The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has provided clarifications about immediate and continuous Stage One child care for exempt volunteers and sanctioned welfare-to-work (WTW) participants. General information about immediate and continuous Stage One child care is in ACL 19-99, summarized here.
Clients who are exempt from WTW participation who express an intent to participate in WTW as an exempt volunteer are eligible for immediate and continuous Stage One child care. An exempt individual’s expressed intent to volunteer to participate in WTW is sufficient to establish authorization for immediate and continuous Stage One child care. This indication can be communicated in any manner (for example in writing, verbally, by phone or in person).
Exempt volunteers will need to sign a WTW plan to maintain child care. Exempt volunteers will have 30 days to locate child care, and 30 days to sign a plan. Depending on communication with the client, these 30 day time frames and run concurrently or sequentially.
Exempt volunteers authorized for immediate and continuous Stage One child care who sign a WTW plan will continue to receive child care for 12 months, regardless of their participation status after signing the plan.
Clients who were sanctioned prior to October 1, 2019 or sanctioned clients applying for child care after October 1, 2019 must be authorized to receive immediate and continuous child care upon expressing an intent to cure the sanction to the county. The indication of intent to cure the sanction is sufficient to establish authorization for immediate and continuous Stage One child care. This indication can be communicated in any manner (for example in writing, verbally, by phone or in person).
Sanctioned individuals shall not be required to sign a cure plan prior to receiving immediate and continuous Stage One child care. Exempt volunteers will have 30 days to locate child care, and 30 days to sign a cure plan. Depending on communication with the client, these 30 day time frames and run concurrently or sequentially. For individuals who do not sign a cure plan, child care will be discontinued until the sanction client again indicates an intent to cure the sanction. Sanctioned clients who sign a cure plan will be authorized for immediate and continuous Stage One child care without discontinuance regardless of their participation status after signing the plan. (ACIN I-15-20, May 6, 2020.)