pay for rent.
In addition to providing financial aid, Sacramento will monitor the program’s effects throughout the year, examining the effects of the additional income on child health, housing security, family stress, and general well-being.
