CalWORKs Cal ifornia W ork O pportunity and R esponsibility to K id s September 2008

1. CalWORKs California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to KidsSeptember 2008

3. A Little History

4. Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) • Federal/State Relationship • Entitlement Program • “No Limits”

5. 1996 Federal Welfare Reform • Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) • Federal/State Relationship Change • Block Grant Funding • Time-Limited Aid • Flexibility • Reauthorization

6. CalWORKs • CalWORKs is a major component of California’s implementation of TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), the federal welfare reform effort authorized by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) in 1996. • CalWORKs was enacted by state legislation (Assembly Bill 1542) and became effective in California January 1, 1998.

7. Principles of CalWORKs • Welfare is temporary in times of crisis – time limited cash aid. • Personal responsibility/accountability is encouraged and rewarded – assisting families to achieve self-sufficiency. • “Work first” attitude is fostered through strict work requirements – minimum hourly participation requirements. • Counties have flexibility to meet recipients’ needs for services. • Requirement for new and expanded partnerships.

8. CalWORKs Caseload and Funding • Total caseload = 424,060 • Total Budget = $6.8 billion

9. CalWORKs Eligibility. . . • Caretaker Relatedness • Child must be deprived of parental care or support due to: • Death • Incapacity • Absence • Unemployment

10. Other Eligibility Factors • Property • Income • Minor Parent Requirements • WTW requirements • Time Limits

11. Personal Responsibility and Accountability • Immunizations • School attendance • Child support

12. CalWORKs Grants... • Grant Levels • Two Grant Structures Region 1 & 2 • Region 1--Higher cost of living (coastal counties) • Region 2--Lower cost of living • Exempt/Non-Exempt Maximum Aid Payment (MAP)

13. Special Needs • Pregnancy • Homeless assistance

14. 60-Month Time Limits • Adult parents are eligible for 60 months of cash aid. • “Clock Stoppers”--exemptions that stop month(s) of aid from counting toward the 60-month time limit. • “Time Extenders”--exceptions that can result in a recipient’s remaining on aid beyond the 60-month time limit.

15. Eligible for, participating in, or exempt from Cal-Learn program. Living in Indian Country Advanced Age Disabled Aid reimbursed by child support Grant amount $10 or less Employed and receiving only supportive services Caretaking responsibilities for: Ill or incapacitated person Dependent child of the court or child at risk of placement in foster care Unaided Domestic Abuse (Good Cause) CalWORKs Time Limit Exemptions “Clock Stoppers”

16. Advanced Age Caretaking responsibilities Disabled--receiving SDI, TDI, IHSS or SSP benefits and the disability impairs ability to work/participate Unable to maintain employment or participate Unaided Domestic Abuse (Good Cause) CalWORKs Time Limit Exceptions--”Time Limit Extenders”

17. Safety Net • Eligible children continue to get cash aid after their parents have exhausted their 60-month time limit. • “Timed-out” adults are not eligible for General Assistance until the youngest child on aid is 18.

18. CalWORKs Focus on Families • CalLearn: services for CalWORKs pregnant and parenting teens to help them stay in school and get a high school diploma or equivalent. • Family Planning Project: family planning services information material for CalWORKs clients.

19. CalWORKs Family Reunification Program • Established May 2002 • Eligibility: • CalWORKs recipient families whose children are removed from the home and determined to need CalWORKs services for family reunification • Up to 180 days of services, with exceptions • No CalWORKs cash aid or cash-linked MediCal: eligible for Food Stamps

20. Meeting the Challenge • Eligibility’s role in supporting work efforts

21. Welfare-To-Work • Federal reauthorization and reforms • California’s challenge to meet federal WPR requirements • CalWORKs WTW participation requirements • Services to remove barriers to employment

22. 2006 Welfare Reform • TANF Reauthorization • In the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 • Signed by the President February 8, 2006 • Federal Interim Final Rule • Published June 29, 2006 (effective October 1, 2006) • Final TANF Rule • Published February 5th, 2008 (effective October 1, 2008) • Governor’s Budget 2006-07 (AB 1808) • Effective July 12, 2006

23. Major Impacts of TANF Reauthorization • Recalibration of the caseload reduction credit • Newly identified work eligible individuals • Work activities defined • Work verification plan requirement

24. Those participating the required number of hours -------------------------- Those required to participate All-families = 50% Two-parent = 90% Work Participation Rate

25. Caseload Reduction Credit and Work Participation Rate • Caseload Reduction Credit (CRC) base year changed from 1995 to 2005 Projected All Families CRC for Federal Fiscal Year 2007 50%

26. Projected WPR for FFY 2007 with New Populations Projected All Families WPR: 21.19% 50%

27. Who is work eligible? • Adult (or minor child head-of-household) receiving assistance under TANF or SSP • Non-recipient parent living with a child receiving assistance (child-only recipients) • Work-eligible individuals that are in Separate State Programs funded with state Maintenance of Effort dollars (two-parent recipients)

28. Effect on WPR Denominator Cases in WPR Denominator "Work Eligible Individuals" Based on 2005 Caseload Data 179,216 Denominator Prior to DRA

29. The Challenge:Balance between CalWORKs and TANF • CalWORKs is designed to provide flexibility to counties to meet the unique needs of their diverse populations • Participation requirements are different, more flexible in CalWORKs than TANF • Required hours of participation vary from TANF • Activity time limits vary from TANF • Exemptions/Disregards vary from TANF

30. The Challenge:Balance between CalWORKs and TANF (Cont.) • CDSS and others have worked hard to maintain the structure of the CalWORKs program • Goal: Find balance between maintaining the fundamentals of CalWORKs while meeting federal requirements and safeguarding the state from fiscal penalties

31. Meeting the Challenge • Maintain the participation level of those currently meeting the WPR requirements • Increase participation for those partially participating • Fully engage those who are not participating • Re-engage sanctioned and noncompliant cases • Strive for better data

32. Accountability Collaboration Information/Data AB 1808 Policy • Required data master plan and data publishing • Required county peer reviews • Ended durational sanctions • Clarified shared penalties • Required county plan addendum

33. Additional Ongoing Efforts • Stakeholder Workgroups - Fiscal Options, Programmatic Changes • Reform Proposals - Governor’s Budget, Legislative Proposals • Technical Support to Counties - Best Practices Website, Conferences

34. Orientation Appraisal Job Search (4 weeks) Assessment WTW Plan with assigned activities Exception to flow Self-Initiated Programs (SIPs) Full-timed employed (no WTW Plan) Typical CalWORKs Flow

35. Under age 16 Age 16, 17, or 18 and attending school full time Age 16 or 17 with a high school diploma (or equivalent) and enrolled/planning to enroll in postsecondary educational 60 years of age or older Disability Nonparent relative caring for a dependent/ward of the court or child at risk of foster care placement Caring for a disabled family member Parents with very young children Pregnancy that impairs ability to be regularly employed Full-time VISTA volunteer Work Requirement Exemptions

36. Welfare-to-Work Plan • After assessment, able-bodied recipients must enter into a written WTW Plan. • Exempt recipients who volunteer to participate must also have a WTW Plan. • Plans include: • Activities and services that will move the participant into employment and toward self-sufficiency • One or more core and/or non-core activities for the required minimum hours. No minimum hours for volunteers • Adult basic education, when necessary • Description of needed supportive services (transportation, child care, ancillary expenses) • School attendance requirements for children

38. Supportive Services • Child Care • Three-phase system • Child care reimbursement rates are standardized with the California Department of Education (CDE). • Transportation • Counties provide reimbursement for the least costly form of public transportation. • If public transportation not available, mileage reimbursement for individual to use vehicle. • Ancillary • Books, tools, clothing specifically required for the job, fees and other necessary costs (tuition is not considered an ancillary expense.)

39. Good Cause for Temporarily Not Participating in CalWORKs WTW Activities • Lack of necessary supportive services • Child care not reasonably available during hours of training or employment • Other reasons, as defined by county, such as: • Death in the family • Court appearance • Sick child • Individuals who are excused from participation with good cause are subject to the 60-month time limits

40. Noncompliance • When determined noncompliant, within 20 days, the recipient can • Provide a good cause reason not participating • Agree to a compliance plan when no good cause exists • With no good cause reason and no compliance plan, a financial sanction is imposed • Noncompliant participant removed from assistance unit, resulting in a reduction in family’s cash grant

41. Noncompliance • Noncompliance means a participant • Failed to sign a WTW Plan • Failed to participate in assigned activity • Failed to provide proof of satisfactory progress • Failed to accept or continue employment at same level of earnings

42. Learning Disabilities (LD) • LD: A heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning or mathematical abilities • Enrollees screened no later than appraisal and at other specified times, such as in good cause determinations • Recipients can waive right to LD screening • Referred to LD evaluation when screening shows potential LD • When evaluation shows LD, the WTW Plan will include accommodation based on evaluation

43. Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services • Mental health services include assessment, case management, treatment, and rehabilitation services • Substance abuse services include assessment, treatment, employment counseling, provision of community service jobs, or other appropriate services • Counties must work with mental health and substance abuse treatment providers to establish linkages to treatment services

44. Domestic Abuse Services The Federal Family Violence Option PRWORA of 1996 allows states to address domestic violence in state welfare plans under TANF by: • Confidentially screening applicants for domestic abuse • Providing referrals for counseling and supportive services • Granting good cause waivers

45. Goals of CalWORKs Provisions for Domestic Abuse • Victims are not placed at further risk or unfairly penalized by CalWORKs requirements • Program requirements do not encourage a victim to remain with the abuser • Participation in WTW activities is encouraged to enable clients to obtain employment and move safely toward self-sufficiency

46. Domestic Abuse Waivers • A county may waive, on a case-by-case basis with good cause, any program requirement, including, but not limited to • Time limits on receipt of aid • Work and education requirements • Paternity establishment • Child support cooperation requirements • Maximum family grant rule

47. Domestic Abuse Waivers (cont’d) • Program requirements that cannot be waived • Deprivation • Assets • Income • Homeless assistance

48. Importance of Collaboration Between Child Welfare Services and CalWORKs • 60 percent of Child Welfare Cases have history of welfare receipt • Families receiving child welfare and CalWORKs services may be our most vulnerable families • Close collaboration can ensure program requirements do not conflict • Collaboration can remove barriers to allow families to become self-sufficient and help the state meet federal work participation requirements

49. Questions and Answers...