SAN DIEGO — U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla’s office announced Friday, Feb. 20, that more than $32 million in federal funding has been secured for seven projects across San Diego County, including $2 million for pediatric mental health services at Rady Children’s Hospital, a facility widely used by Imperial Valley families.
According to Padilla’s press office, the funding was included in Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills and is part of the more than $241 million in Congressionally Directed Spending the senator helped deliver for California.
Padilla’s office said $2 million will support Rady Children’s Mental Health Integration Program, which embeds mental health clinicians directly into pediatric primary care practices. The program is designed to improve early access to behavioral health services for children and teens.
The press release noted that Padilla and Rep. Sara Jacobs met with health care leaders, families and pediatricians at Rady Children’s Hospital last year, where hospital officials expressed concern that federal Medicaid cuts could strain services and increase costs for families.
Padilla’s office said the new federal investment will help strengthen mental health support for young patients across the region.
The largest portion of the funding — $26 million — will go to the San Luis Rey River Flood Control Project in Oceanside. According to Padilla’s office, the funding will support levee repairs, sediment removal and other work intended to restore flood protection levels that have declined over decades of delays.
Padilla’s office said the project is intended to protect homes, schools, businesses and infrastructure from flood risk. The funding was secured in partnership with Sen. Adam Schiff.
Additional funded projects
Padilla’s office also listed several other San Diego County projects receiving federal support:
SPRINTER Platform and Track Enhancement Project — $1.2 million for safety and service improvements to the North County commuter rail system.San Diego Homeless Shelter — $1 million to support shelter construction, programs and operations.Fallbrook Public Utility District Water Line Replacement — $1 million to replace an 80‑year‑old pipeline.Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges — $655,000 to expand workforce training and strengthen child care and basic‑needs support for students.Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers STEM programming — $236,000 for immersive classroom STEM activities serving more than 2,000 students.
Padilla said in the press release that he is “proud to help secure millions in federal funding to support transformative projects across the region that will deliver lasting improvements for San Diego County residents.”
More information is available through Padilla’s press office.