Newsom threatens to reallocate CARE Court funding from 10 counties, citing low petition rates and slow rollout
Governor Gavin Newsom warned March 2, 2026, he may reallocate CARE Court funds from 10 counties, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, citing low petition rates and a slow statewide rollout tied to a 6.2‑per‑100,000 benchmark.
Key takeaways
- 10 counties named to the “CARE ICU” list: Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Francisco, Santa Clara and Yolo — cited for underperforming on CARE Court petitions per capita. (KFI AM 640)
- Benchmark: The state set ~6.2 petitions per 100,000 residents as the rollout threshold; counties below that were flagged. (KFI AM 640)
- Scale so far: 3,817 petitions filed, 893 approved treatment agreements and 32 court‑ordered plans vs. early projections of 7,000–12,000 likely qualifiers. (KFI AM 640)
- Accountability and budget pressure: Newsom said he could “redirect every damn penny in these programs to the counties that are getting things done,” while preferring to help counties improve; any reallocation would appear in his May proposal and require the Legislature. (KFI AM 640)
What is CARE Court and how rollout is measured
CARE Court is California’s new approach to help people with severe mental illness access treatment when families, first responders or providers petition a court for someone who appears unable to accept care and is experiencing homelessness, addiction or repeated crisis.
Judges can connect petitioners to voluntary treatment agreements or court‑ordered plans. The program was piloted in select counties in 2023, expanded statewide by late 2024, and reached full enrollment in 2025. (KFI AM 640)
State officials adopted a simple performance measure: petitions per 100,000 residents. The benchmark of 6.2 petitions per 100,000 was intended to indicate whether counties are using the court to bring people into care; falling short placed a county on the CARE ICU list. (KFI AM 640)
State data and scale
Since statewide enrollment began, California reports:
- 3,817 CARE Court petitions filed
- 893 approved treatment agreements
- 32 court‑ordered plans
These totals remain far below initial projections of 7,000–12,000 individuals likely to qualify for CARE Court. The state used this data to evaluate county implementation rates. (KFI AM 640)
Newsom’s message and accountability tools
At a March 2 press conference in Alameda County — where officials highlighted local successes — Governor Newsom pressured lagging counties to increase CARE Court usage and meet the benchmark.
He announced a public accountability website at accountability.ca.gov where residents can review county progress, and he identified 10 “CARE Champions” — Alameda, Humboldt, Imperial, Marin, Merced, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Sutter and Tuolumne — which the state says integrated CARE Court effectively. (KFI AM 640; accountability.ca.gov)
Newsom framed the move as both pressure and support, warning he was prepared to reallocate funds to better‑performing counties but emphasizing any reallocation would be part of his May budget proposal and require legislative approval. He tied the CARE Court rollout to broader homelessness and substance‑use efforts and cited voter‑approved Proposition 1 housing funds as part of the state’s toolkit. (KFI AM 640)
County responses and local pushback
Several counties pushed back, arguing the state’s single metric overlooks local context and other interventions that prevent crises.
- Orange County: Officials said the county has one of the highest petition counts and reported 79 participants in coordinated housing, medication and services, calling its efforts a full use of the CARE intervention. (KFI AM 640)
- Santa Clara County: Executive James Williams said the county remains at the forefront of treatment and housing expansion and criticized the single‑metric approach as too narrow. (KFI AM 640)
- San Francisco: Officials welcomed state support but noted record‑low encampments, more shelter and treatment access, and fewer people living unsheltered; they also highlighted the tragic case of Connor Keith, who died of an overdose 10 days after his CARE Court case was dismissed. (KFI AM 640)
The County Behavioral Health Directors Association warned the state measure ignores proactive crisis prevention work that can reduce petitions while still keeping people safe. Republican Sen. Roger Niello called it unfair to blame local officials without new funding or clearer guidance. (KFI AM 640; governor’s remarks and context)
State aid and other funding moves
The administration announced targeted funding to expand housing and treatment:
- $159 million released from a $1 billion budget pot for homeless housing and prevention (created in 2024–25), with some awards to counties Newsom criticized, including San Bernardino, Monterey and Fresno. (KFI AM 640)
- $131.8 million in Homekey+ grants to create 443 homes for people with mental health and substance use needs, funded by Proposition 1 bond money approved by voters in 2024. Newsom said he expects counties to use these resources — “no more excuses.” (KFI AM 640; governor’s remarks and context)
Data limits and lingering questions
State leaders acknowledged limitations in the data. Health Secretary Kim Johnson noted more than 4,000 referrals were routed to other services instead of CARE Court, and long‑term outcomes for many people remain unknown.
A CalMatters review found the program reached far fewer people than anticipated and left some families disappointed. The gap between projected need and measured petitions raises questions about whether the 6.2-per-100,000 benchmark fully captures counties’ efforts or whether the program needs more outreach and capacity. (KFI AM 640; governor’s remarks and context)
Local angle: how rural and smaller counties fit in
Rural and smaller counties face distinct constraints: fewer court resources, limited behavioral health staff and longer travel distances for providers. These structural differences can slow petition rates even where counties deploy mobile crisis teams, shelter beds or diversion programs.
County leaders assert the per‑capita petition metric can misrepresent local realities and the preventive work that reduces crises without increasing petition counts. The state metric does not directly adjust for these differences. (KFI AM 640)
Implications for United States
Economic: Redirecting CARE Court funding could shift state dollars across counties, potentially straining county budgets that rely on state grants for behavioral health and housing — particularly in rural areas.
Political: The threat raises tensions over state control versus county discretion and sets up likely budget debates in Sacramento.
Social and cultural: Faster CARE Court use could connect more people to services, but critics warn petition targets might incentivize paperwork over long‑term care. In many communities, especially rural conservative areas, court‑ordered interventions raise civil liberty concerns; the state emphasizes CARE Court is not a criminal penalty or mass conservatorship. (governor’s remarks and context)
Practical applications
Residents can visit accountability.ca.gov to view county CARE Court performance. Counties may need to shift staff, expand outreach and coordinate courts, providers and housing to meet the 6.2‑per‑100,000 benchmark.
For local taxpayers and supervisors, the core debate will be whether the state metric fairly reflects on‑the‑ground work and whether redirected funds would improve services or punish counties already grappling with limited resources. (KFI AM 640; accountability.ca.gov)
Reporting note and sources
This story draws on state announcements and reporting from the March 2, 2026 press conference and related data. Key sources include KFI AM 640’s coverage of the event, the governor’s remarks and context, and the state’s public tracking site at accountability.ca.gov.
Sources preserved: https://kfiam640.iheart.com/content/2026-03-03-newsom-threatens-to-pull-funds-from-counties-underusing-mental-health-court/; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrHJwyjpBkw; https://accountability.ca.gov
