Barriers to Food Stamp Participation in California:

A Clickable County-by-County Map

Counties in California are responsible for making a number of important policy decisions about how to run their local food stamp offices.  These policies help to determine how easily an applicant or recipient can access benefits.  In effect, California has 58 different food stamp programs—with local implementation policies that vary widely from county to county.

At the 2001 Food Stamp Forum sponsored by California Food Policy Advocates and California's Department of Social Services, county administrators and advocates worked in small groups to identify key barriers in each county and changes that could improve access to food stamps. 

Click on a county on the map below to read what advocates and administrators identified as the key barriers in that county, steps to overcoming those barriers, and key contact people for making decisions about food stamps.  Click here to read or print a copy of the survey they used.  If your county didn't fill out a survey at the Food Stamp Forum, we're still interested in getting information about barriers to participation in your county.  Please complete the survey and fax it to us at 415-777-4466.