Self-Initiated Program (SIP) Supportive Services
Child care, transportation, and work or training-related expenses can be paid, if needed, for the following:
- Approved SIP
- SNA who is completing his or her educational semester, quarter or 4-month period.
The county does not pay tuition or fees in the nature of tuition for SIPs or SNAs at any public or private school or training program. Fees in the nature of tuition are fees that are charged to all students.
Students enrolled through distance learning are eligible for supportive services, including child care while student is performing distance learning activities. As a guideline, for each semester unit, an hour of child care will be approved. For schools that do not offer units, child care will be paid based on reasonable amount of time required to attend class as established by the school’s criteria.
Start Date for Approved SIP
SIP approved PRIOR to April 7, 2008
Supportive services will be provided when the SIP is approved and the client signs the SIP “WTW Plan Activity Assignment” (WTW 2). Appropriate supportive services may be provided retroactive to the date the “Welfare-to-Work Plan Rights and Responsibilities” (WTW 1) was signed.
SIP approved as of April 7, 2008
Supportive services will be provided prior to the date of approval of SIP. However, reimbursements will only occur when the expense meets all of the following conditions:
- The expense was incurred after the beginning date of aid of the family’s cash benefit.
- It was necessary for participation during the academic period or term (semester or quarter) in which the SIP is approved.
- The expense was determined eligible under CWES regulations.
- The expense was an unreimbursed out-of-pocket cost.
Start Date for SNA
For clients who are participating in SNA, supportive services will begin from the date that he or she signs the SIP “WTW Plan Activity Assignment” (WTW 2), If appropriate, supportive services may be provided retroactive to the date the “Welfare-to-Work Plan Rights and Responsibilities” (WTW 1) was signed.
Students enrolled in SNA activities may also include online/distance learning in their curriculum.
Supportive Services Incurred Prior to SIP Approval
Effective April 7, 2008, clients can request supportive services prior to the approval of the SIP. However, reimbursement will only occur when the following conditions are met:
Costs Incurred after Beginning Date of Aid Prior to Signing WTW Plan
Reimbursement for supportive service expenses incurred after the CalWORKs beginning date of aid must be considered for clients participation in an approved SIP. Supportive services must NOT be paid when incurred prior to the beginning date of aid even if the expense was actually paid for after the beginning date of aid.
Child Care Services
Regardless of the period of time between the beginning date of aid and the day a recipient signs his or her WTW 2, a recipient in an approved SIP is eligible for retroactive payments of child care services for up to 30 days from the date the recipient requested child care services and services were provided.
Angela and her son applied for CalWORKs, and was approved on August 29, 2008. She began taking courses for a nursing program at a local college on September 2, 2008. She also began receiving and paying for child care services on September 2, 2008.
On October 10, 2008, Angela signed the WTW 2 approving the nursing program as a SIP. She also requested reimbursement for child care services on October 10, 2008. The expense for child care services must be reimbursed beginning September 10, 2008, 30 days prior to the date the services were requested. In this example, the child care services would be reimbursed for the period of 30 days from the date services were requested, which is the later of the date services were provided and the date services were requested.
Reimbursement for Costs Incurred for Current Academic Period or Term
CWES staff must only reimburse supportive service costs that were necessary for participation in the academic period or term (semester or quarter) in which the SIP is approved. Reimbursement must NOT be paid when a recipient pays for a supportive service cost after the beginning date of aid, but that cost is associated with an academic term that ended prior to the beginning date of aid or the term the SIP was approved.
Bianca and her daughter applied for CalWORKs, and was approved on January 9, 2009. She has been attending an education program with the next quarter beginning on January 19, 2009. She signs the WTW 2 as an approved SIP on February 26, 2009.
After signing her WTW plan, she requests reimbursement for books she purchased on January 15, 2009, which were required for the new quarter that began on January 19. She also requests reimbursement for transportation costs she paid to a friend on January 15, 2009, for her share of carpooling costs to get to school since her beginning date of aid of January 9, 2009. The books and transportation costs she incurred beginning on January 19, 2009, the date the new semester began, must be reimbursed. However, the transportation costs incurred between January 9, 2009, the beginning date of aid, through January 18, 2009, the day before the quarter began in which her SIP was approved, must NOT be paid.
Reimbursement for “Eligible” Supportive Service Expenses Necessary for Participation
Eligible supportive services are those that must have been necessary for participation in the educational program that was approved as a SIP, and the level of reimbursement must be consistent with CalWORKs supportive services regulations. Below are examples of eligible and ineligible supportive service costs.
- Pam, her husband Jim, and their son applied for CalWORKs, and were approved on October 15, 2008. Pam began participating in an educational program on September 2, 2008 that was approved as a SIP on October 15, 2008. The family paid for child care services for their son during this time even though Jim was able and available to care for the child and requests reimbursement for the child care expense beginning on October 1, 2008. Because Jim was able and available to care for the child, the cost of the child care services must NOT be reimbursed.
- Pam, in the example above, started taking the bus to school on September 2, 2008. She is eligible for a bus pass back to October 1, 2008, the beginning date of aid. If she had chosen to drive her car instead of taking the bus, and her roundtrip travel time by bus does not exceed two hours, she would only be eligible for a bus pass instead of mileage reimbursement.
- Pam purchased tools that were needed to fulfill the requirements of her educational program for the current term for $300 on October 2, 2008, and requested reimbursement for the cost when she signed her WTW plan on October 15, 2008. The tools are reimbursable. If it is determined that the tools necessary for participation could have been purchased for $250, then only $250 must be reimburse to the recipient.
Unreimbursed Out-of-Pocket Expenses
To be eligible for reimbursement, the supportive service cost must be an unreimbursed out-of-pocket expense.
Irene has been attending a nursing program since September 2, 2008. On January 7, 2009, she and her daughter were granted CalWORKs cash aid. And her nursing program was approved as a SIP on February 2, 2009. Irene caught rides to school free of charge until January 16, 2009, but had to drive her own car beginning on January 19, 2009. She requested mileage reimbursement from her home to school effective January 7, 2009, CalWORKs beginning date of aid. Transportation cost incurred between January 7, 2009 and January 16, 2009 must NOT be reimbursed, as there is no out-of-pocket expense. Reimbursement for transportation costs should be begin as of January 19, 2009.
Financial Aid
Supportive services cannot be denied based on receipt of financial aid. Clients can, however, choose to use some or all of their student financial aid to pay for the supportive services which CWES would otherwise pay. Refer to Student Financial Aid.
Reminder: The “Student Financial Aid Statement WTW Supportive Services” (WTW 8) form must be completed if the client is receiving Financial Aid.
Related Topics
Self-Initiated Program (SIP) Approvals
Self-Initiated Program (SIP) Documentation of Enrollment
Self-Initiated Program (SIP) Not Approved
Self-Initiated Program (SIP) Supportive Services
Self-Initiated Program (SIP) Academic & Participation Problems
Self-Initiated Program (SIP) Terminations