The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued guidance regarding flexibility in Extended Foster Care, waivers of age and time limits for Transitional Housing Program-Plus and remote approval of Supervised Independent Living Placements.

Counties must temporarily continue maintenance payments for otherwise eligible non-minor dependents who do not meet any one of five participation criteria: completing secondary education or a program leading to an equivalent credential, enrolled in an institution which provides post-secondary or vocational education, participating in a program designed to promote or remove barriers to employment, employed at least 80 hours per month, or incapable of doing any of these because of a medical condition.

County caseworkers must continue to work with youth to help them to meet one of these participation criteria.

Caseworkers should continue to assist non-minor dependents by review of a previous Transitional Independent Living Plan and helping them to establish goals that meet their needs.

Counties must serve nonminors between age 18 and 21 requesting entry or reentry into extended foster care.  A nonminor’s inability to satisfy participation conditions because of COVID-19 is not a basis to deny entry or reentry into extended foster care because only nonminor’s intent to satisfy at least one participation condition is required.

A placing agency must offer the least-restrictive safe and appropriate available housing for a nonminor upon their entry or reentry into care.

Effective July 1, 2020, counties can complete Supervised Independent Living Placement inspections for non-minor dependents through methods other than in-person visit.

Any county decision to grant, deny, change or terminate payments to a non-minor dependent must be communicated by adequate written notice to the provider and/or non-minor dependent. (ACL 20-112, October 12, 2020.)

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued guidance regarding continued assistance payments and case management for persons who were in extended foster care upon turning age 21 between April 17, 2020 and June 30, 2021.  The California Budget extends assistance payments and case management to all persons in extended foster care upon turning age 21 on or after April 17, 2020 through June 30, 2021.

If a county discontinued assistance payments for persons who were in extended foster care upon turning age 21 between April 17, 2020 and June 30, 2021, the county must make diligent efforts to contact those persons immediately, and no later than 10 days after October 23, 2020. The county must arrange to resume and make retroactive assistance payments if the person was eligible.  These payments must be provided unless the person affirmatively opts out to have the payments discontinued.  If the person did not remain in a provider-based setting after discontinuance, the young adult is ineligible for payment equivalent to the rate for a supervised independent living placement, even if a housing location was not approved.

Persons who were in extended foster care upon turning age 21 and are not receiving extended assistance and support are not in extended foster care and are not nonminor dependents, and therefore do not have participation, housing or placement approval requirements.  Payments may not be terminated because these persons are not participating in employment or education activities, or for living in unapproved housing.

Because these persons are no longer in extended foster care or court dependents, monthly contact visits can occur remotely.  Caseworkers should try to make in-person contact with these persons at least quarterly.

A person receiving assistance after turning age 21 may continue to reside in any type of eligible foster care placement as a client, or the person can receive payment equivalent to the Supervised Independent Placement Living rate.  If a parenting young adult was receiving an infant supplement, the infant supplement must continue to be paid as long as the nondependent child continues to live with the parent.  After a young adult turns 21, a new infant supplement may be approved based on a change in circumstances.  No other types of rate supplements may be newly granted after the young adult turns age 21, but rate supplements granted and in effect when the young adult turns age 21 may continue to the same provider. If a person transitions to other independent housing, they are responsible locating their new housing.  However, caseworkers should provide assistance and support upon request.

Recipients of extended foster care assistance after turning age 21 must be given adequate notice before any county action denying, changing or terminating benefits.  (ACL 20-117, October 23, 2020 and ACL 20-117E, November 2, 2020.)

In ACL 20-43, summarized here, the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) provided guidance regarding waiver of in-person various requirements for Resource Family Approval (RFA).  In ACL 20-71, summarized here, extended this waiver for investigation of complaints that do not allege serious health and safety risk. In addition, ACL 20-71 authorized other investigation to continue remotely on a case-by-case basis, if the state, county, or local public health department provides direction and/or shifts back to Stage 1, the resource family refuses entry because of their COVID-19 related concerns, or the resource family, child, or someone else in the household is experiencing symptoms of or has tested positive for COVID-19.

CDSS has now extended the waiver in ACL 20-43, as modified in ACL 20-71, for the duration of the Governor’s Declared State of Emergency due to COVID-19, unless further guidance is issued from the Department.  (ACL 20-91, August 7, 2020.)