COVID-19

COVID-19 end of emergency child care and new enrollment priorities

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The California Department of Education (CDE) has issued guidance regarding the end of emergency child care and child care enrollment priorities.  Management Bulletin 20-06A, summarized here, is rescinded and replaced.

Essential workers families, at-risk populations, and children with disabilities or other health care needs, could receive emergency child care through June 30, 2020, or for 60 days following enrollment, whichever is later.  SB 98 extends this emergency child care for an additional 90 days.

Beginning July 1, 2020, there will be an additional 5,600 child care slots for families previously enrolled in emergency child care.

New enrollment in emergency child care cannot occur after June 30, 2020. Families who were receiving emergency child care and were disenrolled prior to July 1, 2020 may be reenrolled before July 15, 2020 without needing to provide additional eligibility and need documentation.

Families enrolled in emergency child care prior to June 30, 2020 have priority for enrollment into ongoing subsidized child care over any other family on the contractor’s waiting list.

CDE strongly encourages contractors to reach out to any families disenrolled from emergency child care to allow them to reenroll before July 15, 2020.

Contractors must provide written notice to families receiving emergency child care after June 30, 2020 if they will be required to pay a family fee effective July 1, 2020.

To the extent possible, beginning July 1, 2020, contractors must begin to transition children who are in enrolled in emergency child care into ongoing non-emergency child care. Families certified for ongoing child care shall receive services for no less than 12 months. (Management Bulletin 20-14, July 13, 2020.)

COVID-19 extension of exceptions to IHSS regulations

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The California Department of Social Services has issued guidance regarding extension of  exceptions to In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) regulations because of COVID-19.

Effective August 4, 2020 until the end of the National Emergency, initial assessments for IHSS applicants can be conducted by videoconference for applicants who have been exposed to, present symptoms of, or test positive for COVID-19.

Counties must immediately begin doing reassessments.  Counties that suspended reassessments must conduct all outstanding reassessments that were suspended by December 31, 2020.  Until the end of the National Emergency, counties can conduct reassessments by videoconference.

Until December 31, 2020, when assessments and reassessments are conducted by telephone or videoconference, counties may accept self-attestation in lieu of original signatures on most required forms.  Original signatures are required for the request for paramedical services, designation of authorized representative, and request to provide waiver.

Until December 31, 2020, counties can continue to allow new IHSS applicants who cannot get a SOC 873 certification form from their health care provider to be considered at imminent risk of out of home placement.  Applicants should have an additional 45 days for good cause to submit a SOC 873 after the county requests it.

Paid sick leave for COVID-19 for IHSS providers will continue in effect until December 31, 2020.  The IHSS provider backup system and additional $2 for backup providers established in ACL 20-29, summarized here, will remain in effect until December 31, 2020.

The requirement for an in-person orientation for new IHSS providers and signing of the Provider Enrollment Agreement will continue to be waived until August 31, 2020.  Effective September 1, 2020, orientations can be conducted either in-person or by videoconference.  Providers enrolled between April and August, 2020 must complete the provider orientation and sign the Provider Enrollment Agreement by December 31, 2020.  In person presentation of government issued photo identification and Social Security card continues to be waived until December 31, 2020.  Until then, counties can accept mailed photocopies or faxes of those documents.  (ACL 20-75, July 6, 2020.)

Distance learning via Cell-Ed for CalWORKs and CalFresh

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has information about Cell-Ed, a distance learning program that CDSS has partnered with.  This partnership provides counties free access to Cell-Ed through June, 2021.

Cell-Ed and other distance learning activities can count towards CalWORKs Welfare-to-Work participation in various categories.  Cell-Ed also counts as a core activity (not counting toward the 24-month time clock) a vocational education, job search and job readiness.

Counties can track participation on Cell-Ed.  Counties should not ask for additional verification of Cell-Ed participation.

Cell-Ed is an allowable CalFresh Employment and Training (E &T) activity.

CalWORKs participants are entitled to supportive services for Cell-Ed courses, including child care and ancillary expenses.  CalFresh E & T participants are also entitled to supportive services for Cell-Ed.  For both CalWORKs and CalFresh E & T, covered ancillary expenses can include a mobile phone or a phone and internet service to connect to Cell-Ed.  (ACIN I-55-20, July 1, 2020.)

COVID-19 extension of CAPI emergency procedures

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The California Department of Social Services is extending several emergency procedures for the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) until December 31, 2020.  These extended procedures are:

1) Waiver of in-person eligibility interviews

2) Accepting CAPI applications by telephone, mail, fax and email, and

3) Waiver of written SSI denial for applicants, including accepting verbal or written attestation from the applicant that they have applied and the application is pending.

The suspension of annual redeterminations is not extended.  Counties can resume processing CAPI annual redeterminations that are due during July.  (ACL 20-77, July 3, 2020.)

COVID-19 extension of child welfare caseworker visits by alternative means

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has informed counties of extensions of various COVID-19 policies for child welfare services caseworker visits. ACIN I-33-20, summarized here, about monthly caseworker visits using alternative contact methods is extended until the end of the COVID-19 State of Emergency.  (ACL 20-73, June 26, 2020.)