History

In 1964, during the presidency of Lyndon Baines Johnson, Congress enacted Public Law 88-452, an omnibus bill, entitled the "Economic Opportunity Act of 1964." The Act established the Office of Economic Opportunity in the Executive Office of the President to direct and coordinate the mobilization of the "human and financial resources of the nation to combat poverty in the United States." In part, the Act stated: "It is the policy of the United States to eliminate the paradox of poverty in the midst of plenty in this nation by opening, to everyone, the opportunity for education and training, the opportunity to work, and the opportunity to live in decency and dignity."

The Act also provided for the creation of offices of economic opportunity at the state level to encourage the involvement of state governments in the effort to fight poverty.

Later that year, then-Governor Edmund G. (Pat) Brown created, by Executive Order, the California State Office of Economic Opportunity (SOEO) to assume responsibility for liaison between SOEO and non-SOEO anti-poverty programs in California. The SOEO Director advised the governor of his responsibilities with regard to the federal war on poverty; reviewed and monitored programs for recommendation of veto or approval; and provided technical assistance and leadership to local communities in the development of projects to combat poverty and in the application for anti-poverty grants.

In 1967 Fairfield/Suisun CAC was established under the umbrella of the Solano County Economic Opportunity Council, Inc (SCEOC) and was part of a one-stop-shopping effort. However when that corporation filed bankruptcy in 1992 the F/S CAC emerged as an independent 501 (c) (3), non-profit, public interest, community based organization as it remains today. The CAC is also a registered corporation with the State of California and serves the frail, impoverished and disenfranchised populations.