This letter passes on information regarding SB 855, which clarified that commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC) whose parents or guardians failed or were unable to protect them may fall within the description of 300(b) and be adjudged as dependents of the juvenile court. The Legislature also established a state-funded county CSEC Program to be administered by CDSS that counties may opt into.  The DSS is spending 1.75 million (not a typo!) to provide training of county workers and out of home caregivers, which will cover awareness and identification of children who are commercially sexually exploited, or who are at risk of being commercially sexually exploited.  An additional $750,000 is also provided for the training of foster youth to help them recognize and avoid commercial sexual exploitation, for those counties that elect to participate in the CSEC Program. $2.5 million for FY 2014-15 will be allocated to participating counties for protocol development and capacity building for services to commercially sexually exploited children.  [Download]

The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act established the Community First Choice Option as a new State Plan Option.  California opted into the program, which allows States to provide Home and Community-Based Attendant Services and Supports.  The feds approved the state’s initial CFCO state plan on August 31, 2012, retroactive to December 1, 2011.  This initial plan was based on the draft CFCO federal regulations, with the understanding that a new plan would be submitted to include Nursing Facility Level of Care (NF LOC) eligibility, based on the final CFCO regulations. The new CFCO plan was approved with an effective date of July 1, 2013.  California now operates four IHSS programs: IHSS-Residual (IHSS-R), PCSP, IPO and CFCO.  This letter reviews the CFCO eligibility criteria and available services. The new CFCO eligibility requirements are more stringent than those in effect from December 1, 2011 through June 30, 2013; therefore, individuals with FS FFP Medi-Cal eligibility who were, but are no longer, eligible for CFCO, due to the NF LOC criteria, will be served in the PCSP or IPO programs, effective July 1, 2013. [Download]

Another New Year’s present, this is the ACL implementing the new car resource rules:

• The first $9,500 of car equity value is now exempt.
• Clients can self-certify the amount of encumbrances, and the vehicle’s fair market value.
• The $9,500 equity threshold will be adjusted upward annually for any increase in the Transportation Consumer Price Index (CPI)
• Any vehicle transferred to the client as a gift, donation, or family transfer, as defined by the DMV, will not count against the family’s maximum resource limit.

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So the eligibility (DSS) side knows what the program side (DHCS) is doing, a review of how the Affordable Care Act implementation instructions will come down.  Ready for some acronyms???  DHCS will be issuing a Medi-Cal Eligibility Division Information Letter (MEDIL) instead of  All County Welfare Director’s Letter (ACWDL) to expedite providing counties and the Statewide Automated Welfare System (SAWS) with policy guidance.  Includes links to the two documents already issued.  [Download]

AB 743 makes technical changes to statute in regard to placing siblings together in foster care, relative, guardianship, or adoption placements, and new timeframes for notifying the child’s attorney of a placement decision.  [Download]

And, the envelope please? The results of the requests to FNS for waivers, in order to implement the DSS vision of Semi-Annual reporting.

1. Shorter cert times to align with other programs: GRANTED: if household is given notice of the new certification period and the new benefit amount, if applicable.
2. Anticipating income for 6 months: DENIED: At certification, CWDs must anticipate income and expenses over the length of the certification period and revise at mid-period when the household submits its periodic report form.
3. Acting mid-period on voluntary reports only if they would increase benefits: DENIED: CWDs must act on changes verified upon receipt (VUR) to reduce or terminate benefits at any point during the certification period. CDSS defines VUR as information that is not questionable, the provider is the primary source of the information, and CWDs need no further information to take action.

• FNS considers household composition changes to be VUR if reported by the household….unless the reported change is for another public assistance program and the change does not trigger action in the other program.

• Income changes reported by the household that are less than the IRT, without third-party verification (in CalFresh non-assistance and public-assistance cases) are not considered VUR.  More to come on VUR issues and new forms.

4.  Waiver to require that all households report a change in address   mid-period. PENDING.

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