The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued instructions about the Home Visiting Program (HVP) which is a voluntary program that connects new parents with a nurse or other trained professional who makes regular visits to the client’s home to provide guidance, coaching, access to prenatal and postnatal care, and other health and social services. HVP also encourages clients to enroll their child, and volunteer in, an early learning setting.
In order to be eligible for HVP, in a county where HVP is offered, an individual must be pregnant or the parent or caretaker relative of a child under age 24 months and one of the following: a member of a CalWORKs assistance unit, the parent or caretaker relative in a child-only case, applied for CalWORKs within 60 days of reaching the second trimester or preganacy or apparently eligible for CalWORKs.
HVP participants can be either mandatory or voluntary welfare-to-work participants. All HVP hours and any time spent volunteering in an early learning setting must be assigned in the welfare-to-work plan and count toward welfare-to-work participation requirements. However, HVP participants are not required to participate in welfare-to-work or to have a welfare-to-work plan. CalWORKs time on aid limits do not prevent accessing HVP services.
HVP clients in welfare-to-work are entitled to supportive services.
(ACL 19-42, July 11, 2019 and ACL 19-42E, October 7, 2019.)