Several new forms and notices for Stage 1 child care, revised to comply with current regulations and to be more easily understood by recipients, were sent to the counties on November 13, 2014.  ACL 14-85.

Beginning July 1, 2014, counties must determine whether or not a CalWORKs recipient has met his or her hourly participation obligations by using a weekly average per month rather than a weekly minimum number of hours. Workers should (1) add up the total number of participation hours in all CalWORKs activities for the month, (2) divide by 4.33 and (3) round to the nearest whole number. Counties should no longer use weekly minimums, thus allowing recipients more flexibility in a given month to reach the required participation hours total. ACL 14-80.

California’s 2010 state plan for administration of TANF was approved by the federal government for another two-year period, reaffirming that California is an “eligible state” and allowing the CalWORKs program to continue.  Changes in this new plan included updating goals and objectives to reduce the teen birth rate, extension of foster care benefits for non-minor dependents up to age 21 (phased in over three years), assistance for recipients to train for work in the health care industry, increased collaboration with partner agencies to increase licensing and employment in the health care industry for recipients and short-term payments and services for participants of a San Diego County demonstration project.  [Download]

You asked.  They answered.  In this letter CDSS provides answers to seven questions posed by welfare advocates regarding the CalWORKs program.  Topics include the immunization exemption, processing of CalWORKs time limit extenders after removal from the assistance unit, compulsory school attendance and the obligation of workers to schedule annual redeterminations and recertifications. [Download]