The California Department of Social Services has issued a new form for third party pregnancy verification. People pursuing financial benefits from CalWORKS must prove they are pregnant. This can be done temporarily by the pregnant applicant providing a sworn statement or verbal attestation and upon payment providing a signed Statement of Facts. Medical verification is still needed within 30 working days from the sworn statement. This new form allows a third party to provide pregnancy verification. Pregnant recipients with other eligible children in the home still need to verify their pregnancy with these methods. If a pregnant applicant has made an effort in good faith but is unable to provide verification, the County must assist the applicant. The County should use the new form to get the required third party verification. This form is not required if the individual is trying to get verification on their own.  (ACL 25-86, December 8, 2025.)

People who are fleeing to avoid prosecution, or custody and confinement after conviction, for a crime or an attempt to commit a crime that is a felony, are ineligible for CalWORKs.  Effective January 1, 2024, the definition of a fleeing felon for CalWORKs purposes changed.  Now, a person is considered a fleeing felon for CalWORKs purposes only if they have an outstanding felony warrant which contains the National Crime Information Center Offense Classification Codes Escape, Flight to Avoid, and/or Flight-Escape.

Counties must initiate action on a CalWORKs case when they receive information from law enforcement, or from the Fleeing Felon Match that an applicant or recipient is a fleeing felon pursuant to this definition, and law enforcement presents the felony arrest warrant to the county.

The county must process an application while waiting for verification of fleeing felon status and must process the case within required processing timeframes.  If fleeing felon status is verified later, there will be an overpayment.

Counties must continue to use the Fleeing Felon Match report to identify potential fleeing felons.  When the county receives information about a case, the county must verify the identity and that the warrant is active.  There is no requirement that the individual knows about the warrant.  For probation or parole violators, the county must verify the identity, whether the violation is current, and whether the issuing agency is actively seeking the individual.

Because of federal and state confidentiality rules, information about potential fleeing felons or probation or parole violators can only be released to local, state, or federal law enforcement officers, unless release is otherwise authorized.  (ACL 24-70, October 25, 2024.)