Transcript AB 429 CalWORKs and Child Welfare

AB 429
CalWORKs and Child Welfare
Mutual Benefits, Improved
Outcomes
Poverty and Child Welfare
• “Poverty is the most frequently and persistently noted
risk factor for child abuse.” – American Association of
Family Practioners
• “The CalWORKs model is the only welfare approach
proven by research to result in long-lasting
improvements in family earnings, poverty reduction,
and child wellbeing, including better performance in
school with fewer behavioral problems for children. In
addition, the CalWORKs model has been shown to
produce a dramatic increase in the proportion of
parents in two-parent recipient families who stayed
married” - CWDA
Collaboration
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AB429 is the only statutory basis for collaboration between Child
Welfare and CalWORKs
The purposes of the TANF program as described in section 401 of the
Social Security Act are as follows:
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provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared
for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives;
end the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by
promoting job preparation, work, and marriage;
prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and
establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the
incidence of these pregnancies; and
encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.
History of AB429
AB 429
Chapter 111, Statutes of 2001
• Created statutory changes to Human Services
Programs.
• W&I Code 11203:
• “The parent or parents shall be considered
living with the needy child or needy children
for a period of up to 180 consecutive days of
the needy child's or children's absence from
the family assistance unit and the parent or
parents shall be eligible for services under this
chapter including services funded under
Sections 15204.2 and 15204.8” (which include
work activities and support services).
AB 429 Background
• Author: Assembly member Dion L. Aroner
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Democrat (Berkeley)
14th Assembly District
Elected 1996
Served 3 consecutive terms
AB 429 Timeline
• On June 22nd, 2001, AB 429 was approved by the
legislature’s Budget Conference Committee.
– A 2/3 vote from the Senate and Assembly was needed in
order to move to the Governor’s desk.
• On July 26th, 2001, the bill was signed into law.
• On July 31st, 2001, the bill was chaptered as the
Omnibus Fiscal Year 2001/2002 Social Services budget
trailer bill.
AB 429 Background
• AB 429 is considered an “Omnibus Bill”
– “Omnibus”: (Adj.) pertaining to, including, or dealing with
numerous objects or items at once
– “Bill”: proposed new law or amendment to existing law
Effected Agencies include:
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The
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State Department of Aging
State Department of Health and Human Services Agency Data Center
State Department of Rehabilitation
State Department of Alcohol and Drug programs
State Employment Development Department
State Department of Social Services
State Department of Child Support Services
State Department of Community Services and Development
State Franchise Tax Board
Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development
Program Changes Due to AB 429
(include, but limited, to the following):
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Special Circumstances Program: This
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CalWORKs Time Limits: Provides that all
• CalWORKs Eligibility:
Allows for 180 days of
eligibility of CalWORKs
Employment Services for
parents when a child has
been removed from the
home and placed in out-ofhome care while the family
was receiving CalWORKs.
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CAPI/CFAP (Cash Assistance Program for
Immigrants/California Food Assistance Program): Repeals the
sunsets on eligibility for CAPI and CFAP benefits for immigrants who
meet certain provisions and criteria.
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Statewide Fingerprint Imaging System: Requires that the
Bureau of State Audits submit (by 1/1/03) an audit of the Statewide
Fingerprint Imaging System, addressing certain areas.
program, which covers the special needs of
the aged, blind and disabled in emergencies,
is reformed and expanded.
– (1) include CAPI, IHSS and SSI
recipients among potential beneficiaries;
– (2) specify its availability for "unmet
shelter needs," and increasing amounts
for items of need;
– (3) eliminate the requirement that a
recipient be a victim of a "catastrophe"
before being eligible;
– (4) repeal the separate $300 resource
limit and conform the income and
resource rules to the main programs;
and,
– (5) allow counties to transfer funds for
implementation from administrative
allocation to benefits, given expected
administrative savings.
counties retain records and provide
information sufficient to permit the tracking
of CalWORKs time limits.
AB 429 & TANF ECF
(Temporary Assistance for Need Families
Emergency Contingency Fund)
• 3 areas of funding: Short Term Non-Recurrent Benefits, Basic
Assistance, and Subsidized Employment.
• Tehama County plans on implementing many programs, in which AB
429 families may be eligible. These include, but are not limited to:
– Food and rental assistance for families to assist parents to
be prepared for the return of the child(ren), or to prevent
homelessness
– Dental and vision services for adults if it is a barrier to
employment or self sufficiency
– Expansion of a current Tehama County “Back to School
Backpack Project”
– Holiday Assistance Program (to include food baskets, gift
cards, etc.)
– Personal Hygiene/Care Packages
– Expansion of Subsidized Employment Program
Practice
TEHAMA LINKAGES COMMITMENT
TLC
Vision: Self-sufficient families and safe children in a responsible and caring community.
Goal: To coordinate services between CalWORKs and Child Welfare in Tehama county to help families
achieve self-sufficiency and ensure child safety and well being.
Guiding Principles:
1. We believe services must be strength based, family-centered, and tailored to individual
needs.
2. We believe services must be accessible, comprehensive, and delivered in the least intrusive
way possible.
3. We believe services must be coordinated across systems in a smooth and seamless practice.
4. We believe services must protect the rights of families, must be culturally sensitive, and are
delivered in a respectful and caring manner.
5. We believe that parents want to be self-sufficient and to have a safe home for their children.
Our job is to provide families with the tools, resources, and opportunities to achieve these
goals.
6. We believe that families are on a journey, which includes awareness that there is a different
and better way of life, a desire for this new way of life, and a belief that this way of life is
achievable.
7. We believe that the door to services must remain open so families can flourish when they are
ready.
AB 429 Services
All Child Welfare Services cases are to be screened for possible AB 429
services when the children are removed from the home.
To be eligible for AB 429 services, the family must meet all of the
following conditions:
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The child has been removed from the parent and placed in an out-of-home placement
(care must be a temporary situation and a reunification plan is required).
The family was receiving CalWORKs cash aid when the child was removed.
The County has determined that CalWORKs services are needed for family reunification.
A family can be considered a CalWORKs reunification case if some of the children are
removed from the home and family income results in discontinuance of aid for
financial reasons for family members remaining in the home. If needed, child care
services are available.
How does a parent get AB 429 Services?
• Ask parent if he/she is on cash aid.
• If the social worker feels Welfare to Work services will be needed for family reunification, give the
brochure to the parent when children are removed. If they have questions have them call their WTW
worker.
Note: If the parent is not ready to talk about services, give them the brochure when they are more
open.
• If the parent is interested, give Lisa Matheson a memo (cc Janet Zapeta in Eligibility), including at least
the parent’s name and social security number.
• Schedule a case staffing and invite the eligibility worker and the employment and training worker.
Note: Services are available to participants who are on or off aid.
What does Employment Services have to offer?
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Supportive service, child care, transportation assistance and ancillary services.
Case supervision, attendance monitoring.
Another person involved with the family.
Access to co-located drug and alcohol case managers, mental health therapists and a domestic violence
victim’s advocate.
• Employment related services to help participant find a job.
• Less confusion for participants because our agency is communicating.
• We will have copies of each other’s plans. Team splitting will be more difficult.
Example of a linked case
Example of a linked case
Linked Cases Report
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE SERVICES
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COMMUNICATION
CHANGING STAFFING
BUY IN
CONFLICTING SCHEDULES
Advantages
Tehama County
• We looked at over 50 linked cases and
compared them to the general population
• The first chart shows the distribution of cases
by type linked vs general
• The second chart shows the time to
reunification again comparing linked and non
linked cases
Tehama County CW Cases by Type General Average vs. Linked Cases
57.9%
60%
50%
44.4%
40%
30%
20%
14.9%
24.4%
22.2%
18.7%
8.9%
10%
8.4%
0%
FM
FR
PP
ER
General
Linked
Tehama County Family Reunification Cases by Time Open General Average vs. Linked
40%
40%
35%
30%
25%
General
25%
20%
20%
15%
10%
10%
10%
20% 21%
16%
10%
20%
9%
5%
0%
0%
Under 3
Months
3-6 Months 6-9 Months
9-12
12-18
18 Months
Months
Months
or More
Linked
Specific Case
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Single mother of 5, drug addiction, child neglect, unemployed
One child (youngest) placed in protective custody, four others left in the home
The CPS case plan is designed with the safety of the child and the rehabilitation
of the parent in mind but Employment services has the systems and expertise in
place to create a plan of economic independence
The support she really needed came from CalWORKs
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Child Care
Cash to pay the bills and rent
Employment
Without the support of employment services she says “I never would have
made it”. The strength and confidence she got from working helped her repair
her damaged relationships
Now she is working and off of welfare altogether
Employment Services helped her with job retention services to ease her
transition and ensure a stable economic future
As of 2yrs later….. No involvement with child welfare
Fiscal Benefits of
Linkages
Linkages
The Linkages Program promotes
cooperation between Child Welfare and
CalWORKs
The goal is to improve outcomes for both
programs
• Increased participation in CalWORKs activities
• Better outcomes for Child Welfare
– More reunifications
– Less re-entry into foster care
Tehama County
In Tehama County the Linkages program focuses
on coordinated case planning
Using reports which match data between ISAWS and
CWS/CMS we ensure that all cases which have open
cash aid and open reunification child welfare cases
receive case plans which address both their
reunification and their employment goals
Fiscal Benefits
The Linkages program has fiscal impacts which
can blend funding between child welfare and
CalWORKs
CWS Social Workers time study to CalWORKs PIN
Codes
CalWORKs can pay for services traditionally paid
for by Child Welfare
Linked Cases
Using Data from your eligibility system and CWS
CMS you can build a detailed report which can
be distributed to Social Workers and used to
coordinate case plans. Supervisors can review
these reports to ensure that services are being
provided by the correct program $$$$
Fiscal Benefits
• By having CPS Social Workers time study to
CalWORKs codes 6201 and 6641 we shifted $43,000
in costs from the CWS allocation to CalWORKs in
one year
• Contracts which were paid previously by Child
Welfare such as Parenting Classes can be supported
by CalWORKs
• Amounts to a consolidation of services
Braided Funding
Here is an example of how much
can be saved in just one case
• Counseling – previously charged to
code 144 in a linked case CalWORKs
can pay
• $10,207
• Gas Cards charged to code 146 in a
linked case transportation can be
reimbursed by CalWORKs
• $533
This is just the tip of the iceberg!
Tehama County
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Better outcomes
Fiscal benefits
Increased understanding of client needs
More cooperation between divisions
Exercise
Q: Who is eligible to receive AB
429 Services?
• A: Parents who are receiving cash aid at
the time their children are placed in
protective custody are eligible to
continue to receive CalWORKs
employment services and supportive
services.
Q: Can AB429 Clients be
discontinued for non-compliance?
• A: No, AB 429 Clients are exempt from
noncompliance sanctions.
42-721.131
A noncompliant individual shall remain eligible
for CalWORKs activities and services until the
expiration or termination of a voluntary
placement agreement or the court terminates
the reunification plan.
Q: Are AB429 Clients required to
submit monthly or quarterly reports?
• A: No, AB 429 Clients are not required to submit
monthly or quarterly reports.
40-181.223
(MR) In reunification cases, as defined in Section 80301(r)(4), the parents are not required to submit a
monthly eligibility report as long as the reunification
plan remains in place.
(QR) In reunification cases, as defined in Section 80301(r)(4), the parents are not required to submit a
quarterly eligibility report as long as the reunification
plan remains in place.
Q: Are AB429 Clients subject to
sanctions?
• A: No, AB 429 clients are exempt from sanctions
as long as services are determined to be a
necessary part of a family reunification plan.
42-711.512
A county shall provide welfare-to-work activities and
services to a reunification parent,
including a sanctioned individual, pursuant to the
temporary absence/family
reunification provisions of Section 82-812.68, and the
county child welfare services
agency determines that such services are necessary for
family reunification.
Q: Is an assessment required
before WTW services can begin?
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A: No, an assessment is not required as long as the activities
are provided as a component of a family reunification plan.
42-711.558
An assessment, as described in Section 42-711.55, shall not be
required for those
welfare-to-work activities and services that are only provided as a
component of a
reunification plan as defined in Section 80-301(r)(5), subject to the
temporary
absence/family reunification provisions of Section 82-812.68.
(a) An assessment and a welfare-to-work plan as described in
Sections 42-711.55
and .6 respectively, are necessary for any welfare-to-work activities
and services
that are provided separate and beyond those welfare-to-work
activities and
services that are specified in a reunification plan.
Q: Is a signed WTW plan
necessary for AB429 clients?
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A: No, a signed CalWORKs plan is not necessary for
services to begin. However, a signed plan must be
obtained “as soon as administratively feasible”. The
county may also use the reunification case plan if all
the WTW activities are included.
42-711.61
After assessment, or a determination by the county child welfare services agency that
CalWORKs services are necessary for family reunification, any recipient of aid or reunification
parent pursuant to Section 82-812.68 who is required or who volunteers to participate in
welfareto-work activities shall enter into a written welfare-to-work plan with the CWD as soon
as administratively feasible, but no later than the time frame specified in Section 42-711.62
for nonexempt individuals. However, the county may elect to utilize a reunification plan as
defined in
Section 80-301(r)(5) in lieu of the welfare-to-work plan when all of an individual’s welfaretowork activities and services are provided as a component of a reunification plan under the
temporary absence/family reunification provisions of Section 82-812.68. If the county uses
the family reunification (FR) plan in lieu of the welfare-to-work plan the county shall inform
the individual, in writing, regarding his/her eligibility for CalWORKs family reunification
services, and include a reference to the FR plan and the county child welfare service agency.
.611 The plan shall include the activities and services, to be provided pursuant to Section 42716, that will move the participant into employment and toward self-sufficiency.
.612 A copy of the complete, signed plan shall be provided to the participant.
Q: Are AB429 clients subject to
termination or sanction for NONCompliance?
• A: No, non-compliant individuals remain eligible
to services until the children are returned or the
court terminates the reunification plan.
42-721.13
A reunification parent as defined in Section 80-301(r)(3)
whose welfare-to-work activities and services are only
included in a reunification plan.
.131 A noncompliant individual shall remain eligible for
CalWORKs activities and services until the expiration or
termination of a voluntary placement agreement or the
court terminates the reunification plan.
Add definitions from 80-301
Questions
Thank you