This contradictory letter confirms that ACL 99-65, which directed counties to treat as CalWORKs participation “holiday periods of one week or less, if the employer, provider or work activity site is not open” remains in effect, yet states that counties may, and are encouraged to, assign participants to bridging activities during periods when the participants’ normal activities are temporarily unavailable, including holiday breaks. [Download]
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
Author: Webdog
ACIN I-81-08: Independent Living Program (ILP) Annual Statistical Report (10/17/08)
Just a reminder that this report is due by 11/14/08. [Download]
ACL 08-49: Adoption Provisions Of The Adam Walsh Child Protection And Safety Act Of 2006 (10/31/08)
More info on the implementation of SB 703 (to carry out new federal mandates). For all agency adoption applications or in the case of independent adoptions, Adoption Request forms, the adoption agency must ask all adults living in the home to identify other states or U.S. territories they have lived in within the preceding five years. The letter sets out the requirements on checking the non-fingerprint based registry and criminal background checks, and the grievance procedure available if the home cannot be approved after these checks. [Download]
ACL 08-52: Child Welfare Services Disaster Response Plan Update (10/22/08)
Just a reminder to counties that it’s time to update the CWS Disaster Response Plan, plus a listing of some of the new requirements. [Download]
ACL 08-53: Report On The Number Of Children, Ages 5-17, In CalWORKs Families Above The Poverty Level (10/16/08)
Poor counties. Title I, Part A Of The Elementary And Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Of 1965 requires states to submit data on school-aged children in families receivingn cash aid that exceeds the the poverty level. (Huh?) The state’s data systems don’t keep this info, so this letter asks the counties to compile it themselves. The state chips in its effort by providing a form and compiling the local data. The letter clarifies (since no one gets actual cash aid in excess of the FPL) that what the feds meant was households getting more than the PFL level for a family of four, regardless of actual family size: $1,766.67. [Download].
ACL 08-46: Federal Non-Exemptible And Federal Five Year Ban Criminal Convictions (10/23/08)
This letter implements the portions of Assembly Bill (AB) 2651 (effective October 1, 2008) relating to prospective foster and certified parents, relatives and Non-relative Extended Family Members (NREFM), and those adults who are not specifically exempted from the fingerprint requirements. (Look for a a separate ACL on AB 2651’s application to prospective adoptive parents.) The bill added new non-exemptible crime categories that would prohibit licensing foster home or placing a child. (Some offenses are non-exemptable for life; some for 5 years.
These changes do not apply to licenses or approvals wherein a caregiver was granted a criminal record exemption before October 1, 2008. Existing care providers will not be required to be live scanned again at the time of the annual visit/re-approval under these amendments, as they are already subject to subsequent arrest notification provisions. However, if a new adult moves into an existing care provider’s home, that adult will be subject to these amendments. Existing care providers who move will not be affected by these amendments because an existing license, certification, or
approval may now be transferred to a new location without triggering the reevaluation of a previously granted exemption for one of these new crimes. [Download]