The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has informed counties participating in the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program (HVP) of an increase in the material goods fund limit from $500 to $1,000 beginning July 1, 2022. The funds may be spent on multiple items throughout the family’s participation in the HVP. Families currently enrolled in the program who have reached the $500 material goods limit may receive an additional $500 in material goods if they are eligible because the, $1,000 limit is cumulative per case.
Counties should coordinate with home visitors and CalWORKs staff for the distribution of funds for each family served by HVP. The material goods fund is to be used to remove barriers for vulnerable enrolled families and help support family stability. Not all needs will fall into the scope of this. Still, if a need is identified by the home visitor in a participating county, the material goods funds should be offered to eligible families. These funds cannot be used to supplant services already being provided through Welfare-to-Work supportive services, such as, diapers and transportation.
Counties and their contracting agencies must collaborate to establish the process of issuing the material goods funds and have the flexibility to decide how to track the payments of the material goods. CDSS recommends tracking the payments of the material goods in CalWORKs case documentation or the HVP monthly data reporting. CDSS also encourages counties and their subrecipient and/or contractor to make a reasonable effort to track aggregate information on the usage of these funds for ease of reporting and future program improvements. (ACL 22-86, October 15, 2022.)