Registration with Employment Services for Students

Eligible children, 16 through 17 years of age, must be regularly attending high school or vocational/technical training or be registered with Employment Services, unless exempt. If enrolled in college, the child must be referred to Employment Services.

Children 18 years of age are eligible for CalWORKs only if:

• A full-time student, regularly attending, high school or the equivalent level of vocational or technical training, and
• Expected to complete the program (graduate) before reaching age 19 or if they meet the criteria for “Fry v. Saenz” Refer to CalWORKs Handbook page 13–2.

The school determines what constitutes regular attendance and which vocational/technical programs are equivalent to high school. This requirement may not be met by correspondence work.

Home Schooling

Home schooling is not an allowable WTW activity. While a parent maintains the right to home school his/her children, making this choice does not meet the basic intention of the WTW participation requirements. WTW is a comprehensive statewide employment program designed to enable participants to achieve self-sufficiency. Home schooling does not count towards WTW activity hours.

However, if the child is being home-schooled to avoid the teen’s enrollment into WTW, the statement from the parent is acceptable, as long as the parent also provides verification that an agreement has been entered into with the school district for this to occur. If the parent is unable to provide the supporting documentation, refer the parent in the AU to the CWES Social Work Unit.

Exemption Status

The 16 and 17, or 18 year-old is exempt from registration with CWES if that child is attending school on a full-time basis. If the EW is notified that the child is not attending school and is identified as a truant teen, the child must be registered in WTW and participate in a school compliance WTW plan. If the teen becomes non-compliant by not attending a WTW Orientation, a sanction must be imposed.

The 16 or 17-year old teens who lose this exemption and who are back in compliance with full-time school attendance may again receive the WTW school exemption without the requirement of being monitored in a WTW Plan.  The exemption is no longer restricted to a one-time exemption.  Students may subsequently become exempt, if they are in compliance with attending school full-time.  This exemption does not apply to teen parents enrolled in the Cal-Learn Program.

Teens who have graduated from high school, who are still on cash aid, but not attending a post-secondary program or not planning to attend a post-secondary program, are required to participate in WTW.

Teens who have graduated from high school and are attending a post-secondary program, or planning to attend a post-secondary program, are exempt from WTW.

Reminder: The EW is required to exempt or register these older teens by completing appropriate CalSAWS fields in student windows/tabs with appropriate information. 

Attendance

A student enrolled in a full-time high school program is considered attending on a full-time basis unless notification is received from the school district that the child is not regularly attending.