Eligibility of Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan parolees for federal and state benefits

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued guidance regarding eligibility of Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan parolees for federal and state benefits.

Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan refugees and asylees are eligible for CalWORKs, CalFresh, SSI, Refugee Cash Assistance, and Refugee Support Services.  Asylum applicants are not eligible for federally funded benefits and services unless they hold another qualifying status.

Humanitarian parolees are generally not eligible for federal benefits.  Nicaraguan and Venezuelan parolees are not eligible for refugee benefits and services.  Cubans and Haitians who arrive in the United States under the supporter-based parole process are eligible for benefits to the same extent as refugees.

Temporary Protected Status holders are not eligible for most federal or state benefits or services.

For Refugee Cash Assistance, counties can accept a declaration under penalty of perjury that the individual has a qualifying immigration status if the worker is unable to confirm status after reviewing documents that suggest eligibility.  Refugee Cash Assistance applicants are not required to provide Social Security Numbers.

Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan parolees are eligible for CalWORKs because humanitarian parolees have Permanent Residence Under Color of Law.  As CalWORKs recipients, they are eligible for Welfare-To-Work services, Family Stabilization, domestic abuse survivor services, Housing Support Program, Homeless Assistance, Bringing Families Home, Housing and Disability Advocacy Program, and Home Safe.  Housing Support Program and Homeless Assistance can supplement federal refugee resettlement funding.

Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan parolees are eligible for Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants.

Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan parolees may be eligible for CalFresh or the California Food Assistance Program if they have been paroled into the United States for at least one year.

Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan parolees may be eligible for Medi-Cal.

Counties must submit cases to the SAVE system for verification.

Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan parolees can present a copy of their electronic Form I-94.  Additional verification may be required in limited circumstances, such as when information from the applicant does not match federal immigration records. (ACIN I-13-22, April 20, 2023.)

 

Expansion of Emergency Child Care Bridge Program

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The Emergency Child Care Bridge Program provides short-term child care vouchers or payments for approved resource families and parents under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court.  This program has been expanded in two ways.

First, the Bridge Program now covers when a resource family is unable to provide care in addition to when a resource family is not at home.  This means that the Bridge Program now covers families engaging in telework or online classes.

Second, counties can now extend eligibility for the Bridge Program beyond 12 months for a compelling reason.  These reasons include inability to transition to other subsidized child care, loss of eligibility would disrupt stability for the child, and loss of eligibility would jeopardize a permanency plan or successful reunification.

In addition, counties must have a process to pay benefits within 21 calendar days of receipt of a complete attendance record or invoice for payment.  (CCB 22-27, September 26, 2022.)

Implementation of 24 month child care eligibility

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Effective January 1, 2023, the minimum eligibility period for certain child care programs is extended to 24 months.  The effected programs are:

  • General Child Care and Development Programs (CCTR)
  • California Family Child Care Home Education Networks (CFCC)
  • Migrant Child Care and Development Programs (CMIG)
  • Migrant Child Care Alternative Payment Programs (CMAP)
  • California Alternative Payment Programs (CAPP)
  • Child Care and Development Services for Children with Special Needs (CHAN)

The 24 month eligibility does not apply to CalWORKs Stage 1, 2, or 3 child care.

The 24 month period is not retroactive to before January 1, 2023.  Certifications entered into prior to January 1, 2023 remain in effect.

Child care and development programs remain available until age 13.  If a child turns 13 within the first 12 months of the eligibility period, eligibility is only for 12 months.

Families enrolled on or after January 1, 2023 must receive services for at least 24 months before recertification and are not required to report most changes.  However, families must report income that exceeds the threshold for ongoing income eligibility.  Families can voluntarily report changes that extend their eligibility.

If a family’s 24-month eligibility ends before the end of a California State Preschool Program program year, eligibility extends to the end of the program year, as long as age eligibility requirements are met.

The California Department of Social Services must develop implementing regulations by December 31, 2024.  (CCB 22-37, December 30, 2023, and 22-37E, March 10, 2023

Requirements for truncating Social Security Numbers

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued guidance regarding AB 499 (2020) that requires mailings from state agencies, which includes counties operating state and federal programs on behalf of CDSS, to only include the last four digits of a Social Security Number in outgoing mail.

Effective January 1, 2023, with limited exceptions, state agencies must only include the last four digits of a Social Security Number in outgoing mail.  Computer systems must make changes to implement this requirement.  County processes must be revised to meet this requirement.  Computer systems that must make changes to comply include, but are not limited to, CalSAWS and BenefitsCal, CMIPS, ACMS, EBT, Child Welfare Services/Case Management System, Child Welfare Services CARES, and County Expense Claim Reporting Information System.

If a system is unable to make necessary changes in a reasonable timeframe, the system must implement a workaround to redact or truncate all Social Security Numbers in outgoing mail.

Counties should report any mailings that violate this requirement to CDSS using the breach and incident process.  (ACL 23-17, January 31, 2023.)

End of child care flexibility for COVID-19

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued guidance regarding the end of child care flexibilities for COVID-19 effective June 30, 2023.

Effective July 1, 2023, provider will no longer be able to bill for non-operational days because of COVID-19 closures.

The statewide waiver of family fees expires on June 30, 2023.  Contractors must resume collecting family fees effective July 1, 2023.

Effective July 1, 2023, providers and contractors will be reimbursed in accordance with pre-COVID-19 attendance and reporting requirements.

Contractors must issue notices of action to the parent when changes are made to the service agreement, including an increase or decrease in family fees.  Due process requires suspending any action while an appeal is pending.  (CCB 23-09, April 13, 2023.)

Disaster Unemployment Assistance for February and March storms

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Residents of Kern, Mariposa, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Tulare and Tuolumne Counties can now apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA).  DUA is available to workers business owners, and self-employed persons who lost their job or business, or had their work hours reduced or interrupted because of impacts of the severe storms that began on February 21, 2023.

DUA applies to losses beginning the week of February 26, 2023.  Eligible full-time workers and self-employed persons can get between $171 and $450 per week for up to 32 weeks.  Part-time workers and part-time self-employed persons may be eligible.  The last payable week of DUA ends October 7, 2023.

DUA is available to storms victims who meet any of the following criteria:

  1. Worked or were a business owner or self-employed, or were scheduled to begin or resume work or self-employment, in the disaster area and lost work or had their hours reduced or interrupted because of the disaster.
  2. Cannot reach work because of the disaster or can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment or self-employment as a direct result of the disaster.
  3. Live in the major disaster area and cannot reach their place of work or self-employment outside the major disaster area because of the disaster.
  4. Cannot perform work or self-employment because of an injury caused by the disaster.
  5. Became the major support for their household because of the death of their head of household caused by the disaster.

Persons must have applied for and used all regular unemployment insurance benefits, or be ineligible for regular unemployment benefits, and remain unemployed, to be eligible for DUA.  In addition, the work or self-employment that the person can no longer do must have been their primary source of income.

Applicants must submit all required documentation within 21 days of applying.  Required documentation includes the most recent federal tax form or check stubs, or other documentation to support that the applicant was working or self-employed when the disaster happened.

Applications for DUA must be filed by May 15, 2023 unless the applicant has good cause.  (EDD News Releases 23-15, April 14, 2023.)