Navigating Benefits and Public Assistance Through Solano County Health and Social Services
Solano County Health and Social Services (HSS) is the county agency that administers California's major public benefit programs for residents — CalFresh, Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, and more — but it also runs several programs that go beyond the standard state menu, including a county-operated health clinic system and coordinated homeless services. This page is a guide to understanding what HSS offers, what makes Solano County's setup different from a typical county benefits office, and how to reach the right program for your situation.
HSS maintains three main offices across the county, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The primary office serving central Solano County is at 275 Beck Avenue, Fairfield, CA 94533. The Vallejo office is at 355 Tuolumne Street, Vallejo, CA 94590, phone (707) 553-5509. The Vacaville office is at 1119 East Monte Vista Avenue, Vacaville, CA 95688, phone (707) 469-4500. The toll-free information line for benefits programs is (800) 400-6001. For most programs, applications can also be submitted online through BenefitsCal at benefitscal.com without visiting an office.
CalFresh — county version of SNAP food assistance
CalFresh provides monthly benefits on an EBT card for purchasing food at grocery stores, farmers markets, and authorized retailers. It is the most widely accessed program HSS administers in Solano County and the one with the broadest eligibility — many households with working adults, elderly members, or people with disabilities qualify who may not realize it. The income threshold in California is higher than in most other states, and there is no asset limit.
One detail specific to Solano County: Travis Air Force Base brings a significant active-duty and veteran population to the county. Active-duty service members generally do not qualify for CalFresh due to military housing and food allowances counted as income. However, veterans who have separated from service, reservists not on active duty, and military family members living off-base may qualify depending on household income. If you're a veteran or former military family member who has been hesitant to apply, the eligibility rules are worth checking directly with HSS. Apply online at benefitscal.com or call (800) 400-6001.
CalWORKs and Welfare-to-Work
CalWORKs provides monthly cash assistance and employment services to low-income families with children. Cash aid helps cover basic needs — housing, utilities, food beyond what CalFresh covers, clothing — while the Welfare-to-Work component pairs families with employment case managers who develop individualized plans toward self-sufficiency. Services include job readiness workshops, vocational training, English as a Second Language, subsidized employment placements, and access to childcare and transportation support while participating.
The CalWORKs Housing Support Program is a component worth knowing about specifically: it provides housing stability services for CalWORKs families who are homeless or at serious risk. Unlike general rental assistance that simply covers a bill, this involves a housing navigator who helps locate a unit, negotiates with landlords, and provides case management after move-in. If you are a family with children who is homeless or facing eviction while receiving or applying for CalWORKs, ask about this program specifically when you contact HSS.
General Assistance — cash assistance for adults without children
General Assistance is a county-funded program — meaning it comes from Solano County's own budget, not state or federal funds — for adults who don't have dependent children and who don't qualify for CalWORKs or other cash programs. It provides short-term cash assistance for basic needs. Eligibility is time-limited to a maximum of three months in a 12-month period for most recipients, with some exemptions for people who are disabled or otherwise unable to work. Employable adults are required to participate in job search activities. The dedicated General Assistance line is (707) 553-5000.
CAPI — Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants
CAPI provides cash assistance to aged, blind, or disabled legal permanent residents who have been denied Supplemental Security Income solely because of their immigration status. Given Solano County's large immigrant communities — particularly in Vallejo and Fairfield — this program fills a significant gap for elderly and disabled residents who are not yet eligible for federal benefits. CAPI is administered through all three HSS offices. If you or a family member is a legal immigrant who was denied SSI and is aged, blind, or has a disability, this program is worth pursuing directly with HSS.
Medi-Cal — health coverage
Medi-Cal provides free or low-cost medical and dental coverage for income-qualifying Solano County residents. California's Medi-Cal expansion under the Affordable Care Act extended coverage to many adults who previously were not eligible, and further expansions in recent years have opened enrollment to additional groups regardless of immigration status. When you apply for CalFresh or CalWORKs through HSS, you are automatically screened for Medi-Cal eligibility — you don't need to apply separately. If you only need Medi-Cal, apply at benefitscal.com or at any HSS office.
Family Health Services — county-operated clinics
This is where Solano County HSS genuinely diverges from most California counties. Family Health Services (FHS) is a federally qualified health center that is part of HSS itself — not a separate nonprofit or referral destination, but a county-run clinic system. That means accessing primary care, behavioral health screening, and dental care in Solano County can happen through the same department that handles your CalFresh or Medi-Cal case.
FHS operates five clinic locations across Fairfield, Vacaville, and Vallejo, plus a mobile dental clinic and two satellite clinics embedded within homeless support sites. Services include primary care, mental health screenings, and comprehensive dental care, including an in-house dental clinic. FHS accepts Medi-Cal, Medicare, most private insurance, and provides care on a sliding-scale fee basis for uninsured patients regardless of ability to pay. A Mobile Food Pharmacy operating through FHS also connects patients with food resources during clinical visits — an integration that most county health clinics don't offer.
The Fairfield FHS number is (707) 784-2010. The Vallejo FHS number is (707) 553-5509. The dental clinic number is (707) 784-2120. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For other potential options for community health centers, see the Solano County community health center page.
In-Home Supportive Services — IHSS
IHSS pays for in-home care for Medi-Cal-eligible elderly adults, disabled adults, and children with disabilities who would otherwise need to move to a facility. An authorized caregiver — often a family member — is paid to assist with personal care, meal preparation, housekeeping, and accompaniment to medical appointments. The goal is to allow people to remain safely at home. The application involves a county social worker conducting an in-home assessment; allow up to 90 days for the full process. The IHSS office can be reached through the main Fairfield number, (800) 400-6001.
Older and Disabled Adult Services
Beyond IHSS, HSS operates a broader division serving Solano County residents who are 60 or older, disabled adults 18 to 59, and children with disabilities. Adult Protective Services investigates allegations of elder and disabled adult abuse and neglect. The Public Guardian's office handles conservatorships and manages finances for adults who can no longer do so themselves. The Napa and Solano Area Agency on Aging — a joint agency covering both counties — distributes federal and state funding to local providers for transportation, nutrition programs including home-delivered meals, legal assistance, family caregiver support, and case management for seniors.
Resource Connect Solano — housing crisis and homelessness
For residents who are homeless or at immediate risk of homelessness, Resource Connect Solano is Solano County's coordinated entry system — the gateway for assessing need and connecting people to available housing and supportive services. It is operated through a partnership between HSS Behavioral Health and Caminar, a nonprofit behavioral health provider. Resource Connect provides assessment and referral; it is not itself an emergency shelter, but it connects residents to shelters, rapid rehousing, rental assistance, and permanent supportive housing based on need and vulnerability. For housing crises, contact HSS Behavioral Health at [email protected] or dial 211. Or see the Solano County rent assistance page for other organizations that may assist.
HSS also maintains a multi-year partnership with Abode Services, one of the Bay Area's major homeless service providers, to deliver street outreach, housing navigation, rental subsidy administration, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing specifically for individuals with behavioral health needs — serving up to 800 Solano County residents annually through this program alone.
How to apply and where to go
Solano County occupies an unusual position in California's geography — and in its public benefits landscape. Wedged between the Bay Area and Sacramento, it includes everything from Vallejo's dense urban neighborhoods to the farm towns around Dixon and Rio Vista, plus one of the largest military installations in the state at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield. That mix shapes who uses public assistance here and how: working families priced out of neighboring counties, veterans and military families navigating the gap between service branches and civilian benefit systems, a large immigrant population concentrated in Vallejo and Fairfield, and a substantial population of older adults and people with disabilities.
BenefitsCal at https://benefitscal.com/ handles online applications for CalFresh, CalWORKs, Medi-Cal, and related programs and is the most efficient starting point for most residents. For in-person help, all three HSS offices are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Fairfield at 275 Beck Avenue, Vallejo at 355 Tuolumne Street, and Vacaville at 1119 East Monte Vista Avenue. The toll-free benefits information line is (800) 400-6001. For General Assistance specifically, call (707) 553-5000. For questions about any program, the department email is [email protected]. Dialing 211 connects to Solano County's information and referral line for the full range of community resources.
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