Cal-Learn Procedures

[EAS 42-766]

Initial Determination

Upon determining that an AU contains a pregnant or parenting teen, the EW must determine if that teen parent has a high school diploma or its equivalent:

If...

Then...

The teen parent does not have a high school diploma or its equivalent,

This teen parent must be registered for Cal-Learn.

The teen parent has a high school diploma or its equivalent,

The EW must review the teen's CWES registration status, determining if the teen must register with CWES or is exempt.

Note: When a pregnant or parenting teen is 18 at the time of application, but turns 19 prior to aid being approved, the EW must review to determine how old the teen was on the beginning date of aid. If the teen was under 19 on the beginning date of aid, refer them to Cal-Learn. The teen will have the option of continuing in Cal-Learn as a volunteer.

Important: If it is discovered at a later date that a pregnant or parenting teen under the age of 19 should have been enrolled in the Cal-Learn program but was not, the EW must take immediate action to refer the teen to the Cal-Learn program.

Cal-Learn Bonuses

Cal-Learn bonuses may not be used to offset an existing overpayment. The EW must not include Cal-Learn bonuses in the calculation of an overpayment adjustment or Homeless Assistance (HA) payment.

Note: Retroactive payments for bonuses and/or supportive services are not considered income or property in the month received or the following month.

Applying the Penalty

When a "Cal-Learn Communication" (SCD 62) is received from the Cal-Learn case manager noting that a penalty must be applied, the CWES Cal-Learn Worker will take the following steps:

  1. Send a timely and adequate NOA to the caretaker relative payee, prior to applying the penalty.
  2. Apportion the penalty equally over the next two consecutive months following the timely NOA, except when the AU receives a grant of less than $10.00, no penalty is applied for that month. Example Example A teen parent's penalty of $100 is to start in July. The teen parent's AU is eligible for a grant of $8 in July. No penalty can be applied in July. In August the AU is eligible for $58. The EW applies the second apportioned $50 penalty and the AU receives a grant of $8 in August. No portion of the penalty for July is carried into September.
    1. When the grant amount, prior to the application of the penalty, is less than the amount of the apportioned penalty, the grant amount must be reduced to zero. No remainder of the apportioned penalty can be applied to subsequent months. Example Example An AU is eligible for a grant of $35 in August. The teen parent's apportioned penalty amount is $50. Since the grant amount is less than the apportioned penalty amount, the grant will be zero. In September, the AU is eligible for $75. The second apportioned penalty amount ($50) is applied and the AU is eligible for $25 in September. No remainder of the first month's apportioned penalty is applied to the second month's payment.
  3. Apply one apportioned penalty amount for each teen parent per month when there are multiple penalized teen parents in the AU. Example Example An AU contains two teen parents. They both fail to achieve adequate grades for the report card period ending in June. The CWES Cal-Learn Worker is notified on July 10th that each teen parent has a penalty. The CWES Cal-Learn Worker applies a $50 penalty for each teen parent (totaling $100) in both August and September.
  4. Apply overlapping penalties for individual teen parents consecutively. Example Example A teen parent fails to achieve adequate grades for the report card period ending in June. The Cal-Learn case manager is not aware of this situation until October 1st and on October 5th the CWES Cal-Learn Worker is notified that a penalty is due. On October 10th the CWES Cal-Learn Worker is notified that the same teen parent has a penalty for the report card period ending in September. The CWES Cal-Learn Worker applies a $50 penalty in November, December, January, and February.
  5. Apply the penalty to the AU in which the teen parent is a member at the time the penalty is applied. Example Example A teen parent moves out of her parent's home and establishes an AU of her own. The teen parent is discontinued from the mother's AU at the end of June and is eligible in her own AU effective July 1st. On July 10th the CWES Cal-Learn Worker receives notification of a penalty for the report card period ending June 30th. The CWES Cal-Learn Worker applies the penalty to the new AU in the months of August and September.   

Reminder: No retroactive penalties will be applied to a teen who failed to make adequate progress in school during the period they should have been enrolled in the Cal-Learn Program, since they were not properly notified nor paid supportive services.

Time Limits

Refer to the chart below to determine how a Cal-Learn teen’s time on aid is counted:

If the teen is aided as... Then the months on aid...
A child on their parent’s case, Do not count against the CalWORKs or TANF clock.
Head of Household on their own case, Count against the TANF clock, but do not count against the CalWORKs clock.

A teen parent that should have been participating in Cal-Learn, but was not, must have their time clocks adjusted, as appropriate.

Related Topics

Cal-Learn

Federal Eligibility and Case Management

Mandatory and Voluntary Participants