Save the Children’s L.A. Wildfire Emergency Response: Participant Perspectives on the Provision of Cash Assistance

• In Event: Disaster Responses in the US States

Abstract

In January 2025, the Los Angeles wildfires destroyed approximately 13,000 homes and displaced approximately 180,000 people. While humanitarian organizations such as Save the Children and American Red Cross have long supported families affected by natural disasters, assistance has often been delivered through in-kind goods and services. As part of their emergency response to the wildfires Save the Children provided targeted cash assistance to affected families to help address urgent needs and support recovery. Through partnerships with local community-based organizations, Save the Children provided one-time emergency cash assistance of $1,000 to 1,578 families affected by the wildfires. 

The purpose of this study is to describe the reach, impact, and implications of Save the Children’s emergency cash assistance initiative. Cash assistance has been widely implemented and well researched in international humanitarian responses, but has seen relatively limited use for disaster relief in the United States. Specifically, we examine patterns in program reach and utilization, identify vulnerable populations represented among recipients, assess how households used the cash assistance and its effects on their well-being, and generate insights for future program design, implementation, and equity. 

Families affected by the wildfires were surveyed by Save the Children about their housing damage, displacement, and income loss. Of the 1,578 recipients, 710 (45%) completed a follow-up survey about their experiences with the emergency cash initiative. Respondents were predominantly female (78%) and had a mean age of 41 years (9.39 SD). All participants reported having at least one child in the household. Follow-up interviews are also being conducted with several cash assistance recipients and community-based organizational representatives.  

Survey results show that 45.6% of participants’ homes were completely destroyed, while 42.3% had minor, moderate, or severe damage. In addition, 72.7% of participants experienced income loss from the wildfires. A majority of participants (78%) found the assistance helped them a lot or completely, while 22% felt the assistance helped them somewhat, a little, or not at all. Very few participants (4%) reported difficulties using the cash. Participants reported spending the cash on material needs (e.g., 27.1% food; 19.8% housing; 9.4% transportation; 6% healthcare), and child-related items (e.g., 20.5% education; 6.4% recreation). One participant stated, “I was able to buy them backpacks, shoes, soccer shoes, school supplies, and jackets and most importantly, in the colors and styles they truly wanted. In previous aid programs, they didn’t have the chance to choose; this time, they could and that made all the difference.” Additional survey analyses and results from the qualitative interviews are ongoing.  

This program represents Save the Children's largest single cash assistance initiative to provide cash assistance in response to a natural disaster in the United States. Findings from the study suggest that this form of support was both beneficial to and well received by families affected by the wildfires. Broader implications of these findings, including insights into the impacts of post-disaster cash assistance and considerations for strengthening future program design and promoting equitable access to aid, will be discussed.

Authors

• Amaesha Durazi, University of California - Los Angeles
  Presenting Author

• Rashmita Mistry, University of California - Los Angeles
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Stephanie Patton, University of California - Los Angeles
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Lindsey Nenadal, California State University, Chico
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Sarah Bang, University of California - Los Angeles
  Non-Presenting Co-Author