Newsom Threatens to Redirect CARE Court Funding from 10 Counties, Citing Low Petition Rates and Poor Results
Gov. Gavin Newsom on March 2, 2026 announced plans to redirect CARE Court funding from 10 counties he called underperforming, citing low petition rates and poor outcomes, and warned state dollars could go to better-performing counties.
- 10 counties labeled “underperforming” risk redirected CARE Court funding unless they meet state benchmarks.
- State data through January 2026 shows 3,817 petitions, 893 voluntary agreements and only 32 court-ordered treatment plans.
- Accountability tools and new funding include the accountability.ca.gov dashboard and a $291 million housing/behavioral-health package.
- Local leaders urge flexibility given workforce, court and housing constraints that affect implementation.
Key details and lists
Newsom identified 10 counties he labeled as underperforming: Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Francisco, Santa Clara and Yolo. He contrasted them with 10 “CARE Champions”: Alameda, Humboldt, Imperial, Marin, Merced, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Sutter and Tuolumne.
CARE Court program overview
The Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE Court) program, announced by Newsom in 2019, is a major overhaul intended to connect people with severe mental illness to services, housing and supervision through court-initiated pathways. Family members, first responders or providers may petition civil court for either voluntary treatment agreements or court-ordered plans. Reporting on the rollout and performance has been covered by the Washington Examiner.
Rollout and pilots
Pilots began in several counties in 2023 and the state says CARE Court was rolled out statewide by 2025. The pace and scale of implementation are now seen as tests of county capacity, coordination and local political will. The administration published county metrics so residents can watch progress at accountability.ca.gov.
Underperforming counties and state response
At a March 2 press conference in Hayward, Newsom said state benchmarks show 10 counties are not meeting minimum petition rates or producing outcomes. He called the group an “ICU” — Improvement and Coordination Unit and warned the state would use funding as leverage. He was quoted saying, “I’m happy to redirect every damn penny in these programs to the counties that are getting things done, period, full stop.” Video excerpts from the press events were released as a press conference video and a follow-up press conference video.
Data and performance questions
State tallies through January 2026 show 3,817 petitions filed, 893 voluntary agreements approved and just 32 court-ordered treatment plans implemented. The benchmark Newsom cited — roughly 6.2 CARE Court petitions per 100,000 residents — is being used as a quick yardstick. Counties below that threshold face review and potential redirection of funds. Coverage and analysis are available from the Washington Examiner.
Reactions from counties and critics
County leaders pushed back. Orange County officials said they already use CARE interventions and disputed the underperformer label. Leaders in Kern, Santa Clara and San Francisco defended their efforts and noted local realities such as workforce shortages, court backlogs and housing scarcity. The California State Association of Counties urged the state to account for practical limits at the local level and to follow the law when assessing compliance. Republican state Sen. Roger Niello argued that counties need more practical support rather than threats. (See related reporting at the Washington Examiner and the press conference video.)
Legal and operational hurdles
Counties must build court capacity, train judges and staff, coordinate health and housing providers, and protect due process for people placed into treatment plans. Officials say many of these pieces take time, hiring and new interagency systems amid staffing shortages and stretched budgets. Critics also caution against overreliance on court interventions when stable housing and services remain scarce, noting investigations and family accounts that show challenges in moving participants into stable housing.
State support and accountability tools
Alongside naming underperformers, the administration offered technical assistance and launched accountability.ca.gov to let the public compare county performance. Newsom also announced $291 million in new funding for housing and behavioral-health programs the same day — a dual strategy of investment plus public accountability. The governor framed redirection of funds as a backstop if counties do not improve, while saying the preference is partnership first (press conference video).
Implications for Hesperia, California
Hesperia is in San Bernardino County, one of the 10 counties Newsom identified as underperforming. That designation focuses attention on local leaders and service providers who must now meet state benchmarks.
Local funding and services: If state CARE Court funding is redirected away from San Bernardino County, programs serving Hesperia could lose dollars earmarked for CARE Court administration, outreach or treatment, straining local budgets and possibly forcing reallocation from other services.
Public safety and visible homelessness: Hesperia has seen increases in visible homelessness and law-enforcement calls for behavioral-health crises. Delays in CARE Court implementation could slow access to court-ordered treatment for severely ill residents.
Housing and treatment bottlenecks: Newsom’s $291 million announcement may help statewide, but Hesperia and San Bernardino must ensure local capacity to place clients into stable housing; redirected CARE Court funds could reduce local ability to match state housing dollars.
Local politics and accountability: The episode sharpens political questions for Hesperia voters: some conservative constituents may welcome state pressure for faster action, while others will see threats of redirected funding as state overreach.
Practical next steps for Hesperia
Residents and local leaders should:
- Monitor San Bernardino County’s CARE Court metrics at accountability.ca.gov.
- Attend county board meetings to review implementation plans and budgets.
- Document capacity gaps (shelter beds, outpatient slots, court staffing) and present those needs to county supervisors.
- Request the state technical assistance pledged by Newsom while demanding clear timelines and civil-liberties safeguards.
