REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
December 5, 2023
FROM
GILBERT RAMOS, Director, Transitional Assistance Department
SUBJECT
Title
Addendum to California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids County Plan Allowing Welfare-to-Work Services to Non-Custodial Parents
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve and authorize submission of an addendum to the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids County Plan to the California Department of Social Services to include the provision to provide California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Welfare-to-Work services to non-custodial parents.
2. Authorize the Assistant Executive Officer as the County Welfare Director, as required by the California Department of Social Services, to execute and submit the addendum to the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids County Plan to the California Department of Social Services, and any non-substantive amendments on behalf of the County, subject to review by County Counsel.
3. Direct the Assistant Executive Officer, to transmit the addendum and any non-substantive amendments to the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids County Plan to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Gilbert Ramos, Director, 388-0245)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) 2023-24 allocation is estimated to be $134,300,000 and is 100% Federal and State funded. The allocated funding is included in the 2023-24 Human Services Administrative Claim budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Approval of the proposed addendum to the CalWORKs County Plan will allow the Transitional Assistance Department (TAD), in collaboration with the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS), to implement the Non-Custodial Parent (NCP) program.
The NCP program is an interdepartmental collaboration with DCSS to provide CalWORKs Welfare-to-Work (WTW) services to NCPs. An NCP is a parent of a minor child who does not reside in the same household as that child. DCSS will send referrals of eligible NCPs to TAD, and TAD will reach out to the NCPs and obtain all required forms and authorizations for the NCP program. To be eligible for CalWORKs WTW services, the NCP must have established legal parentage for a child who is receiving aid in a CalWORKs assistance unit or is ineligible for aid and living with a parent or caretaker receiving CalWORKs assistance and be living in the same state as that child. Once all necessary paperwork has been completed, NCPs will be eligible to start receiving CalWORKs WTW services through the NCP program.
On December 2, 1997 (Item No. 42), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the submission of the County’s CalWORKs County Plan to the California Department of Social Services (State). Assembly Bill (AB) 1542 (Chapter 270, Statutes of 1997) eliminated Aid to Families with Dependent Children (cash assistance) and the Greater Avenues for Independence (employment services) programs and replaced both with the CalWORKs program. AB 1542 required each county to submit a Board approved CalWORKs County Plan to the State. Each county’s CalWORKs County Plan provided that county’s goals, objectives, and programs to assist families achieve self-sufficiency while providing a safety net for children.
On December 19, 2006 (Item No. 54), the Board approved the submission of an addendum to the County CalWORKs County Plan to the State to improve the County’s Work Participation Rate (WPR) as required by the federal Transitional Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Reauthorization. The State required each county’s CalWORKs County Plan addendum to identify new strategies and/or policies the county would employ to improve the WPR to assist the State to avoid or reduce the potential for federal penalties. As such, this County’s CalWORKs County Plan addendum focused on those areas where changes in strategies or policies would increase efforts to engage WTW populations to move participants to self-sufficiency improving the WPR. Policies and strategies in the CalWORKs County Plan addendum included moving applicants to full WTW employment services engagement upon approval of their cash aid, implementing sanctions for WTW noncompliance (and re-engaging sanctioned individuals), and allowing partial WTW participation.
Previously, NCPs were not eligible to receive CalWORKs WTW services. Senate Bill (SB) 282 authorized counties to provide employment services to NCPs effective January 1, 2018. The State provided guidance for administering CalWORKs WTW services to NCPs in May 2019. Due to a 5.3% funding cut in 2017, TAD chose not to start serving NCPs in 2018. Funding is rebounding, and services to existing customers are normalizing post-pandemic. The opportunity now exists to implement the NCP program, which will enhance family well-being and promote self-sufficiency.
TAD services to NCPs will include participating in various CalWORKs WTW activities and receiving certain supportive services. Activities will include vocational education, job search, and subsidized employment. Supportive services will include transportation assistance, incentive payments, and ancillary materials, such as tools, clothes for job interviews, and books.
The State requires the addendum to the County’s CalWORKs County Plan be approved by the Board and executed by the County Welfare Director. In this County, the County Welfare Director is the Assistant Executive Officer over the Human Services departments. Upon approval by the Board, the addendum will be submitted to the State for approval, certification, and posting on the State site. Once the addendum has been posted on the State’s site, TAD will begin NCP program services.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on October 12, 2023; Child Support Services (Anthony Rubio, Administrative Manager, 478-7486) on November 17, 2023; County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 27, 2023; Finance (John Hallen, Administrative Analyst, 388-0208) on November 13, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on November 15, 2023.