CEWAS Plan Implementation Tracker

Turning Vision into Action for California’s Children. The CEWAS Plan Progress Tracker is a living, transparent view into how California is advancing a first-in-the-nation early wealth system—ensuring every child can access the financial assets designed to support their future.

Developed by Early Wealth Partnership, this tracker brings the Children’s Early Wealth Account System (CEWAS) Plan to life by mapping progress across implementation milestones, partnerships, and systems alignment.

EWP (Early Wealth Partnership), STO (State Treasurer’s Office), UCLA (CalKIDS Institute at UCLA), ECPCA (End Child Poverty California

I. Strategic Outreach Partnerships

1. Outreach & Engagement Fund

  • Launch EWP Outreach & Enrollment mini-grants program – (EWP)

  • CalKIDS Claiming Regional Outreach Initiative to CBOs & School Districts – (STO)

  • California Office of Community Partnerships – CalKIDS Outreach grants ($7M to 50 CBOs) – (State) 

  • Targeted outreach for HOPE program (STO issued $300k RFP) – (STO)

  • CalKIDS Institute Partner Program (Outreach and technical support for Schools/CBOs to Integrate EWA into their work)
    (UCLA)

  • CalKIDS Institute Partner Program (Outreach and technical support for Schools/CBOs to Integrate EWA into their work)
    (UCLA)

  • VITA Outreach Campaign – for CalKIDS – (UCLA)

  • Outreach Materials for HOPE Accounts – (ECPCA)

2. Communities of Practice / Peer Learning

  • California CSA Coalition Peer Learning Community – (CSA Coalition)

  • UCLA TK-16 Training and Technical Assistance – (UCLA)

  • TK-12 Blueprint to Integrate CalKIDS into School Curriculum – (UCLA)

  • Asset Building Promotion Convenings (Nor Cal Aug ’25; So Cal Convening Nov ’25; Asset Building Clinic Apr ’24)
    (UCLA)

  • CalKIDS Higher Education Coordinating Council (CHECC) – (UCLA)

  • Credit Union Workgroup – (UCLA) 

  • So Cal County Coordinating Council Initiative – (UCLA)

  • CalKIDS 101: On-Line Train-the-Trainer video/curriculum – (UCLA)

  • CalKIDS 201: On-Line Implementation Guidance Train-the-Trainer video/curriculum – (UCLA)

  • CalKIDS College 101: On-Line Training for Campus Partners video/curriculum – (UCLA)

3. Advocacy for state budget and legislation

  • Local Education Associations (LEAs) must promote CalKIDS (FY24-25 legislative/budget cycle) – (STO)

  • Tax advantaged savings in 529 accounts AB 2444 (FY 25-26 budget cycle) – (STO)

4. Partner with Public K-12 Education System

  • Tax advantaged savings in 529 accounts AB 2444 (FY 25-26 budget cycle) – (All)

  • STO developing a regional strategy and allocating staff to work with K-12 districts and schools – (STO)

5. Partner with Public Post-Secondary System

  • Community College partnerships – multiple state-wide

  • STO developing a regional strategy and allocating staff to work with post-secondary schools – (STO)

  • JBAY & UCLA CalKIDS College Campaign – (UCLA)

  • Cal State Los Angeles School of Social Work & The Asset Building Clinic – (UCLA)

  • CalKIDS Bruins Pilot – (UCLA)

6. Partner with family-serving public agencies

  • Covered California — CalKIDS deposits linked to well child visits – (STO)

  • CDSS CalWORKS & CalFRESH outreach – Quarterly SMS texting – (STO)

  • LA County Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (UCLA)

7. HOPE Financial Education

  • STO issued an RFP for financial education – winner TBD has 90 days to develop a program – (STO)

  • EWP fundraising for aligned or regranted funds to expand financial education for HOPE participants – (EWP)

  • EWP grants to financial education provider(s) – (EWP)

II. Communications

1. Marketing Materials Virtual Clearinghouse

  • EWP website Resource page – (EWP)

  • UCLA CKI website Resource page – (UCLA)

  • STO e-Newsletter for families and youth who have claimed their CalKIDS account – (STO)

2. Communications Toolkit

  • Develop a comprehensive central Communications Toolkit with outreach resources for all early wealth account programs – (EWP) 

3. Leverage the input of children, youth, and families

  • Commitment to leveraging the feedback and guidance of youth and families in program design and implementation – (All)

5. Integrate CalKIDS into state-mandated financial education

  • Legislative mandate adopted – (STO)

  • STO leads implementation support – CDE Created curriculum Guide STO ongoing w LEAs (CDE) – (STO)

6. Mail statements to CalKIDS families

  • STO sends a second CalKIDS notification letter to all 5th graders in California (STO)

  • STO sends annual statements to all CalKIDS participants (cost is $6.9M annually) – (STO)

  • Exploring emailing statements to youth who provide emails (STO)

III. Expand Accounts & Balances

1. CalKIDS Appeals process and new account funding

  • Planning underway – (STO)

2. Fully fund CalKIDS foster care deposits (FY24-25 achievement)

  • 25/26 Funding – looking for funding now – (In Process)

  • STO developing a regional strategy and allocating staff to work with K-12 districts and schools – (EWP)

3. Community Contributions Program

  • Technology to add funds to specific kids CalKIDS acct (capacity exists in Nonprofitly) – (STO)

  • Set up operational systems at STO to add funds to specific CalKIDS accounts – (STO)

  • Develop Community Contribution Campaign “How To” and training (secure funding & develop tools) – (EWP)

4. System for opening new CalKIDS accounts with private funding (for kids not otherwise eligible)

  • STO working with Governor’s Office – planning phase (STO)

5. Simplify setup of CalKids-linked ScholarShare accounts

  • STO & TIAA updates – (STO) 

6. Enable cash deposits into ScholarShare 529

  • Build system to enable cash deposits into ScholarShare accounts – (TIAA)

7. Sustain core funding for CalKIDS and HOPE accounts

  • Secure baseline HOPE & CalKIDS funding in FY25-26 budget (STO/ALL)

  • Launch the HOPE program Website – March 2026 – (STO)

  • Launch the HOPE program (STO) 

IV. Data

1. Improve Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) data

  • Secure changes to CDE & Federal law to improve LCFF – (STO)

2. Publish aggregate CalKIDS & HOPE data by school and district

  • CSAC creates public data on High School-level CalKIDS claiming – (State (other))

  • Elementary Data – (STO)

3. C2C Data System and CSAC for data sharing

  • Integrate CalKIDS eligibility & Claim status into C2C Data system – (State (other))

  • Integrate CalKIDS claiming into FAFSA & DREAM applications – (STO)

4. Use local School District data for outreach

  • SIB to make school-level data available to school staff (see CSAC data above) – (STO)

  • CalKIDS Institute Data Support and Reporting – (UCLA)

V. Technology

1. Enhance navigation and visibility across Early Wealth Account programs

  • Design & fundraise to create an Early Investment Accounts Navigator – and no wrong door, single-entry tech solution to access all of the early wealth-building accounts a child may be eligible for. – (EWP)

2. Streamline online access to all early wealth-building accounts

  • Explore Nonprofitly capacity to link accounts and view balances through one login – (STO) 

3. Explore migrating local CSA accounts onto CalKIDS

  • Local CSA programs consider moving account administration onto CalKIDS platform – (EWP)

4. Improve mobile responsiveness

  • Core design feature of Early Investment Account Navigation tool (in development) – (EWP)

5. Optimize text messaging

  • Core design feature of Early Investment Account Navigation tool (in development) – (EWP)

6. Allow phone numbers to be used for sign-in verification

  • No action yet – (EWP)

  • STO developing a regional strategy and allocating staff to work with K-12 districts and schools – (EWP)

VI. Field Building

1. Establish Early Wealth Partnership to support implementation of CEWAS recommendations

  • Early Wealth Partnership created as a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives, October 2025. – (EWP)

2. Raise philanthropic funds to support CEWAS Plan strategies

  • Early Wealth Partnership is undertaking active fundraising. – (EWP)

  • San Francisco Foundation HOPE Champions Donor Advised is undertaking active fundraising. – (ECPCA)

3. Annual California Early Wealth Accounts System Summit

  • April 17, 2026 California Early Wealth Accounts System Summit at UCLA – (UCLA)

4. Formative Evaluations & Reports

  • “Lessons from CalKIDS Outreach Local CSA Grants” – (UCLA)

  • “Initial Report: Examination of Post-Secondary Students Who Have Used CalKIDS Funds” – (UCLA)

  • “Kindergarten to College (K2C) College Enrollment Findings: Fuel for an Evidence-Based Movement” – (SF K2C)

  • CalKIDS Early Insights: Discussion Paper – (UCLA)

  • Riverside Mini-Case Study – (UCLA)

  • East LA Implementation Study (CSULA) – (UCLA)

  • FCAB Video Intervention: CalKIDS and Personal Finance (CSULA) – (UCLA)

  • San Diego Unified School Districts – Research – (UCLA)

  • Outreach, Participation, and Perceptions: A Process Evaluation of CalKIDS by Terry Ellie – (UCLA)