Child Care Service Screening for Stage II

A family must be screened for Stage II Child Care services when:

• The EC discovers that the CWES client has been discontinued from cash aid, or
• The client receives a notice of discontinuance or is discontinued from cash aid and calls the Child Care Information Telephone Line, or
• The client received a CalWORKs Diversion Payment in the previous 24-month period and calls the Child Care Information Telephone Line.

Note: Families must be screened for ANY Supportive Services they may be entitled to whenever their cash aid is discontinued.

Initial Payment

Payment can be made from the first day of the month in which the client calls the child care information line and is screened eligible for Stage II by the EC, provided that:

• Costs were incurred in that month,
• The family is not on cash aid, and
• Child care has not already been paid by another source.

Note: When an application is not returned within 30 days from the date that the EC mails out the application packet, the initial payment date will be the first of the month in which the application is received.

Note: Payment for TrustLine pending providers is limited to 120 calendar days from the date TrustLine is approved. Payment may not be authorized if the TrustLine is denied.

Stage II Retroactive Payments

Retroactive payments will not be made in Stage II. A family may lose out on payment for every month that goes by for which the family does not apply for help with child care costs after discontinuance from cash aid.

Example Example A family is discontinued from cash aid effective June 30. The 24-month period for Stage II child care begins July 1, and ends June 30 of the following year. If the family waits until September to request help with child care costs, the family would not be eligible for payment for July and August. If found eligible for Stage II, the beginning month of child care assistance would be no earlier than September if all eligibility requirements are met.

Screening Post-Aid Clients for Stage II Child Care

When the EC discovers that an employed CWES client is discontinued from cash aid, the ECs will:

1. Contact the client by telephone within 5 working days, to screen for Stage II by completing the “Cal- WORKs Stage II Screener” (SCD 957).
2. Review countable income and family size.
3. Document the negative action date in the Journal Detail page in CalSAWS.
4. Verify the child care provider information.
5. Determine that the family’s income does not exceed the 85 percent (%) of the State Median Income (SMI):
   1. If the family’s income is over 85% SMI, issue a NA 835 to discontinue child care.
   2. If the family’s income is at or below 85% SMI. continue the screening process.
6. The EC must send the “Confidential Application for Child Development Services and Certification of Eligibility” (CD 9600) to the client for their signature, along with any other necessary paperwork within 5 working days.
   1. The EC will use the “Child Care Checklist” (SCD 1775) to instruct the client regarding any action required.
   2. The client will be allowed 30 calendar days to complete and return the packet.

Screening the Child Care Telephone Line

Clients discontinued from cash aid who do not have an assigned EC, may call the Child Care Telephone Line at (408) 758-3500 to request help with child care costs.

Use the following procedures to process child care requests from the telephone line:

1. Messages will be retrieved from the child care telephone line by the designated person, on a daily basis and the information will be recorded on the log sheet.
2. If the client is assigned to an EC, the letter of Telephone Request Acknowledgment will be mailed to the client and a copy forwarded to the assigned EC. The assigned EC will conduct the appropriate follow-up.
   1. If the client is not assigned to an EC, continue with the next step.
3. The EC must call the client within three days to be screened for potential Stage II Child Care eligibility. If the client cannot be reached by telephone, the “Attempted to Contact” letter will be mailed for the client to respond within ten (10) working days.
   1. If the client does not respond to the letter after ten (10) working days, a denial NOA - NA 834 must be sent to the client by the EC.
4. Within five (5) working days of case assignment the EC must determine the income eligibility of the client (at or below the 85% SMI).
   1. If the client is income eligible, the Stage II Child Care application packet (CD 9600, SCD 1775 and any other necessary paperwork) must be mailed to the client within five (5) working days. The client will be given 30 calendar days to complete and submit the completed application along with all required verifications.
   2. If the client is NOT income eligible, issue the denial NOA NA 834.
5. If the application packet is received within the 30-day time frame, the designated Stage II EC will determine final Stage II eligibility.
   1. If the application packet is NOT received within the 30-day time frame, issue the denial NOA NA 834.

Processing the “Confidential Application for Child Development Services and Certification of Eligibility” (CD 9600)

Clients who are deemed income eligible for Stage II Child Care will be given 30 calendar days from the time the packet was mailed, to return the CD 9600, income verification, and all other supporting documentation needed to determine Stage II Child Care eligibility.

If an application packet is not returned within 30 calendar days, the denial NOA NA 834 will be issued. If the application is received AFTER the 30 calendar days, the application will be processed, however, the approval date will be the first of the month in which the returned application has been date stamped.

Follow the application process below:

Note: The “APP/CWES Referral & Communication Form” (SCD 1776) must be immediately completed online and emailed to SCChild located in the SSA Global Outlook address. Designated CWES staff with access to the Global email address will process the form and provide child care transfer follow-up information to the referring EC.

1. The application must be approved or denied within 30 calendar days from the date stamp on the application.
2. If the application is approved, issue “Child Care Approval” NOA NA 832. It must indicate the date the payment begins and the end of the 24 month eligibility period.
   1. Include the following statement in the Comments section: “Until your child care is approved or denied by the APP (Go Kids, Inc. or Choices for Children).
   2. If the application is NOT approved, issue NOA NA 834.
3. Child care must be correctly set-up and approved in CalSAWS. Continue making payments until the assigned APP approves or denies the referral.