To assist counties to employ qualified staff who are in frequent and routine contact with children, this ACIN contains two links for “options and services currently available regarding criminal record checks” through state law and the California Department of Justice (DOJ). [Download]

This ACIN conveys the Title XX Social Services Block Grant Post-Expenditure Report for the FFY 07-08. It summarizes Title XX expenditures, program responsibilities, and the population served. The divisions covered are: Children and Family Services, Community Care Licensing, Human Rights and Community Services, and Welfare to Work. [Download]

The final regulations are out on eligibility for victims of domestic violence, trafficking and other serious crime victims. (These policies previously were done as emergency regs and through ACLs.) Of note: County eligibility workers are to use an individual’s self-declaration that he/she is a human trafficking victim unless the county documents in writing an independent and reasonable basis to find the applicant not credible; Continued presence can only be requested by federal law enforcement; Victims of human trafficking who are granted continued presence may assist local and state, not just federal, law enforcement officials; Victims who petitioned for U visa interim relief prior to the issuance of final federal regulations governing U visas, are eligible for state-funded benefits and services. [Download]

Clarification on determining the number of Special Investigative Unit (SIU) investigators counties need to investigate suspected cases of fraud in CalWORKs, Food Stamps, and CalWORKs Stage One Child Care programs. The clarification is that the one investigator for every 1,000 CalWORKs case includes CalWORKs stage One child care, and that food stamps requires a fraud detection unit in areas where 5000 or more households participate in the program. The case starts as a CalWORKs child care case once a person is on CalWORKs. [Download]

Te Income and Eligibility System (IEVS) report transmittal process is going to change. Currently, the New Hire Registry System (NHR) and Integrated Fraud Detection (IFD) System reports are via automated file. In addition, the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) currently provides printed reports to some counties. Effective May 31, 2009, CDSS will make the NHR and IFD information only in electronic format. Counties must choose between the option of using their automation consortium’s IFD and NHR solutions or receiving IFD and NHR information directly from CDSS as data files or print image files. Poor ole’ ISAWS counties must choose to receive data files or print image files. [Download]

Just a note to the counties to confirm the authority of county appeals representatives to resolve a request for state hearing by entering into a conditional withdrawal agreement on behalf of the county prior to or during a state fair hearing. So, what’s a rep to do? “assume the major responsibility for researching, communicating with the claimant, preparing and presenting the case at the state hearing….determining the issues raised,
reviewing the applicable statutes and regulations involved, and resolving the case at the lowest possible administrative level. If the county rep thinks the county’s action was wrong, not supported by sufficient evidence, or the claimant has additional information, the county rep MUST have the authority and the responsibility to resolve the case with a conditional withdrawal. [Download]