CDSS has issued instructions to counties about supportive services and verification when a recipient’s welfare-to-work (WTW) activity is education or training. The WTW plan should include all classes or equivalents required to meet the goal of the education or training program. This includes concurrent or prerequisite classes. The specific classes for the education program may not be available prior to enrollment. In that instance, the county must have procedures to update or revise the WTW Plan to reflect the classes that are actually being taken. Classes that are not required by the client’s program or education provider are not required to be included in the WTW plan.
Clients are entitled to supportive services for all classes included in the WTW plan. Clients can request and receive advance payment for supportive services, including books, transportation, or fees and other ancillary expenses.
Participation hours in education or training must be supported by documentation in the case file. Documentation can include classroom time sheets, attendance records, or enrollment verification from the provider. Clients are not required to seek additional verification if such verification would require disclosure of confidential information, including disclosure of the fact that an individual is a CalWORKs recipient. Prohibited verification includes requiring a client to provide teacher or instructor verification of attendance. Instead, counties can seek verification through other resources offered by the educational institution such as CalWORKs Community College Counselors.
Counties are also reminded that the requirement of daily supervision of WTW activities does not require daily in-person contact. The supervision requirement is that the responsible party has daily responsibility for oversight of participation. This responsibility can be achieved by telephone or electronic means. ACIN I-57-16 (September 8, 2016).