Emergency child care program for foster children

CDSS has issued instructions about the child care Bridge Program.  The program provides emergency child care vouchers, child care navigator services and trauma-informed care training and coaching in counties that choose to participate in the program.

Families eligible for the child care Bridge Program payment include resource families and families who have a child placed with them in an emergency or for a compelling reason, licensed foster family home or certified family homes, approved homes of relatives and nonrelative extended family members, and parents under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, including non-minor dependant parents.

These families can receive a payment or voucher when work or school responsibilities prevent the eligible families from being at home when the foster child is not in school or when the family is required to participate in activities of parenting beyond ordinary parental duties such as administrative or judicial reviews, case conferences and family trainings.

The payment or voucher is available for up to six months until the child is placed in long-term subsidized child care.  The payment can be extended to up to 12 months at the county’s discretion if the family is unable to secure long-term child care in the first six months.

The child care navigator works for the local Resource and Referral agency and assists the family with locating child care and developing a long-term plan for child care.

The Resource and Referral agency also provides trauma-informed care and coaching to providers and children of parenting youth in the foster care system.

Resource and Referral agencies must enter into a memorandum of understanding or contract with the county child welfare agency.

Counties must apply for the program by November 30, 2017.  (ACL 17-109, October 27, 2017.)

Child care immunization requirements

The California Department of Social Services has issued instructions immunization as a requirement for enrolling in child care.  SB 277 ended the personal belief exemption to mandatory immunization effective January 1, 2016.  This requirement applies to child case as explained in California Department of Education Management Bulletin 16-05.  Children who previously had a personal belief exemption from immunization will need to be immunized prior to entering kindergarten or seventh grade.  The immunization exemption for medical reasons remains.

The immunization requirement does not apply to licensed exempt child care.  If children switch from license exempt child care to licensed child care, the immunization requirement will apply.

SB 277 does not change the CalWORKs immunization requirements.  The CalWORKs requirement only applies to aided children under age six.  The personal belief and other good cause exceptions to immunizations remain for CalWORKs.  (ACL 17-86, August 11, 2017.)

Transfer of families to Stage 2 child care

The California Department of Education (CDE) has issued instructions about the process for transferring families from Stage 1 to Stage 2 child care.  Both Stage 1 and Stage 2 child care are for families receiving CalWORKs.  Stage 1 child care is administered by a county welfare department (CWD) or a child care alternative payment program (APP) under contract with a CWD.  Families are transitioned to Stage 2 when the county determined they are “stable.”  Stage 2 is administered by APPs.

The process to transfer from Stage 1 to Stage 2 is to be seemless with no break in services.  Stage 2 programs must develop efficient and coordinated systems with Stage 1 programs to ensure that child care services seamlessly continue for families moving between Stage 1 and Stage 2 with no break in aid.

CalWORKs families are categorically eligible for Stage 2 and pay no family fees.  A family receiving CalWORKs does not need to report changes in income or family size to the APP and cannot be terminated for failure to do so.  If a family receiving CalWORKs would otherwise have their child care terminated for violation of an APP’s policies, the APP must notify the CWD to determine what steps to take including referral back to Stage 1.

When transferring from either Stage 1 or another Stage 2 program, the APP can only require nine listed data elements and cannot require any other information from the family.  The APP must request the nine data elements from Stage 1 or other Stage 2 program.  The family is not responsible for providing the information.  APPs cannot require the family or child care provider to furnish documentation provided to the Stage 1 or other Stage 2 program within one year of the application date unless documentation is missing and that documentation affects eligibility for services.

When the Stage 2 program receives the nine data elements, it must assume full responsibility for reimbursing the provider, provide the parent with a notice that the transfer is complete, and notify the family about returning the transfer of enrollment form to certify that the nine data elements are correct.  The APP should allow at least 30 days to return the transfer of enrollment form and should not terminate services for failure to return the transfer of enrollment for six months.

The APP cannot require the family to complete a new application and cannot require the family to furnish information previously provided to the transferring Stage 1 or other Stage 2 program unless there is a reported change that requires an update.  (Management Bulletin 17-06, May, 2017.)

Benefits and same-sex marriages and domestic partnerships

The California Department of Social Services has issued policies about how same-sex marriages and domestic partnerships are treated for purposes of various programs.  For CalWORKs, same-sex spouses and registered domestic partners who have adopted the children are treated as members of the assistance unit who are subject to welfare-to-work requirements.  These households are considered two parent households for purposes of welfare-to-work requirements.  Same-sex spouses and registered domestic partners who have not adopted the children are considered step-parents, meaning they can be considered part of the assistance unit and participate in welfare-to-work but are not required to do so.

For purposes of eligibility for child care, same-sex spouses and registered domestic partners who have adopted the children are treated as members of the assistance unit, meaning the same-sex spouse or registered domestic partner can be considered an able and available parents who can provide child care.  Same-sex spouses and registered domestic partners who have not adopted the children are considered optional step-parents and are not considered for purposes of eligibility for child care.

For purposes of CalFresh, any group of persons who customarily purchase and prepare meals together are considered a household.   Same-sex spouses are considered spouses and must be included in the CalFresh household.  However, registered domestic partners are not considered spouses and are not automatically included in the household.  Registered domestic partners who are part of the CalWORKs assistance unit or customarily purchase and prepare meals with the family must be included in the CalFresh household.

Refugee Cash Assistance has the same requirements as CalWORKs.  Registered domestic partners have the same status as married couples for purposes of eligibility for Refugee Cash Assistance.  ACL 16-13 (March 28, 2016).

Sanctioned adults are eligible for stage 1 child care

Following substantial advocacy by the Child Care Law Center, CDSS has clarified that adults in CalWORKs sanction status can be eligible for Stage 1 child care. Under MPP Section 42-721.41, sanctioned adults are eligible for child care when the client is in the process of curing a sanction or during the months in sanction the client is working or participating in a county-approved program activity, which are activities in the assigned as part of the a welfare-to-work plan or activities necessary to accept or retain employment. Sanctioned adults in a cure plan remain in Stage 1 child care. Sanctioned adults performing an approvable activity should be assessed for transfer to Stage 2 child care.

CDSS also reiterated that clients in sanction status can request to cure the sanction by entering into a plan to cure the sanction and performing the activity stated on the cure plan up to a maximum of 30 days, whichever is shorter.

ACL 15-53