2025-26 Master Plan for Aging to be Released in January

California’s aging population is more diverse and growing faster than any other age group. By 2030, an estimated 10.3 million older Californians (age 60 and over) will make up 25% of the state’s population.

California’s Master Plan for Aging (MPA) affirms the priority of the health and well-being of older Californians and people with disabilities. It acts as a “blueprint” for state government, local government, the private sector and philanthropy to prepare the state for the coming demographic changes and continue California’s leadership in aging, disability and equity.

“California’s MPA is centered on Californians who are directly impacted by work across agencies in partnership with local government and community organizations," said Susan DeMarois, director of the California Department of Aging. "The strength in the MPA is that it doesn’t sit on a shelf."

The MPA is refreshed and updated every two years in close partnership with stakeholders. The next round, with new MPA initiatives for 2025-26, will be unveiled early next year.

The plan outlines five main goals and 23 strategies to build a “California for All Ages” by 2030. It also includes a Data Dashboard on Aging to measure progress and a Local Playbook to drive partnerships that help meet these goals.

Since its launch in January 2021, the Newsom Administration and the legislature have committed billions of dollars in unprecedented investments to advance the MPA, strengthen existing programs, and launch new services.

The Third Master Plan for Aging Annual Report is posted at https://aging.ca.gov. It describes the plan’s “Five Bold Goals”: 1) housing for all ages and stages; 2) health reimagined; 3) inclusion and equity, not isolation; 4) caregiving that works; and 5) affording aging.

Tulare and Kings Counties

Older adults in Tulare and Kings counties generally have fewer resources and are less likely to speak English than in other California regions.

According to 2020 data, 18% of Tulare’s 72,000 older adults and 17% of Kings’ older adults live in poverty, compared to the statewide average of 14.4% for older Californians; also, 10% of older adults in Tulare County and 9% in Kings County don’t speak English, compared to the statewide average of 3.7% for older Californians.

The coming demographic shift requires California partners to plan and implement innovative solutions to equitably deliver services to meet the needs of older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers in culturally responsive ways.

Guided by the MPA Playbook, which was designed to assist state and local governments, and others to create an age-friendly and disability-friendly California, the Kings/Tulare Area Agency on Aging, one of 33 AAAs providing services for older adults and people with disabilities, developed its Local Master Plan for Aging (https://ktaaa.org).

The community-driven document prioritizes five main needs: caregiving, housing, nutrition and food security, transportation and outreach.