Lived Experiences of Families Navigating Safety Net Expansions and Retractions During the Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Objectives. To understand the experiences of families with low income in California with pandemic safety net support expansions and retractions, including barriers to program access. Methods. Using open-ended questions, we explored the self-reported experiences of pandemic-era safety net expansions and expirations between January and June 2023 among a group of caregivers of young children (n = 44). We used the Immersion-Crystallization technique to analyze the data, creating a code