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]
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
ACL 13-36: Complete, Accurate, And Timely Adoption And Foster Care Analysis And Reporting System (AFCARS) Data Entry And Updates To The Child Welfare Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS) (7/18/13)
The how-to’s of recording complete, accurate, and timely case information updates into the CWS/CMS, in order to meet required Child Welfare Services Program documentation, data reporting, and program performance measurements. The feds had found that California not in substantial compliance in this area. [Download]
ACL 13-33: Foster Care – Sibling Placement – AB 743 (7/23/13)
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]
ACIN I-35-13: Best Practices For Increasing Eligible Youth Participation In The CalFresh Program (7/24/13)
In yet another effort to boost former foster youth and non-minor dependent participation in CalFresh, DSS has issued a best practices review, to supplement ACL 09-25 and ACIN I-22-12. [Download]
ACL 13-60: 2012 Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Review Results And Findings (7/24/13)
Notice to counties of the upcoming federal review, a review of the prior errors and a note about promising practices. (California was in substantial compliance last go round.) [Download]
ACL 13-61: CalFresh Waiver To Send E-Notifications And View Notices Electronically (7/24/13)
Announcing that FNS has approved California’s waiver for e-notice, and implementation instructions. CalFresh sweeps in CalWORKs (which didn’t need a waiver), so the two main programs are now on board. Medi-Cal is seeking approval to join the party. Under this waiver, households can choose to get an electronic notification of official correspondence. The waiver will become effective once programmed by statewide automated welfare systems. (The notice tells you to go to a secure on-line account to view the actual notice.) CalFresh and CalWORKs clients may opt opt out and get traditional paper correspondence at any time. The instructions include what happens if the e-notice is not received/retrieved. [Download]