CalWORKs Overview
California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs)
Welfare as we know it has ended. The following information represents the major points of California's new welfare reform package. The GAIN and AFDC programs have been replaced by the CalWORKs (welfare-to-work) program.
Time Limits
- There are strict time limits surrounding the length of time individuals can continue to receive cash assistance through CalWORKs.
- Most adults are limited to a 48 month period, unless they meet certain exemption criteria which might extend that period.
- Participants that are not exempt and are required to engage in work search activities, are referred to Welfare to Work.
- All efforts are made to assist participants in securing paid employment, but if this objective is not reached, enrollees may be assigned to a non-paid work site where they can gain the experience they need to enter or re-enter the workforce.
- All services through Welfare to Work are also time-limited so participants are encouraged to get the most out of these valuable services while they remain eligible.
Child Support Collections
- CalWORKs strongly increases the county's ability to locate and to collect court-ordered support payments from absent parents.
Drug Felons
- Anyone convicted of a drug felony after August 22, 1998, is banned from receiving aid - with no exceptions.
Fleeing Felons
- Individuals who are fleeing prosecution for a felony crime or are in violation of probation are ineligible for TANF or for General Assistance.
Focus On Job Success
- It is recognized that an individual's success in finding a job and self-sufficiency depends on his/her own efforts, but also on available opportunities.
- The condition of the local economy is a factor.
- The county may utilitize TANF funds to provide an applicant a lump sum to solve a problem and thus avoid receiving aid. For example: to repair a car in order to get a job.
- The Employment Development Department will convene a business advisory council to assist in encouraging businesses to hire welfare recipients.
- The pages of CalWORKs are filled with several significant moves to improve the business and employment environment, as well as to assist clients to prepare for work, to find jobs and to sustain their continuing efforts toward that end.
- CalWORKs, through the California Asset and Savings Project Act, authorizes very low income families to set aside savings for specified purposes, such as improving skills or educational level.
Welfare Fraud
- The new law tightens up enforcement and increases the penalties for abuse of welfare programs.
Future Impacts
- Should the state, or its counties, do well in helping clients into work and thereby in creating savings, the federal government will pay the state a cash incentive.
- Should the state, or its counties, fall out of compliance with federal regulations or fail to meet deadlines, the federal government will sanction the state: that is they will withhold money.
- A portion of these incentives and sanctions will be passed on to the counties.
- All recipients must be enrolled in CalWORKs by January 1, 1999.
- Ongoing monitoring and evaluation will take place.
- The five year time limit includes all episodes of receiving aid. All incidents, after January 1, 1998, are counted regardless of any break in aid or the state in which aid was received.
- Welfare-to-work activities may be extended for those who have become employed and no longer receive aid, but who need supportive services to continue their employment satisfactorily.
Work Requirements
- The purpose of CalWORKs is to help the client obtain self-sufficiency through employment.
- A person working 35 hours a week is considered to be full-time employed.
- A person employed full time is not required to participate in the previously mentioned activities.
- To assure that working is to a client's advantage, when there is an earned income, the first $112.00 and 1/2 of the remainder is disregarded before deducting income from the grant.
Exemptions
- Parents of a child 12 weeks or younger may be exempted from the above requirements.
- Pregnant women, who have medical verification that their pregnancy impairs their ability to participate, may be exempted.
- The county may, with the finding of a good cause, make additional case-by-case exemptions. Handicapped individuals or victims or domestic violence may be considered.
CalWORKs Goes Further
Child Care
- The cost of child care is guaranteed for every child, up to age 10, for every participating adult. For children up to age 13, the cost is available up to the extent funding is available.
- Child care is subsidized for two years after a recipient leaves aid, depending on his/her income.
- Child care continues to be subsidized for those who do not reach a defined income level (provided they are able to obtain a slot).
School Attendance
- CalWORKs requires that all children receiving aid, who are required to attend school, must actually attend.
- Monitoring school attendance will be a part of the family's welfare-to-work plan.
- If a child under 16 is not regularly attending school, the parent will be removed from aid.
- If a child 16 or over is not attending, he/she will be removed from aid.
Immunizations
- New rules require that all preschool children be immunized.
- Failure to immunize a preschool child will result in the parent being removed from aid.
- Childhood immunizations are available without charge for children receiving aid.
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