Enrollment into CalWORKs Stage 3 By Transfer from Another CalWORKs Agency

18424

(a) A family is transferred into Stage 3 from a county welfare department's Stage 1 program or another contractor's Stage 2 or Stage 3 program when the following information is obtained by the receiving contractor from the transferring agency:

(1) The parent's(s) full name(s), address(es), and telephone number(s);

(2) The names and birth dates of all children under the age of 18 years in the family, as defined in section 18078, regardless of whether they are served in the CalWORKs program;

(3) The number of hours of child care needed each day for each child;

(4) The reason for needing child care services, if applicable;

(5) Family size and adjusted monthly income, if the transferring contractor was assessing and collecting a family fee;

(6) Employment or training information for parent(s) including name and address of employer(s) or training institutions(s) and days and hours of employment or training;

(7) Rate of reimbursement;

(8) The name, address, and telephone number of the child care provider and the type of eligible provider, pursuant to section 18227; and

(9) The date of the last recertification, if applicable.

(b) The transfer process specified in subsection (a) is not required when a family is transferring from another CalWORKs Stage 2 or Stage 3 contract with the same contractor.

(c) Once the receiving contractor obtains the information contained in subsection (a) and determines that the information is complete, the receiving contractor shall:

(1) Assume responsibility for reimbursing the provider for the child care services provided effective the first of the month after the family has timed out of Stage 1 or Stage 2; and

(2) Send or otherwise provide written notification to the family of their enrollment in Stage 3.

(3) Such notification shall contain the following information:

(A) Any changes to their service agency and case manager contact information;

(B) The continuation of their current certified schedule; and, if applicable,

(C) The continuation of any family fee that was already being assessed and collected by the transferring agency.

(d) The contractor shall transfer families into Stage 3 as they time out without regard to prioritization until the notification from the California Department of Education pursuant to subsection (g) below is received.

(e) No other changes shall be made by the contractor to the family's certified schedule at the time of transfer.

(f) Pursuant to section 18425.3, a parent may voluntarily request changes at any time.

(g) If at any time during the fiscal year the contractor believes that accepting eligible families into Stage 3 as they time out would result in over enrollment, the contractor shall notify the California Department of Education.

(h) Notwithstanding chapter 19, section 18225, when a contractor is informed by the California Department of Education that all Stage 3 funds have been allocated for a given fiscal year and contracts shall no longer be augmented during that fiscal year, the contractor shall:

(1) Review the Stage 1 and 2 caseload designated to transfer into the contractor's Stage 3 contract each month for the remainder of the current fiscal year. The contractor shall determine if the current fiscal year Stage 3 funds available are sufficient to continue child care for all families that will time out of Stage 1 and 2 services each month of the current fiscal year.

(2) Continue to enroll families without regard to prioritization until the specific month that funding is insufficient to enroll all families that have timed out of Stage 1 and 2 the previous month.

(3) Upon determination that funding is insufficient to provide services to all families that will time out in a specific month, enroll families until all Stage 3 funds are fully utilized, with priority given to families with the lowest adjusted monthly income in relation to family size in accordance with the family fee schedule.

(4) Not establish a waiting list for CalWORKs Stage 3 of otherwise eligible families when there are insufficient funds pursuant to this section.

(i) Subsequently, if additional Stage 3 funding becomes available due to attrition, the families that have timed out in the month that funding becomes available shall be enrolled with priority given to families with the lowest adjusted monthly income in relation to family size in accordance with the family fee schedule.

(j) The contractor shall mail or personally deliver a completed notice of action to the parent(s) pursuant to section 18434 when services are to be terminated due to insufficient funds.

NOTE: Authority cited: Section 8263, Education Code. Reference: Sections 8350.5 and 8354, Education Code.