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.)

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.)