Cal Learn

The Cal Learn program was established to help CalWORKs teen parents become self-sufficient. To encourage these teen parents to stay in school, or to return to school, a case manager works with the teen parent, providing extensive supportive services. The Cal Learn program allows bonuses or penalties to the teen parent's AU, based upon the teen parent meeting the Cal Learn program requirements [EAS 42-762].

Cal Learn Program Requirements

[EAS 42-763]
The major requirements of the Cal Learn program are:

Each teen parent or pregnant teen is required to attend a full-time school program which leads to a high school diploma or its equivalent. The teen remains in the Cal Learn program until a high school diploma or its equivalent is earned or the age of 19 is reached.
- Note: This requirement is mandatory and enrollment in a vocational training program does not meet the Cal Learn requirements.
An AU with a teen parent may receive up to four $100 bonuses in a 12-month period, if the teen parent makes satisfactory progress.
The teen parent who receives a high school diploma or its equivalent within the month they turn 19-years old, or turns 20-years old for a “voluntary 19-year old participant,” will receive a $500 bonus.
- Note: Penalties and bonuses will not be applied until the teen has participated in Cal Learn for 90 calendar days.
An AU with a teen parent may be penalized for $100 up to four times in a 12-month period, if the teen parent fails to make adequate progress and does not have good cause.
Child care, transportation and ancillary expenses are provided to enable the teen parent to enroll in or continue school.
Intensive case management services are provided by the Cal Learn Case Manager.

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 him/her to Cal Learn. The teen will have the option of continuing in Cal Learn as a volunteer.

EW Action

The CalWORKs EW must take the following immediate action when they receive notification that a pregnant or parenting teen is in the AU or it is discovered a mandatory Cal Learn teen was not referred to the program.

Enter and verify the pregnancy or the date of birth

Enter and verify school enrollment status, and

Run exemption to register client to Cal Learn.

Referrals

The Cal Learn teen parent is referred to the Cal Learn service provider by the CWES Cal Learn Worker.

When it is discovered at a later date that a teen parent should have been referred to the Cal Learn program but was not, the EW must follow up with a phone call to the Cal Learn message line. The phone number for the Cal Learn message line is (408) 928-3562. When calling, the EW must provide the following information:

The teen’s name
The teen’s social security number, and
The date the teen should have been referred.

The Cal Learn case manager will review the case and determine if the Cal Learn teen was eligible for any retroactive bonuses and/or supportive services based upon the date the teen should have begun participating in the Cal Learn program.

Deferrals

A deferral may be determined by the Cal Learn case manager. It is the responsibility of the Cal Learn case manager to track the length of the deferral and to determine when participation in Cal Learn is to be resumed. A deferral may be granted if the teen parent:

Needs supportive services which are temporarily not available.
Cannot be provided case management services.
Has a special need which substantially limits the teen parent's ability to meet the program requirements and the special need can not be addressed.
Has been prescribed by a physician a period of time for postpartum recovery after the birth of a child.

Deferred Cal Learn teen parents are not eligible for Cal Learn supportive services, sanctions or bonuses. However, these teens may continue to receive case management services.

Exemptions

A teen parent may be exempt from Cal Learn only if that individual has:

A serious illness, injury or incapacity which prevents the teen parent from meeting the Cal Learn program requirements of enrolling in school and attending school full-time for a period of more than three months.
Is expelled from school and enrollment in any alternative school cannot be arranged.
Needs Cal Learn paid child care and/or transportation in order to meet the Cal Learn requirements and the service is not available for a period of three months or more.
Cannot receive payment for child care or transportation expenses due to a lack of program funds.
Is eligible for Foster Care and payment is being made on behalf of the individual.

The Cal Learn case manager is responsible for determining that a teen parent is exempt from the Cal Learn registration requirements. If this occurs, the Cal Learn case manager is responsible for:

Notifying the teen parent and caretaker relative payee when applicable,
Notifying the Cal Learn CWES Worker who will notify the EW to enter the exemption on-line,
Tracking the exemption and the continued exemption status.

Exempt Cal Learn teen parents are not eligible for Cal Learn supportive services, sanctions/bonuses, and case management services.

Enrollment and Attendance Requirement

Each Cal Learn teen parent must enroll and attend full-time (as defined by the school) a school program which leads to a high school diploma or its equivalent.

For purposes of the Cal Learn Program:

High school equivalency programs include, but are not limited to, preparation classes for the General Education Development (GED) examination and the California high school certificate of proficiency examination.
Participation in Job Corps may fulfill the Cal Learn requirements if the Job Corp activity is a full-time program that leads to a high school diploma or its equivalent.
Vocational programs must include a high school diploma or GED as a component of the training.
Teen parents who are enrolled in a program which has no full-time definition must participate in a minimum of 10 hours of school activity per week during each week that participation is required. If the program cannot provide a minimum of 10 hours per week of school activity, the AU must provide to the case manager, written verification from the school confirming this limitation.

The above enrollment and attendance determinations are made by the Cal Learn case manager.

Vocational Training

If a Cal Learn teen is enrolled in a Vocational Training program and making satisfactory progress at the time of the Cal Learn orientation, the teen may be allowed to continue in the program even though there is no high school diploma or GED component. The Cal Learn Case Manager will encourage concurrent GED enrollment.

The usage of Vocational Training (only) is to be used as little as possible and must be approved by the Cal Learn Case Manager on a case-by-case basis. The Cal Learn Case Manager completes the Cal Learn School Enrollment Verification form (SC 72) and forwards to the CWES Cal Learn Worker.

When a Cal Learn participant attends Vocational Training that does not have a high school diploma or GED component, the Cal Learn teen is:

Eligible to receive the necessary supportive services to attend the training
Not entitled to a bonus when satisfactory progress is met
Not penalized if satisfactory progress is not met
Not eligible to volunteer for Cal Learn after the age of 19.

Note: If a Cal Learn teen is enrolled in Vocational Training with a high school diploma or GED component, he/she must show progress in that component. If the Vocational Training has no high school diploma or equivalent component, the Cal Learn teen must meet attendance and progress requirements in the vocational training program or no supportive services will be authorized.

Participation Requirements

The Cal Learn pregnant or parenting teen must:

Participate in the Cal Learn program until the end of the month in which the teen parent turns age 19 (or 20 if the teen parent is a volunteer), or until either a high school diploma or its equivalent is earned.
Assist in the development of a case plan, including a report card submittal schedule.
Submit current quarter progress report cards/progress reports to their Cal Learn case manager within 10 working days from the date it is issued.

Break in Participation

When a teen parent has a break in aid of 90 days or more or is exempted from the Cal Learn program for 90 days or more, the following conditions must be met:

The teen parent must be re-referred to Cal Learn. That individual is then rescheduled for orientation and provided the program requirements.
The teen parent must again participate in the Cal Learn program for 90 days before being eligible for bonuses or penalties.

Example Example A teen parent is discontinued February 28th. He reapplies for CalWORKs and is determined eligible June 2nd. He has remained in school during the period of discontinuance. His report card for the school term ending June 30th indicates satisfactory progress. He is not eligible for a bonus as his break in aid was for more than 90 calendar days and he has not participated in Cal Learn for 90 calendar days after his CalWORKs was reestablished.

School Attendance

Even though a teen parent is determined to be exempt or deferred from the Cal Learn program, that individual still must attend school. The California Educational Code (CEC) Section 48200 provides that each person between the ages of 6 and 18 years of age, is subject to compulsory full-time education, unless exempt from school attendance.