The application period is now closed.

Breathe is a guaranteed income project that will provide 200 former Los Angeles County DCFS foster youth with $1,000 per month for two years. While the benefits of guaranteed income programs have been documented, this is an independent research project that will be used to study the effects of this type of program so that the County and other jurisdictions can learn about the project’s impact on the economic stability of participants, as well as its impact on participants’ overall health and well-being.

Guaranteed income is a monthly cash payment given directly to individuals. It is unconditional, with no strings attached on how to spend it and no work requirements. It is meant to supplement, not replace, the existing social safety net.

Program participants do not need to participate in the research study to remain in the program and receive their monthly payments.

200 former Los Angeles County DCFS foster youth will be randomly selected from the pool of eligible applicants by the research team, the University of Pennsylvania, Center for Guaranteed Income Research, much like a blind drawing.

The date and time applicants apply, or the method, will not impact the selection process, as long as they apply during the open enrollment period. As this is also an independent research study, applicants will be asked a series of questions to gather baseline data on overall health and well-being. Some of these questions are sensitive and may be difficult to answer. These questions are only for purposes of gathering baseline data for the research study. Answers to them will not have any impact on being selected to participate in the project. The participants will be randomly selected from the pool of eligible applicants who meet the stated eligibility requirements and submits an application during the application enrollment period.

• Participants selected to participate will be notified by SBCC as part of the on boarding process
• Control group participants will be notified by the research team
• Applicants not selected to participate will be notified, by either email or text, that they were not selected, if they gave the County permission to contact them on the screening tool portion of the application
• Regular updates on the selection process will also be posted on the website

After participants are selected, another 450 applicants will be randomly chosen to participate in the research study only, as part of the “control group.” Control group participants will not receive the monthly payment. They will complete periodic surveys and interviews about their well-being so that information can be compared to the “treatment group” and help determine whether the program was effective. Control group participants will receive $50 gift cards for each survey completed (this does not include the application and initial survey).

The University of Pennsylvania, along with other local and national research partners, will conduct a randomized control study to measure the project’s outcomes. Participants are not required to participate in the research study in order to receive the monthly payments. For those who do choose to be part of the study, program and control group participants will be asked to provide information periodically on different aspects of their overall health and well-being across different domain areas, and will both receive a $30 gift card for each survey completed (this does not include the application and initial survey).

The individual information collected will only be used by the research team, and no individual information will be shared with anyone else. Only aggregate data will be shared with others to report on the overall project outcomes as a whole. The data will be used to help reform current policies, guide future programs, and aid in the expansion of our social safety net.

To see the full detailed research plan, please click here.

Monthly payments to participants will be distributed through debit cards. You do not need to have a bank account to participate.

The County has partnered with a non-profit community-based organization, Strength-Based Community Change (SBCC) to be the program administrator for Breathe. SBCC and their team will be the people who answer questions from applicants, contact participants as needed, and troubleshoot any issues that arise over the course of the program. SBCC can be reached at: Breathedcfs@sbaycenter.com or (323) 736-2122.

SBCC will contact selected participants using the contact information provided with the application. If you are selected, SBCC will reach out to you directly.

The SBCC will email or text applicants who were not selected to be part of the program to let them know, if they checked the box giving the County permission to contact them outside of the application process and provided an email address and/or cell phone number in that section. Additionally, the County will update the website once all notifications to participants have been completed. If you check the website and it says that notifications to participants have been completed and you have not been contacted, then you have not been selected to participate.

If you would like to find other resources that may help, please click on this link, or contact SBCC at Breathedcfs@sbaycenter.com or (323) 736-2122.

Some benefits could be affected while others will not be affected at all. Those selected to participate will have an opportunity to talk to a benefits counselor about their specific situation regarding any public benefits they are receiving such as CalWORKS, CalFresh, General Relief, and others before starting in the program. At that time, they will be able to decide whether or not they want to participate.

You should contact SBCC, at: Breathedcfs@sbaycenter.com or (323) 736-2122.

If your contact information changes, please email us at Breathedcfs@sbaycenter.com, and include your full name and the contact information you used to apply (phone number, email address, street address), along with your updated contact information.

Yes, those selected to participate will need to show proof of meeting the eligibility requirements stated above before being enrolled in the program.

Early research suggests that cash may be the simplest yet most powerful way to do the most good for the most people. It can be powerful for three reasons. First, it moves quickly. Even with U.S. Treasury problems, 80 million American households have already received a check the government just mandated several months ago. Second, it allows for flexibility. No two American households are identical in their needs. While one will need funds for rent, others will need it for childcare, and yet others will need it for a laptop so their child can engage in distance learning. And of course, most families need something different every month. Third, many people are only partially covered by or completely left out of existing social safety net programs. Cash could help fill these gaps.

Cash is effective and immediate, but it is not a silver bullet. A cash infusion can address immediate needs and provide the level of consistency required to keep a household from going into a greater financial crisis. Larger systemic changes must be addressed to ensure affordable housing, healthcare, and jobs are available. We need meaningful, systemic change to our economy – and cash is just one part of that.

More cash in people’s pockets keeps families financially secure and stimulates the local economy. Especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a guaranteed income could stimulate spending at the local level and generate much-needed state and local revenue to drive the economy across the country. Addressing the needs of our residents undoubtedly improves the circumstances of the broader community.

Average Median Income (AMI): AMI is the median average income calculated for a particular area across our country. In this case, we are using household AMI for Los Angeles County and its census tracts.

Participants: People who have been selected to receive the Guaranteed Income payment of $1,000 per month for 24 months.

200 former Los Angeles County DCFS foster youth will be randomly selected from the pool of eligible applicants by the research team, the University of Pennsylvania, Center for Guaranteed Income Research, much like a blind drawing.

Treatment Group: The treatment group is another way of referring to the participants who have been selected to receive the Guaranteed Income payments.

Control Group: People who will not receive the Guaranteed Income payment but have been invited to participate in the research activities.

Non-Participants: People who will not receive a guaranteed income through the project and will not be invited to participate in research activities.

Screening Tool: The initial questions determine a participant’s eligibility for the Guaranteed Income project. Once eligibility has been approved, an in-depth application survey must be filled out. The screening tool must be completed online.

Application Survey: The application survey is a complete overview of your demographic background, mental, physical, and financial health, goals, and overall well-being. The survey may take approximately one hour to complete.  In-person assistance to complete the online application survey is available. The survey must be completed online.

Cash Distribution: The cash distribution is the monthly payment amount of $1,000 that will be given to participants in the project. These payments will be disbursed through debit cards.