CalWORKs

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids

September 2008 1

Federal – State – Stakeholder - County- Client Relationship

Administration for Children and Families (ACF) California Department of Social Services (CDSS) County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) Advocates

ACF

Provides funding and minimal Program rules.

CDSS

Oversees the Program 58 Counties

58 Counties

Administer the Program Clients

Clients

Benefit from the Program 2

A Little History

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Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)

• Federal/State Relationship • Entitlement Program • “No Limits” 4

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 5

CalWORKs

• California’s implementation of TANF the federal welfare reform effort authorized by the Personal Responsibility and Work 1996.

• CalWORKs was enacted by state legislation (Assembly Bill 1542) and became effective in 6

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.

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CalWORKs Caseload and Funding



Total caseload = 424,060

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Total Budget = $6.8 billion

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CalWORKs Eligibility. . .

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

Other Eligibility Factors

− Property − Income − Minor Parent Requirements − WTW requirements − Time Limits 10

Personal Responsibility and Accountability

• Immunizations • School attendance • Child support 11

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 ) 12

Special Needs

• Pregnancy • Homeless assistance 13

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.

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• • • • • CalWORKs Time Limit Exemptions “Clock Stoppers” 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) 15

CalWORKs Time Limit Exceptions--”Time Limit Extenders” • • 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) 16

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.

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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. 18

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 19

Meeting the Challenge

• Eligibility’s role in supporting work efforts 20

Welfare-To-Work

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Federal reauthorization and reforms

• California’s challenge to meet federal WPR requirements • CalWORKs WTW participation requirements • Services to remove barriers to employment 21

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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 5 th , 2008 (effective October 1, 2008) Governor’s Budget 2006-07 (AB 1808) – Effective July 12, 2006 22

Major Impacts of TANF Reauthorization

• Recalibration of the caseload reduction credit • Newly identified work eligible individuals • • Work activities defined Work verification plan requirement 23

Work Participation Rate

Those participating the required number of hours ------------------------- Those required to participate • • All-families = 50% Two-parent = 90% 24

Caseload Reduction Credit and Work Participation Rate

• Caseload Reduction Credit (CRC) base year changed from 1995 to 2005

50% Projected All Families CRC for Federal Fiscal Year 2007 4.5

45.5

46.5

1995 Base Year CRC (caseload decline) 3.5

2005 Base Year WPR Requirement

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Projected WPR for FFY 2007 with New Populations

Projected All Families WPR: 21.19%

50%

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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) 27

Effect on WPR Denominator

Cases in WPR Denominator "Work Eligible Individuals" Based on 2005 Caseload Data

15% 1% Single Parent (Aided Adult) Two Parent 12% Safety Net

179,216

60% 12%

Denominator Prior to DRA

Drug and Fleeing Felons Sanction (less 20%) 28

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 29

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 30

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 31

AB 1808 Policy

• Required data master plan and data publishing • Required county peer reviews • Ended durational sanctions • Clarified shared penalties • Required county plan addendum 32

Additional Ongoing Efforts

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

Typical CalWORKs Flow

• • • • • 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) 34

Work Requirement Exemptions

− − − − − − − − − −

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 35

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Welfare-to-Work 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 36

Weekly Number of Hours of Required Participation

32 hrs. - Single-parent families All families must participate a minimum of 20 hours of core activities – the balance can be spent in core or non core activities 35 hrs. - Two-parent Families. Hours can be shared between the parents. Core and non core requirements to not apply to: - Exempt volunteers - Self-Initiated Programs - CalWORKs Family Reunification Parents (AB 429)

CORE ACTIVITIES BLENDABLE NON-CORE ACTIVITIES

Unsubsidized employment Subsidized private and public sector employment Work experience On-the-job training (OJT) Grant-based OJT Supported work or transitional employment Work study Self-employment Community service Vocational education and training (up to 12 months) Job search and job readiness assistance Adult basic education Job skills training directly related to employment Education directly related to employment Satisfactory progress in a secondary school Mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence services

NON-BLENDABLE NON-CORE ACTIVITIES

Vocational education and training (post 12-months) 1 Other activities to assist in obtaining employment Participation required by school to ensure child's attendance 2 Non-credited study time (county option) 2 1

If hours in this activity are in the WTW plan, then hours in any non-core activity cannot count towards the core requirement.

2

If hours in these activities are in the WTW plan, blendable non-core hours can count toward the core requirement.

2 37

Supportive Services

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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.

− •

Ancillary

− Books, tools, clothing specifically required for the job, fees and other necessary costs (tuition is not considered an ancillary expense.) 38

• 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 39

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 40

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 41

• • • • 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 42

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Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

• Substance abuse services include assessment, services • Counties must work with mental health and establish linkages to treatment services 43

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 44

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 45

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 46

Domestic Abuse Waivers (cont’d)

• Program requirements that cannot be waived  Deprivation  Assets  Income  Homeless assistance 47

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 48

Questions and Answers...

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