Child Care Service Referral Process for Stage II

The County is responsible for managing the transition of clients from Stage I to Stage II for subsidized child care services. Clients are referred to an Alternative Payment Program (APP) contractor for child care services at bi-monthly transfer meetings.

Once a referral has been made to an APP agency, the Stage II contractor has six months to enroll the eligible family.

In Addition, a CalSAWS Child Care Portal was implemented that contains individual family data needed to assist APPs to enroll a family in Stage II Child care. Refer to Release 63 Notes for additional information. The APPs have read-only access to the CalSAWS pages and also receive a monthly CalSAWS report.

Exception: Families who no longer receive cash aid may pay a family fee unless they are participating in subsidized employment.

Transfers to the APPs

The following steps describe the transfer process from CWES to the APPs:

1. At bi-monthly Stage II transfer meetings, the Post-Aid Services (PAS) Unit EC refers the client to an APP agency by assignment of the “APP/ CWES Referral & Communication Form” (SCD 1776).
2. Upon notification of the assigned APP agency, the EC or CST mails the “CalWORKs Child Care Referral Notice” (SCD 1777) to the client. This notice informs the client that they have been referred for services and what to do to continue receiving childcare payment assistance.
3. When the APP agency approves enrollment for Stage II child care, they will notify the PAS Unit and indicate the first month of payment on the returned SCD 1776.  The APP agency picks up payment for childcare services upon the successful transition from Stage I to Stage II.
4. The EC sends the discontinuance NOA (NA 835) informing the client of the transfer to the APP. The 10-day rule does not apply if there is no interruption in the child care payment. The discontinuance date is the last day of the month immediately preceding the APP approval month.
   1. If the APP does NOT approve enrollment for Stage II Child Care off aid, they will indicate the reason for the denial on the SCD 1176, return the original, and retain a copy for their record. The EC sends a timely 10-day discontinuance NOA (NA 835) to the client.

Note: If there is no time to send a timely 10-day discontinuance NOA for the end of the current month, the CWES sends a discontinuance NOA (NA 835) for the end of the following month.

• If the APP does NOT approve child care and the client is on cash aid, follow instructions provided by the A9P Unit.

5. If the provider needed to be cleared by TrustLine and:
   1. TrustLine is cleared - calculate the 120 calendar days and complete the child care approval notice.
   2. TrustLine is denied - complete the NA 834 to deny child care for the days that exceed the 120 calendar day period.

WTW Sanctioned

Although WTW sanctioned individuals are not eligible for PAS, they are eligible for Stage II Child Care. The case carrying EC must contact the A9P representative to coordinate a direct referral to the APP. These cases are not to be transferred to the A9P unit.

Employed Off-aid

Case carrying ECs must transfer cases to the A9P Unit for Stage II screening when the client:

• Is discontinued from cash aid, and
• Is employed (part/full-time), and
• Needs child care assistance.

The designated EC in the A9P Unit screens the client for Stage II and refers the client to the APPs for Stage II child care services.

Educational/Vocational Training

The case carrying EC is responsible for initiating the referral process for clients who are in an educational/vocational training activity, who are within two months from the end of their 60-months CalWORKs time limit, and who are in need of child care services to continue their education/vocational training. The case carrying EC must:

• Complete the SCD 1776 online and email it to SCChild located in the SSA Global Outlook address,
• Retains the case and when cash aid is discontinued, closes the case per case closing procedures.

Upon receipt of the SCD 1776, the A9P Unit refers the client to the APPs and completes the transfer process.

These clients do not qualify for post-aid services or child care Stage I pending Stage II child care. When these clients are discontinued from cash aid and need child care to attend an educational/vocational program AFTER cash aid is discontinued and the case is in closed files, they must call the Stage II phone line. If the case is discontinued, but not yet closed, the case carrying EC will contact the Stage II designated staff person to request that a Direct Referral be made to an APP.

Note: Education/Training may include: Self-Initiated Programs (SIP), adult Education: GED, ESL, and vocational training.

Employed and On Cash Aid

The case carrying EC must initiate the referral process for clients who are employed and on cash-aid. The case carrying EC must:

• Complete the SCD 1776 online and emails it to SCChild located in the SSA Global Outlook address.
• Retain the case file.

Upon receipt of the SCD 1776, the A9P Unit refers the client to the APPs and completes the transfer process.

On Aid and No Longer Employed: APPs will continue to pay child care for on-aid clients when the client loses their employed status. Communication between CWES and APPs’ staff is essential. CWES staff must ensure the client is participating in an approved welfare-to-work activity, meeting the hours of participation, and that appropriate supportive services including child care are made available to the client. The APPs are responsible to continue the child care services to support participation in the assigned welfare-to-work activity(ies).

The process below is applicable when on-aid clients who were enrolled by the APPs into the Stage II child care program lose their employment status:

A. The APP:

• Contacts the EC to notify them that their client is no longer working by:
• Sending an email message to the EC and their supervisor.

Note: If the client is no longer on-aid, no further interaction with CWES staff is needed.

B. The EC:

• Contacts the client to assign to the next appropriate activity.
• Forwards a copy of the activity referral to the APP.

C. The APP:

• Continues child care Stage II services.
• Ensures child care services are provided to support the client’s welfare-to-work activity.

Note: If the EC determines the client is no longer working prior to receiving information from the APP, the EC must email the information to the APP.

Re-entry to the CWES Program

The APPs will continue to provide child care services when clients re-apply for cash aid and re-enter CWES while receiving Stage II child care.

If a client is receiving Stage II child care at the time of reapplication for cash aid and the client once again becomes a CWES client, the process below applies:

A. The CWES Intake:

• Reviews the client’s child care needs, during the CWES Orientation. If the client indicates on the “CWES Orientation Client Screener” (SCD 1722), they are receiving child care from one of the APPs, the EC informs the client that the APP will continue to assist them with their child care services needed in order to participate in their assigned welfare-to-work activity.
• Forwards a copy of the WTW 2 or activity referral to the APP.

B. The Designated Person:

• Produces a listing of all clients who completed the Appraisal Activity and forwards a copy to each of the APPs.

C. The APPs:

• Identifies clients on the listing who are receiving Stage II child care through their agency.
• Notifies the client’s EC that child care is being provided by the APP by:
  • Sending an e-email to the EC and their supervisor, and
  • Follow-up with written documentation on the APPs’ letter head and forward to CWES via the “Transfer Meetings.”

D. The EC:

• Stops Stage I child care, if the client failed to disclose their Stage II child care services during the Appraisal.
• Files the APPs notification in Imaging with the child care documentation.

E. The APPs:

• Continues to provide Stage II child care services to support the client’s welfare-to-work activity(ies).

Note: In the event client transfers back from Stage I to Stage II, client is to receive a new 12-month period in Stage II.