Existing federal law provides for allocation of federal funds through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program to eligible states. Existing law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which, through a combination of state and county funds and federal funds received through the TANF program, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. Existing law provides for state-subsidized childcare programs and childcare for recipients of benefits under the CalWORKs program and establishes 3 stages of childcare services managed by county welfare departments and agencies contracting with the State Department of Social Services.

Existing law, the Child Care and Development Services Act, establishes a system of childcare and development services for children up to 13 years of age. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to contract with local contracting agencies for alternative payment programs for childcare services to be provided throughout the state.

This bill would specify that nothing prohibits an administrator of an alternative payment program or agency administering CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two programs, serving children, as specified, from utilizing funds for administrative and support services to provide families at risk of homelessness or escaping domestic abuse a referral pathway to secure stable childcare placement. The bill would also authorize the administrator to provide the services in coordination with, and not supplant, services provided by county human services agencies. The bill would also authorize the administrator to partner with specified agencies to provide those services.

Existing federal law provides for allocation of federal funds through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program to eligible states. Existing law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which, through a combination of state and county funds and federal funds received through the TANF program, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. Existing law provides for state-subsidized childcare programs and childcare for recipients of benefits under the CalWORKs program and establishes 3 stages of childcare services managed by county welfare departments and agencies contracting with the State Department of Social Services.

Existing law, the Child Care and Development Services Act, establishes a system of childcare and development services for children up to 13 years of age. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to contract with local contracting agencies for alternative payment programs for childcare services to be provided throughout the state.

This bill would specify that nothing prohibits an administrator of an alternative payment program or agency administering CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two programs, serving children, as specified, from utilizing funds for administrative and support services to provide families at risk of homelessness or escaping domestic abuse a referral pathway to secure stable childcare placement. The bill would also authorize the administrator to provide the services in coordination with, and not supplant, services provided by county human services agencies. The bill would also authorize the administrator to partner with specified agencies to provide those services.

Existing federal law provides for allocation of federal funds through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program to eligible states. Existing law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which, through a combination of state and county funds and federal funds received through the TANF program, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. Existing law provides for state-subsidized childcare programs and childcare for recipients of benefits under the CalWORKs program and establishes 3 stages of childcare services managed by county welfare departments and agencies contracting with the State Department of Social Services.

This bill would specify that nothing prohibits an administrator of a childcare program providing services during the first and 2nd stages of childcare from providing additional enhanced support and navigation services to those recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both. an alternative payment program or agency administering CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two programs, serving children, as specified, from utilizing funds for administrative and support services to provide families at risk of homelessness or escaping domestic abuse a referral pathway to secure stable childcare placement. The bill would also authorize the administrator of a childcare program to provide the services in coordination with, and not supplant, services provided by county human services agencies. The bill would also authorize the administrator to partner with specified agencies to provide those services.

Existing federal law provides for allocation of federal funds through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program to eligible states. Existing law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which, through a combination of state and county funds and federal funds received through the TANF program, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. Existing law provides for state-subsidized childcare programs and childcare for recipients of benefits under the CalWORKs program and establishes 3 stages of childcare services managed by county welfare departments and agencies contracting with the State Department of Social Services.

This bill would authorize specify that nothing prohibits an administrator of a childcare program providing services during the first and 2nd stages of childcare to provide from providing additional enhanced support and navigation services to those recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both. The bill would also authorize the administrator of a childcare program to partner with specified agencies to provide those services.

Existing federal law provides for allocation of federal funds through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program to eligible states. Existing law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which, through a combination of state and county funds and federal funds received through the TANF program, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. Existing law provides for state-subsidized childcare programs and childcare for recipients of benefits under the CalWORKs program and establishes 3 stages of childcare services managed by county welfare departments and agencies contracting with the State Department of Social Services.

This bill would authorize an administrator of a childcare program providing services during the first and 2nd stages of childcare to provide additional enhanced support and navigation services to those recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both. The bill would also authorize the administrator of a childcare program to partner with specified agencies to provide those services.

CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS

CSA1 Bill Id:AB 2343

Author:(Schiavo)

As Amended Ver:August 19, 2024

Majority vote

SUMMARY

Authorizes an alternative payment program or agency (APP) administering the California Work Opportunities and Responsibility to Kids program (CalWORKs) Stage One (C1AP) or Stage Two (C2AP) programs, serving children 0 to 12 years of age, inclusive, from utilizing funds for administrative and support services to provide families at risk of homelessness or escaping domestic abuse a referral pathway to secure stable childcare placement. Permits these services to be provided to the extent possible, in coordination with, and not supplanting, services provided by county human services agencies, and may be provided in partnership with homeless service agencies, domestic violence agencies, or other supportive housing.

Senate Amendments

1. Authorize APPs that administer C1AP or C2AP programs serving children 0 to 12 years of age to utilize funds for administrative and support services to provide families at risk of homelessness or escaping domestic abuse a referral pathway to secure stable childcare placement.
2. Specify that these services do not supplant existing services provided by county human services agencies.

COMMENTS

Background: CalWORKs implements the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program through a flexible block grant, which provides eligible low-income families with cash grants and supportive services aimed at increasing access to education, training, and employment opportunities. Participating families can access various services aimed at addressing mental health needs, substance use disorders, domestic violence, and learning disabilities, among other issues. Unless deemed exempt, parents are required to develop and participate in a Welfare-to-Work (WTW) plan. Approved WTW activities encompass subsidized and unsubsidized employment; community service; adult basic education; vocational education and training when education is needed for the recipient to become employed; and, other activities necessary to assist recipients in obtaining employment.

CalWORKs recipients have access to childcare services, including:

1. C1AP: Begins when a family starts receiving CalWORKs cash assistance, providing childcare for up to 12 months and can be extended for another 12 months if needed before the childcare end date. Childcare is available for children up to 12 years of age and up to 21 years of age for those with exceptional needs. County welfare departments (CWDs) or their contractors, local APP agencies, administer C1AP. Families move to C2AP once they no longer receive CalWORKs cash aid.
2. C2AP: A family moves to C2AP once a family is deemed stable by CWDs due to securing employment or when CalWORKs cash aid concludes and may remain in C2AP for an additional 24 months. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) contracts with APP agencies to administer C2AP.
3. Stage Three (C3AP): A family transitions to C3AP after having been off CalWORKs cash aid for 24 months, and may remain in C3AP until their children surpass the eligibility age or their income exceeds 85% of the state median income if funding is available. CDSS contracts with APP agencies to administer C3AP.

Navigation Services. Navigation services help individuals navigate complex systems by connecting them with available public benefits and resources they may be eligible for, such as food assistance, healthcare, housing support, childcare, and job training programs. Navigators provide personalized tailored assistance in completing applications accurately and efficiently, reducing the likelihood of errors or delays in the application process. They can also help gather required documentation and submit applications on behalf of applicants, making the process more accessible and less burdensome. In addition to individualized support, navigators also provide information about available support services and community resources, as well as offer crisis intervention and support to individuals facing urgent needs or emergencies, such as homelessness, domestic violence (DV), or both.

This bill clarifies an administrator of an APP administering C1AP or C2AP may use funds to provide families at risk of homelessness or escaping domestic abuse a referral pathway to secure stable childcare placement, as well as authorizes the administrator to partner with specified agencies to provide those services, and not supplant, services provided by county human services agencies.

According to the Author

"So many families in California lack adequate resources to locate care for their children while also seeking safety, housing, and financial stability. This bill will leverage federal dollars to meet people where they are and to enroll them in childcare programs that best suit their needs. This small change in the law will have a substantial impact on how services reach the children most in need in our communities."

Arguments in Support

The American Association of University Women of California writes, "[This bill] represents an invaluable opportunity to mitigate the adverse impacts of child poverty and domestic violence by extending essential support and navigation services to CalWORKs Stage One and Stage Two childcare program recipients experiencing homelessness, DV situations, or both. By collaborating with homeless service agencies, DV agencies, and supportive housing organizations, we can create a strong network of comprehensive support that addresses the multifaceted needs of these vulnerable individuals and their children."

Arguments in Opposition

No opposition on file.

FISCAL COMMENTS

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, the June 6, 2024, version of this bill would result in negligible state costs.

VOTES:

ASM HUMAN SERVICES: 6-0-1

YES: Lee, Essayli, Calderon, Gipson, Jackson, Ortega

ABS, ABST OR NV: Mathis

ASM APPROPRIATIONS: 15-0-0

YES: Wicks, Sanchez, Arambula, Bryan, Calderon, Wendy Carrillo, Dixon, Mike Fong, Grayson, Haney, Hart, Jim Patterson, Pellerin, Ta, Villapudua

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 71-0-9

YES: Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Alanis, Alvarez, Arambula, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Juan Carrillo, Wendy Carrillo, Chen, Connolly, Davies, Dixon, Essayli, Flora, Mike Fong, Vince Fong, Gallagher, Garcia, Gipson, Grayson, Haney, Hart, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Lackey, Lee, Low, Lowenthal, Maienschein, McCarty, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Stephanie Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Jim Patterson, Joe Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Rendon, Reyes, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Sanchez, Santiago, Schiavo, Soria, Ta, Ting, Valencia, Villapudua, Waldron, Wallis, Ward, Weber, Wicks, Wilson, Wood, Zbur, Robert Rivas

ABS, ABST OR NV: Calderon, Cervantes, Megan Dahle, Friedman, Gabriel, Holden, Mathis, Papan, Luz Rivas

SENATE FLOOR: 40-0-0

YES: Allen, Alvarado-Gil, Archuleta, Ashby, Atkins, Becker, Blakespear, Bradford, Caballero, Cortese, Dahle, Dodd, Durazo, Eggman, Glazer, Gonzalez, Grove, Hurtado, Jones, Laird, Limón, McGuire, Menjivar, Min, Newman, Nguyen, Niello, Ochoa Bogh, Padilla, Portantino, Roth, Rubio, Seyarto, Skinner, Smallwood-Cuevas, Stern, Umberg, Wahab, Wiener, Wilk

UPDATED

VERSION: August 19, 2024

CONSULTANT: Bri-Ann Hernández / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089 FN: 0004725

CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS

CSA1 Bill Id:AB 2343

Author:(Schiavo)

As Amended Ver:August 19, 2024

Majority vote

SUMMARY

Authorizes an alternative payment program or agency (APP) administering the California Work Opportunities and Responsibility to Kids program (CalWORKs) Stage One (C1AP) or Stage Two (C2AP) programs, serving children 0 to 12 years of age, inclusive, from utilizing funds for administrative and support services to provide families at risk of homelessness or escaping domestic abuse a referral pathway to secure stable childcare placement. Permits these services to be provided to the extent possible, in coordination with, and not supplanting, services provided by county human services agencies, and may be provided in partnership with homeless service agencies, domestic violence agencies, or other supportive housing.

Senate Amendments

1. Authorize APPs that administer C1AP or C2AP programs serving children 0 to 12 years of age to utilize funds for administrative and support services to provide families at risk of homelessness or escaping domestic abuse a referral pathway to secure stable childcare placement.
2. Specify that these services do not supplant existing services provided by county human services agencies.

COMMENTS

Background: CalWORKs implements the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program through a flexible block grant, which provides eligible low-income families with cash grants and supportive services aimed at increasing access to education, training, and employment opportunities. Participating families can access various services aimed at addressing mental health needs, substance use disorders, domestic violence, and learning disabilities, among other issues. Unless deemed exempt, parents are required to develop and participate in a Welfare-to-Work (WTW) plan. Approved WTW activities encompass subsidized and unsubsidized employment; community service; adult basic education; vocational education and training when education is needed for the recipient to become employed; and, other activities necessary to assist recipients in obtaining employment.

CalWORKs recipients have access to childcare services, including:

1. C1AP: Begins when a family starts receiving CalWORKs cash assistance, providing childcare for up to 12 months and can be extended for another 12 months if needed before the childcare end date. Childcare is available for children up to 12 years of age and up to 21 years of age for those with exceptional needs. County welfare departments (CWDs) or their contractors, local APP agencies, administer C1AP. Families move to C2AP once they no longer receive CalWORKs cash aid.
2. C2AP: A family moves to C2AP once a family is deemed stable by CWDs due to securing employment or when CalWORKs cash aid concludes and may remain in C2AP for an additional 24 months. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) contracts with APP agencies to administer C2AP.
3. Stage Three (C3AP): A family transitions to C3AP after having been off CalWORKs cash aid for 24 months, and may remain in C3AP until their children surpass the eligibility age or their income exceeds 85% of the state median income if funding is available. CDSS contracts with APP agencies to administer C3AP.

Navigation Services. Navigation services help individuals navigate complex systems by connecting them with available public benefits and resources they may be eligible for, such as food assistance, healthcare, housing support, childcare, and job training programs. Navigators provide personalized tailored assistance in completing applications accurately and efficiently, reducing the likelihood of errors or delays in the application process. They can also help gather required documentation and submit applications on behalf of applicants, making the process more accessible and less burdensome. In addition to individualized support, navigators also provide information about available support services and community resources, as well as offer crisis intervention and support to individuals facing urgent needs or emergencies, such as homelessness, domestic violence (DV), or both.

This bill clarifies an administrator of an APP administering C1AP or C2AP may use funds to provide families at risk of homelessness or escaping domestic abuse a referral pathway to secure stable childcare placement, as well as authorizes the administrator to partner with specified agencies to provide those services, and not supplant, services provided by county human services agencies.

According to the Author

"So many families in California lack adequate resources to locate care for their children while also seeking safety, housing, and financial stability. This bill will leverage federal dollars to meet people where they are and to enroll them in childcare programs that best suit their needs. This small change in the law will have a substantial impact on how services reach the children most in need in our communities."

Arguments in Support

The American Association of University Women of California writes, "[This bill] represents an invaluable opportunity to mitigate the adverse impacts of child poverty and domestic violence by extending essential support and navigation services to CalWORKs Stage One and Stage Two childcare program recipients experiencing homelessness, DV situations, or both. By collaborating with homeless service agencies, DV agencies, and supportive housing organizations, we can create a strong network of comprehensive support that addresses the multifaceted needs of these vulnerable individuals and their children."

Arguments in Opposition

No opposition on file.

FISCAL COMMENTS

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, the June 6, 2024, version of this bill would result in negligible state costs.

VOTES:

ASM HUMAN SERVICES: 6-0-1

YES: Lee, Essayli, Calderon, Gipson, Jackson, Ortega

ABS, ABST OR NV: Mathis

ASM APPROPRIATIONS: 15-0-0

YES: Wicks, Sanchez, Arambula, Bryan, Calderon, Wendy Carrillo, Dixon, Mike Fong, Grayson, Haney, Hart, Jim Patterson, Pellerin, Ta, Villapudua

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 71-0-9

YES: Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Alanis, Alvarez, Arambula, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Juan Carrillo, Wendy Carrillo, Chen, Connolly, Davies, Dixon, Essayli, Flora, Mike Fong, Vince Fong, Gallagher, Garcia, Gipson, Grayson, Haney, Hart, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Lackey, Lee, Low, Lowenthal, Maienschein, McCarty, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Stephanie Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Jim Patterson, Joe Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Rendon, Reyes, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Sanchez, Santiago, Schiavo, Soria, Ta, Ting, Valencia, Villapudua, Waldron, Wallis, Ward, Weber, Wicks, Wilson, Wood, Zbur, Robert Rivas

ABS, ABST OR NV: Calderon, Cervantes, Megan Dahle, Friedman, Gabriel, Holden, Mathis, Papan, Luz Rivas

UPDATED

VERSION: August 19, 2024

CONSULTANT: Bri-Ann Hernández / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089 FN: 0004725

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: AB 2343

Author: Schiavo (D)

Amended: 8/19/24 in Senate

Vote: 21

SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE: 5-0, 6/17/24

AYES: Alvarado-Gil, Ochoa Bogh, Blakespear, Hurtado, Menjivar

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 71-0, 5/21/24 (Consent) - See last page for vote

SUBJECT: CalWORKs: childcare programs

SOURCE: Child Care Resource Center

DIGEST:

This bill specifies that nothing shall prohibit an alternative payment program or an agency administering CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two child care programs from utilizing funds for administrative and support services to provide a referral pathway to secure stable child care placement for families at risk of homelessness or escaping domestic abuse. This bill authorizes the administrator to provide the services in coordination with, and not supplant, services provided by county human services agencies.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Defines “alternative payments” as payments that are made by one child care agency to another agency or childcare provider for the provision of child care and development services, and payments that are made by an agency to a parent for the parent’s purchase of child care and development services. (Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) 10213.5(a))
2. Defines “alternative payment program” as a local government agency or nonprofit organization that has contracted with the state Department of Social Services (CDSS), or a migrant alternative payment program, to provide alternative payments and to provide support services to parents and providers. Requires CDSS to contract with local contracting agencies for alternative payment programs so that services will be provided throughout the state, as specified. (WIC 10213.5(b); WIC 10225.5(b))
3. Establishes the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which provides block grants to states to develop and implement their own state welfare-to-work programs designed to provide cash assistance and other supports and services to low-income families. (42 United States Code 601 et seq.)
4. Establishes the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program to provide cash assistance and other social services for low-income families through the federal TANF program. Under CalWORKs, each county provides assistance through a combination of state, county, and federal TANF funds. (WIC 11200 et seq.)
5. Establishes three stages of child care services through which a CalWORKs aid recipient will pass. States the intent of the Legislature that families experience no break in their child care services due to a transition between the three stages of child care services. (WIC 10370(b))
6. Provides that paid child care shall be available to every CalWORKs program recipient with a dependent child in the household who needs paid child care if the child is 12 years of age or under, or requires child care or supervision due to a physical, mental, or developmental disability, as specified, or who is under court supervision. Provides that current CalWORKs recipients are eligible for all CalWORKs child care services as long as they continue to receive CalWORKs aid. (WIC 11323.2(a)(1)(A)); WIC 10370.5)
7. Requires a county welfare department to manage Stage One child care, which begins upon the entry of a person into the CalWORKs program. Requires a county to move recipients out of Stage One as quickly as possible after the county determines that the need for child care is stable. States a recipient may be served in Stage One for a maximum of six months, which may be extended if the county determines that the recipient’s situation is too unstable to be shifted to Stage Two, or if no funds are available to provide Stage Two child care. Provides that former CalWORKs recipients who cannot be transitioned from Stage One child care because no funded slot is available are eligible to receive Stage One and any subsequent Stage Two child care services for up to a total of 24 months after they leave cash aid, or until they are otherwise ineligible within that 24-month period. (WIC 10371(a-c))
8. Authorizes a county to contract with public or private child care providers to provide any or all Stage One child care services. (WIC 10371(e))

This bill:

1. Provides that nothing shall prohibit an alternative payment program or agency administering CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two child care programs from utilizing funds for administrative and support services to provide families at risk of homelessness or escaping domestic abuse with a referral pathway to secure stable child care placement.
2. Authorizes these services to be provided to the extent possible, in coordination with, and not supplanting, services provided by county human services agencies, and may be provided in partnership with homeless service agencies, domestic violence agencies, or other supportive housing.

Background

Homelessness in California. Since 2016, homelessness in the U.S. has been growing at an increasing rate. Homelessness has been correlated with a number of negative effects, including high rates of chronic disease and acute illness, mental health and substance use issues, greater exposure to violence, malnutrition, extreme weather, and criminal charges. The health, personal, and economic challenges faced by individuals and families experiencing chronic homelessness and the lack of effective, coordinated services to address these problems often lead to a cycle of housing instability and health deterioration. Persistent homelessness impedes access to needed health and employment services. Additionally, the conditions of homelessness often make it more difficult to exit homelessness by creating barriers to the resources necessary to obtain income through training, education, and employment.

Families with children are increasingly affected by California’s homelessness crisis. California experienced the largest increase in homeless families in the United States from 2018 to 2019, when the number of homeless families increased by 14.6 percent. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s point-in-time data on homelessness in California, there were 14,853 homeless families in California and 8,937 homeless children counted on one night in 2023. Given that the point-in-time data is a snapshot of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January and other limitations with how the point-in-time count is conducted, the total number of homeless families and children is likely higher.

The short- and long-terms effects of homelessness on children are well documented. Research shows housing instability and homelessness contribute to children experiencing higher rates of mental, emotional and behavioral impairments and interferes with their learning and ability to develop social relationships. Furthermore, experiences of homelessness can be particularly damaging for children, as impacts span from hunger and related physical, cognitive, and developmental issues to increases in stress, depression, emotional instability, and overall poor mental health. A 2017 report by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation under the federal Administration for Children and Families found that young children who have stayed in a shelter have a higher risk for developmental delays and higher rates of behavioral challenges when compared to national norms.

Domestic Violence. Domestic violence is abuse or threats of abuse when the person being abused and the abuser are or have been in an intimate relationship (married or domestic partners, dating or used to date, live or lived together, or have a child together). Domestic violence can also be when the abused person and the abuser are closely related by blood or by marriage.

According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, based on data from 2016–17, 41 percent of women in the United States reported experiencing sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and experienced an intimate partner violence-related impact during their lifetime. During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, incidents of domestic violence and subsequent calls to helplines increased as people had to stay home due to public health orders.

Domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness among unaccompanied women and women with children. According to a 2024 study of people experiencing homelessness in California, “Experiencing intimate partner violence places a person at risk of homelessness by disrupting agency, social and economic support, and creating an imminent need to flee housing in search of safety.” The study found that, in the six months prior to homelessness, 17 percent of cisgender women in the study had experienced intimate partner violence. In addition, the study found that survivors faced barriers to seeking help to prevent homelessness, including child care responsibilities preventing them from seeking in person services and not knowing about specialized domestic violence resources.

Alternative Payment Program Agencies. CDSS contracts with alternative payment program agencies to administer child care subsidy payments for families in all 58 counties. These agencies help families arrange child care services and make direct payments to the child care provider selected by the family. Under federal and state law, families are income eligible for subsidized child care if their household income is below 85% of the State Median Income, depending on family size.

Of the 73 APP agencies, 49 are nonprofit community-based organizations, 13 are county offices of education, nine are county welfare departments, one is a school district, and one is a city government. These programs receive state and federal funds to provide a variety of supports and payment services that enable eligible low-income families to access subsidized child care.

CalWORKs Child Care. The CalWORKs child care program provides subsidized child care for CalWORKs recipients. Eligibility for CalWORKs child care is based on the total income, size, and needs of families. CalWORKs recipients are eligible if they are employed or if they are participating in approved Welfare-to-Work activities. Child care subsidies are provided for children through the age of 12, or through the age of 21 for children with exceptional needs.

In order to establish initial eligibility for subsidized child care, a family cannot earn more than 85 percent of the state median income, as determined by the Department of Finance, which is $6,931 per month, as of as of June 19, 2023, for a family of three. Ongoing eligibility is also established at the 85 percent of state median income threshold. Families must also have a need for care, such as working or going to school.

Under CalWORKs child care, families are provided vouchers, which are used to obtain care in licensed child care centers, licensed family child care homes, or license-exempt settings. Families may choose the child care program and provider that best meets their needs. However, availability of child care providers, in almost all settings and for all age groups, is limited. This can make it difficult for working parents to find child care providers that meet the families’ needs and accept payment via subsidized vouchers. Upon choosing a provider, families must contact their county welfare department or local Alternative Payment Program agency to pay the child care provider directly for services on behalf of the family.

CalWORKs provides child care in three stages. Stage One is administered by the county welfare departments. Some county welfare departments contract with Alternative Payment Programs. Families may be served in Stage One from when they start receiving CalWORKs aid until the county determines that the family situation is stable. Stage Two is administered by CDSS through contracts with APPs. Stage Two serves CalWORKs recipients whose situation has stabilized, or families that are transitioning off CalWORKs assistance. Families leave Stage Two when they have been off cash aid for 24 months. Stage One and Stage Two are both considered entitlement programs, meaning anyone who is eligible and has a qualifying need shall receive services. Stage Three is administered by CDSS and provides services for former CalWORKs families after they have been off aid for 24 months. Families remain in Stage Three until the family’s income exceeds 85 percent of the state median income or until the children are over the eligibility age. Stage Three is dependent on the availability of funding, and is not an entitlement program.

CalWORKs Homeless Assistance. The CalWORKs Homeless Assistance program was established to help families in the CalWORKs program meet the costs of securing or maintaining permanent housing or to provide emergency shelter when a family is experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The program is an entitlement benefit available in all 58 counties. Assistance can be temporary or permanent. Eligible families may receive CalWORKs Housing Assistance benefits once every 12 months, with certain exceptions due to domestic abuse, illness, inhabitability of the home, or declared disaster. A CalWORKs Housing Assistance applicant who is a survivor of domestic abuse is eligible for expanded assistance of 32 days of temporary housing assistance.

Comments

This bill seeks to allow local program administrators to provide additional supports and services to CalWORKs Stage One and Stage Two child care recipients experiencing homelessness or domestic violence. Some local programs are already working on pilot projects to provide additional supports to this vulnerable population. This bill would reinforce this work in statute, as well as explicitly allow these services to be provided in partnership with other agencies, including homeless service agencies, domestic violence agencies, or supportive housing.

Related/Prior Legislation

AB 2277 (Reyes, Chapter 693, Statutes of 2022) required a county to waive a CalWORKs program requirement for a recipient who has been identified as a past or present survivor of domestic violence, when good cause exists.

SB 1083 (Skinner, Chapter 715, Statutes of 2022) made changes, among other things, to the CalWORKs Homeless Assistance program, including expanding the criteria to determine whether a family is considered homeless; requiring a county to provide a housing navigation caseworker who can assist with securing permanent housing, as specified; and clarifying how a pregnant applicant may verify their pregnancy.

AB 557 (Rubio, Chapter 691, Statutes of 2017) extended, among other things, the eligibility for CalWORKs Homeless Assistance benefits for survivors of domestic abuse.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No

According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee analysis, “No state costs.”

SUPPORT: (Verified 8/16/24)

Child Care Resource Center (source)

American Association of University Women - California
California Alliance of Caregivers
Children's Bureau of Southern California
Everychild California
First 5 Alameda County
Thriving Families California
Western Center on Law & Poverty
YMCA of San Diego County

OPPOSITION: (Verified 8/16/24)

None received

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 71-0, 5/21/24

AYES: Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Alanis, Alvarez, Arambula, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Juan Carrillo, Wendy Carrillo, Chen, Connolly, Davies, Dixon, Essayli, Flora, Mike Fong, Vince Fong, Gallagher, Garcia, Gipson, Grayson, Haney, Hart, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Lackey, Lee, Low, Lowenthal, Maienschein, McCarty, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Stephanie Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Jim Patterson, Joe Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Rendon, Reyes, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Sanchez, Santiago, Schiavo, Soria, Ta, Ting, Valencia, Villapudua, Waldron, Wallis, Ward, Weber, Wicks, Wilson, Wood, Zbur, Robert Rivas

NO VOTE RECORDED: Calderon, Cervantes, Megan Dahle, Friedman, Gabriel, Holden, Mathis, Papan, Luz Rivas

Prepared by: Diana Dominguez / HUMAN S. / (916) 651-1524

8/20/24 17:18:09

**** END ****

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: AB 2343

Author: Schiavo (D)

Amended: 6/6/24 in Senate

Vote: 21

SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE: 5-0, 6/17/24

AYES: Alvarado-Gil, Ochoa Bogh, Blakespear, Hurtado, Menjivar

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 71-0, 5/21/24 (Consent) - See last page for vote

SUBJECT: CalWORKs: childcare programs

SOURCE: Child Care Resource Center

DIGEST:

This bill specifies that nothing shall prohibit an administrator of a California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Stage One or Stage Two child care program from providing additional enhanced support and navigation services to recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both. This bill allows additional enhanced support and navigation services to be provided in partnership with homeless service agencies, domestic violence agencies, or supportive housing.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Establishes the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which provides block grants to states to develop and implement their own state welfare-to-work programs designed to provide cash assistance and other supports and services to low-income families. (Title 42 United States Code §601 et seq.)
2. Establishes the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program to provide cash assistance and other social services for low-income families through the federal TANF program. Under CalWORKs, each county provides assistance through a combination of state, county, and federal TANF funds. (Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) § 11200 et seq.)
3. Establishes three stages of child care services through which a CalWORKs aid recipient will pass. States the intent of the Legislature that families experience no break in their child care services due to a transition between the three stages of child care services. (WIC §10370(b))
4. Provides that paid child care shall be available to every CalWORKs program recipient with a dependent child in the household who needs paid child care if the child is 12 years of age or under, or requires child care or supervision due to a physical, mental, or developmental disability, as specified, or who is under court supervision. Provides that current CalWORKs recipients are eligible for all CalWORKs child care services as long as they continue to receive CalWORKs aid. (WIC §11323.2(a)(1)(A)); §10370.5)
5. Requires a county welfare department to manage Stage One child care, which begins upon the entry of a person into the CalWORKs program. Requires a county to move recipients out of Stage One as quickly as possible after the county determines that the need for child care is stable. States a recipient may be served in Stage One for a maximum of six months, which may be extended if the county determines that the recipient’s situation is too unstable to be shifted to Stage Two, or if no funds are available to provide Stage Two child care. Provides that former CalWORKs recipients who cannot be transitioned from Stage One child care because no funded slot is available are eligible to receive Stage One and any subsequent Stage Two child care services for up to a total of 24 months after they leave cash aid, or until they are otherwise ineligible within that 24-month period, pursuant to 6) above. (WIC §10371(a-c))
6. Authorizes a county to contract with public or private child care providers to provide any or all Stage One child care services. (WIC §10371(e))

This bill:

1. Provides that nothing shall prohibit an administrator of a child care program providing child care services to CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two recipients from providing additional enhanced support and navigation services to recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both.
2. Allows these services to be provided in partnership with homeless service agencies, domestic violence agencies, or other supportive housing.

Background

1. Purpose of the Bill. According to the author, “So many families in California lack adequate resources to locate care for their children while also seeking safety, housing, and financial stability. This bill will leverage Federal dollars to meet people where they are at and to enroll them in the child care programs that best suits their needs. This small change in the law will have a substantial impact on how services reach the children most in need in our communities.”
2. Homelessness in California. Since 2016, homelessness in the U.S. has been growing at an increasing rate. Homelessness has been correlated with a number of negative effects, including high rates of chronic disease and acute illness, mental health and substance use issues, greater exposure to violence, malnutrition, extreme weather, and criminal charges. The health, personal, and economic challenges faced by individuals and families experiencing chronic homelessness and the lack of effective, coordinated services to address these problems often lead to a cycle of housing instability and health deterioration. Persistent homelessness impedes access to needed health and employment services. Additionally, the conditions of homelessness often make it more difficult to exit homelessness by creating barriers to the resources necessary to obtain income through training, education, and employment.

Families with children are increasingly affected by California’s homelessness crisis. California experienced the largest increase in homeless families in the United States from 2018 to 2019, when the number of homeless families increased by 14.6 percent. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s point-in-time data on homelessness in California, there were 14,853 homeless families in California and 8,937 homeless children counted on one night in 2023. Given that the point-in-time data is a snapshot of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January and other limitations with how the point-in-time count is conducted, the total number of homeless families and children is likely higher.

The short- and long-terms effects of homelessness on children are well documented. Research shows housing instability and homelessness contribute to children experiencing higher rates of mental, emotional and behavioral impairments and interferes with their learning and ability to develop social relationships. Furthermore, experiences of homelessness can be particularly damaging for children, as impacts span from hunger and related physical, cognitive, and developmental issues to increases in stress, depression, emotional instability, and overall poor mental health. A 2017 report by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation under the federal Administration for Children and Families found that young children who have stayed in a shelter have a higher risk for developmental delays and higher rates of behavioral challenges when compared to national norms.

1. Domestic Violence. Domestic violence is abuse or threats of abuse when the person being abused and the abuser are or have been in an intimate relationship (married or domestic partners, dating or used to date, live or lived together, or have a child together). Domestic violence can also be when the abused person and the abuser are closely related by blood or by marriage.

According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, based on data from 2016–17, 41 percent of women in the United States reported experiencing sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and experienced an intimate partner violence-related impact during their lifetime. During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, incidents of domestic violence and subsequent calls to helplines increased as people had to stay home due to public health orders.

Domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness among unaccompanied women and women with children. According to a 2024 study of people experiencing homelessness in California, “Experiencing intimate partner violence places a person at risk of homelessness by disrupting agency, social and economic support, and creating an imminent need to flee housing in search of safety.” The study found that, in the six months prior to homelessness, 17 percent of cisgender women in the study had experienced intimate partner violence. In addition, the study found that survivors faced barriers to seeking help to prevent homelessness, including child care responsibilities preventing them from seeking in person services and not knowing about specialized domestic violence resources.

1. California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs). CalWORKs, the state’s largest anti-poverty program, provides temporary cash assistance to help low-income families meet their basic needs, such as rent, clothing, utility bills, food, and other items needed to ensure children are cared for at home and safely remain with their families. In addition to cash assistance, adult CalWORKs recipients are provided education and employment and training services designed to help remove barriers to work and promote self-sufficiency. These services are typically outlined in a Welfare-to-Work plan. CalWORKs program rules include time limits on eligibility, work requirements, and supportive services, including subsidized childcare, to encourage program participation.

The CalWORKs program is funded through a combination of federal TANF funding and state and county funds. CDSS is the designated state agency responsible for program supervision at the state level, and counties are responsible for administering the program at the local level. According to CDSS, the projected CalWORKs caseload for the 2023–24 fiscal year is 348,621, a 5.3 percent change from the prior fiscal year.

1. CalWORKs Child Care. The CalWORKs child care program provides subsidized child care for CalWORKs recipients. Eligibility for CalWORKs child care is based on the total income, size, and needs of families. CalWORKs recipients are eligible if they are employed or if they are participating in approved Welfare-to-Work activities. Child care subsidies are provided for children through the age of 12, or through the age of 21 for children with exceptional needs.

In order to establish initial eligibility for subsidized child care, a family cannot earn more than 85 percent of the state median income, as determined by the Department of Finance, which is $6,931 per month, as of as of June 19, 2023, for a family of three. Ongoing eligibility is also established at the 85 percent of state median income threshold. Families must also have a need for care, such as working or going to school.

Under CalWORKs child care, families are provided vouchers, which are used to obtain care in licensed child care centers, licensed family child care homes, or license-exempt settings. Families may choose the child care program and provider that best meets their needs. However, availability of child care providers, in almost all settings and for all age groups, is limited. This can make it difficult for working parents to find child care providers that meet the families’ needs and accept payment via subsidized vouchers. Upon choosing a provider, families must contact their county welfare department or local Alternative Payment Program agency (APP) to pay the child care provider directly for services on behalf of the family.

CalWORKs provides child care in three stages. Stage One is administered by the county welfare departments. Some county welfare departments contract with APPs. Families may be served in Stage One from when they start receiving CalWORKs aid until the county determines that the family situation is stable. Stage Two is administered by CDSS through contracts with APPs. Stage Two serves CalWORKs recipients whose situation has stabilized, or families that are transitioning off CalWORKs assistance. Families leave Stage Two when they have been off cash aid for 24 months. Stage One and Stage Two are both considered entitlement programs, meaning anyone who is eligible and has a qualifying need shall receive services. Stage Three is administered by CDSS and provides services for former CalWORKs families after they have been off aid for 24 months. Families remain in Stage Three until the family’s income exceeds 85 percent of the state median income or until the children are over the eligibility age. Stage Three is dependent on the availability of funding, and is not an entitlement program.

This bill allows an administrator of a CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two program to offer enhanced support and navigation services to recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both.

1. CalWORKs Homeless Assistance. The CalWORKs Homeless Assistance program was established to help families in the CalWORKs program meet the costs of securing or maintaining permanent housing or to provide emergency shelter when a family is experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The program is an entitlement benefit available in all 58 counties. Assistance can be temporary or permanent. Eligible families may receive CalWORKs Housing Assistance benefits once every 12 months, with certain exceptions due to domestic abuse, illness, inhabitability of the home, or declared disaster. A CalWORKs Housing Assistance applicant who is a survivor of domestic abuse is eligible for expanded assistance of 32 days of temporary housing assistance.

This bill allows an administrator of a CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two program to offer enhanced support and navigation to recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both, which could presumably ensure that families already enrolled in CalWORKs child care gain access to CalWORKs Homeless Assistance.

1. Navigation Services. Navigation or navigator services are a component of many social service programs, including the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program and the Bringing Families Home Program, both administered by CDSS. While not singularly defined in statute or regulations, navigation services assist families by connecting them with referrals, resources, or services, such as for child care or housing assistance. Navigation is typically more hands-on than casework, as navigators typically consider a family’s specific needs and may coordinate with authorized staff at other supportive service agencies to secure the family’s access to programs.

Several counties have implemented navigation services pilots. BANANAS, a child care child care Resource and Referral and Alternative Payment Program agency in Alameda County, administers a local pilot to provide support and navigation to individuals experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both by providing child care vouchers and navigation support. Similarly, the YMCA of San Diego provides case management, navigation, and child care vouchers for transition-age-youth experiencing homelessness.

This bill allows an administrator of a CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two child care program to provide additional enhanced support and navigation services to recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both. In doing so, this bill codifies administrators’ ability to provide these services, and explicitly allow administrators to provide these services in partnership with other supportive service agencies.

Comments

This bill seeks to allow local program administrators to provide additional supports and services to CalWORKs Stage One and Stage Two child care recipients experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, or both. Some local programs are already working on pilot projects to provide additional supports to this vulnerable population. This bill reinforces this work in statute, as well as explicitly allow these services to be provided in partnership with other agencies, including homeless service agencies, domestic violence agencies, or supportive housing.

“Enhanced support and navigation services” is not defined in this bill, nor do these terms have an established meaning in statute or regulations. The author may wish to consider defining this term or enumerating a non-exhaustive list of services that may be included to provide additional guidance without being too prescriptive.

Related/Prior Legislation

AB 2277 (Reyes, Chapter 693, Statutes of 2022) required a county to waive a CalWORKs program requirement for a recipient who has been identified as a past or present survivor of domestic violence, when good cause exists.

SB 1083 (Skinner, Chapter 715, Statutes of 2022) Made changes, among other things, to the CalWORKs Homeless Assistance program, including expanding the criteria to determine whether a family is considered homeless; requiring a county to provide a housing navigation caseworker who can assist with securing permanent housing, as specified; and clarifying how a pregnant applicant may verify their pregnancy.

AB 557 (Rubio, Chapter 691, Statutes of 2017) extended, among other things, eligibility for CalWORKs Homeless Assistance benefits for survivors of domestic abuse.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No

SUPPORT: (Verified 7/1/24)

Child Care Resource Center (source)

American Association of University Women - California
California Alliance of Caregivers
Children's Bureau of Southern California
Everychild California
First 5 Alameda County
Thriving Families California
Western Center on Law & Poverty
YMCA of San Diego County

OPPOSITION: (Verified 7/1/24)

None received

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 71-0, 5/21/24

AYES: Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Alanis, Alvarez, Arambula, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Juan Carrillo, Wendy Carrillo, Chen, Connolly, Davies, Dixon, Essayli, Flora, Mike Fong, Vince Fong, Gallagher, Garcia, Gipson, Grayson, Haney, Hart, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Lackey, Lee, Low, Lowenthal, Maienschein, McCarty, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Stephanie Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Jim Patterson, Joe Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Rendon, Reyes, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Sanchez, Santiago, Schiavo, Soria, Ta, Ting, Valencia, Villapudua, Waldron, Wallis, Ward, Weber, Wicks, Wilson, Wood, Zbur, Robert Rivas

NO VOTE RECORDED: Calderon, Cervantes, Megan Dahle, Friedman, Gabriel, Holden, Mathis, Papan, Luz Rivas

Prepared by: Diana Dominguez / HUMAN S. / (916) 651-1524

7/31/24 15:30:46

**** END ****

 CONSENT  

Bill No: AB 2343

Author: Schiavo (D)

Amended: 6/6/24 in Senate

Vote: 21

SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE: 5-0, 6/17/24

AYES: Alvarado-Gil, Ochoa Bogh, Blakespear, Hurtado, Menjivar

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 71-0, 5/21/24 (Consent) - See last page for vote

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8

SUBJECT: CalWORKs: childcare programs

SOURCE: Child Care Resource Center

DIGEST:

This bill specifies that nothing shall prohibit an administrator of a California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Stage One or Stage Two child care program from providing additional enhanced support and navigation services to recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both. This bill allows additional enhanced support and navigation services to be provided in partnership with homeless service agencies, domestic violence agencies, or supportive housing.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Establishes the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which provides block grants to states to develop and implement their own state welfare-to-work programs designed to provide cash assistance and other supports and services to low-income families. (Title 42 United States Code §601 et seq.)
2. Establishes the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program to provide cash assistance and other social services for low-income families through the federal TANF program. Under CalWORKs, each county provides assistance through a combination of state, county, and federal TANF funds. (Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) § 11200 et seq.)
3. Establishes three stages of child care services through which a CalWORKs aid recipient will pass. States the intent of the Legislature that families experience no break in their child care services due to a transition between the three stages of child care services. (WIC §10370(b))
4. Provides that paid child care shall be available to every CalWORKs program recipient with a dependent child in the household who needs paid child care if the child is 12 years of age or under, or requires child care or supervision due to a physical, mental, or developmental disability, as specified, or who is under court supervision. Provides that current CalWORKs recipients are eligible for all CalWORKs child care services as long as they continue to receive CalWORKs aid. (WIC §11323.2(a)(1)(A)); §10370.5)
5. Requires a county welfare department to manage Stage One child care, which begins upon the entry of a person into the CalWORKs program. Requires a county to move recipients out of Stage One as quickly as possible after the county determines that the need for child care is stable. States a recipient may be served in Stage One for a maximum of six months, which may be extended if the county determines that the recipient’s situation is too unstable to be shifted to Stage Two, or if no funds are available to provide Stage Two child care. Provides that former CalWORKs recipients who cannot be transitioned from Stage One child care because no funded slot is available are eligible to receive Stage One and any subsequent Stage Two child care services for up to a total of 24 months after they leave cash aid, or until they are otherwise ineligible within that 24-month period, pursuant to 6) above. (WIC §10371(a-c))
6. Authorizes a county to contract with public or private child care providers to provide any or all Stage One child care services. (WIC §10371(e))

This bill:

1. Provides that nothing shall prohibit an administrator of a child care program providing child care services to CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two recipients from providing additional enhanced support and navigation services to recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both.
2. Allows these services to be provided in partnership with homeless service agencies, domestic violence agencies, or other supportive housing.

Background

1. Purpose of the Bill. According to the author, “So many families in California lack adequate resources to locate care for their children while also seeking safety, housing, and financial stability. This bill will leverage Federal dollars to meet people where they are at and to enroll them in the child care programs that best suits their needs. This small change in the law will have a substantial impact on how services reach the children most in need in our communities.”
2. Homelessness in California. Since 2016, homelessness in the U.S. has been growing at an increasing rate. Homelessness has been correlated with a number of negative effects, including high rates of chronic disease and acute illness, mental health and substance use issues, greater exposure to violence, malnutrition, extreme weather, and criminal charges. The health, personal, and economic challenges faced by individuals and families experiencing chronic homelessness and the lack of effective, coordinated services to address these problems often lead to a cycle of housing instability and health deterioration. Persistent homelessness impedes access to needed health and employment services. Additionally, the conditions of homelessness often make it more difficult to exit homelessness by creating barriers to the resources necessary to obtain income through training, education, and employment.

Families with children are increasingly affected by California’s homelessness crisis. California experienced the largest increase in homeless families in the United States from 2018 to 2019, when the number of homeless families increased by 14.6 percent. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s point-in-time data on homelessness in California, there were 14,853 homeless families in California and 8,937 homeless children counted on one night in 2023. Given that the point-in-time data is a snapshot of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January and other limitations with how the point-in-time count is conducted, the total number of homeless families and children is likely higher.

The short- and long-terms effects of homelessness on children are well documented. Research shows housing instability and homelessness contribute to children experiencing higher rates of mental, emotional and behavioral impairments and interferes with their learning and ability to develop social relationships. Furthermore, experiences of homelessness can be particularly damaging for children, as impacts span from hunger and related physical, cognitive, and developmental issues to increases in stress, depression, emotional instability, and overall poor mental health. A 2017 report by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation under the federal Administration for Children and Families found that young children who have stayed in a shelter have a higher risk for developmental delays and higher rates of behavioral challenges when compared to national norms.

1. Domestic Violence. Domestic violence is abuse or threats of abuse when the person being abused and the abuser are or have been in an intimate relationship (married or domestic partners, dating or used to date, live or lived together, or have a child together). Domestic violence can also be when the abused person and the abuser are closely related by blood or by marriage.

According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, based on data from 2016–17, 41 percent of women in the United States reported experiencing sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and experienced an intimate partner violence-related impact during their lifetime. During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, incidents of domestic violence and subsequent calls to helplines increased as people had to stay home due to public health orders.

Domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness among unaccompanied women and women with children. According to a 2024 study of people experiencing homelessness in California, “Experiencing intimate partner violence places a person at risk of homelessness by disrupting agency, social and economic support, and creating an imminent need to flee housing in search of safety.” The study found that, in the six months prior to homelessness, 17 percent of cisgender women in the study had experienced intimate partner violence. In addition, the study found that survivors faced barriers to seeking help to prevent homelessness, including child care responsibilities preventing them from seeking in person services and not knowing about specialized domestic violence resources.

1. California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs). CalWORKs, the state’s largest anti-poverty program, provides temporary cash assistance to help low-income families meet their basic needs, such as rent, clothing, utility bills, food, and other items needed to ensure children are cared for at home and safely remain with their families. In addition to cash assistance, adult CalWORKs recipients are provided education and employment and training services designed to help remove barriers to work and promote self-sufficiency. These services are typically outlined in a Welfare-to-Work plan. CalWORKs program rules include time limits on eligibility, work requirements, and supportive services, including subsidized childcare, to encourage program participation.

The CalWORKs program is funded through a combination of federal TANF funding and state and county funds. CDSS is the designated state agency responsible for program supervision at the state level, and counties are responsible for administering the program at the local level. According to CDSS, the projected CalWORKs caseload for the 2023–24 fiscal year is 348,621, a 5.3 percent change from the prior fiscal year.

1. CalWORKs Child Care. The CalWORKs child care program provides subsidized child care for CalWORKs recipients. Eligibility for CalWORKs child care is based on the total income, size, and needs of families. CalWORKs recipients are eligible if they are employed or if they are participating in approved Welfare-to-Work activities. Child care subsidies are provided for children through the age of 12, or through the age of 21 for children with exceptional needs.

In order to establish initial eligibility for subsidized child care, a family cannot earn more than 85 percent of the state median income, as determined by the Department of Finance, which is $6,931 per month, as of as of June 19, 2023, for a family of three. Ongoing eligibility is also established at the 85 percent of state median income threshold. Families must also have a need for care, such as working or going to school.

Under CalWORKs child care, families are provided vouchers, which are used to obtain care in licensed child care centers, licensed family child care homes, or license-exempt settings. Families may choose the child care program and provider that best meets their needs. However, availability of child care providers, in almost all settings and for all age groups, is limited. This can make it difficult for working parents to find child care providers that meet the families’ needs and accept payment via subsidized vouchers. Upon choosing a provider, families must contact their county welfare department or local Alternative Payment Program agency (APP) to pay the child care provider directly for services on behalf of the family.

CalWORKs provides child care in three stages. Stage One is administered by the county welfare departments. Some county welfare departments contract with APPs. Families may be served in Stage One from when they start receiving CalWORKs aid until the county determines that the family situation is stable. Stage Two is administered by CDSS through contracts with APPs. Stage Two serves CalWORKs recipients whose situation has stabilized, or families that are transitioning off CalWORKs assistance. Families leave Stage Two when they have been off cash aid for 24 months. Stage One and Stage Two are both considered entitlement programs, meaning anyone who is eligible and has a qualifying need shall receive services. Stage Three is administered by CDSS and provides services for former CalWORKs families after they have been off aid for 24 months. Families remain in Stage Three until the family’s income exceeds 85 percent of the state median income or until the children are over the eligibility age. Stage Three is dependent on the availability of funding, and is not an entitlement program.

This bill allows an administrator of a CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two program to offer enhanced support and navigation services to recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both.

1. CalWORKs Homeless Assistance. The CalWORKs Homeless Assistance program was established to help families in the CalWORKs program meet the costs of securing or maintaining permanent housing or to provide emergency shelter when a family is experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The program is an entitlement benefit available in all 58 counties. Assistance can be temporary or permanent. Eligible families may receive CalWORKs Housing Assistance benefits once every 12 months, with certain exceptions due to domestic abuse, illness, inhabitability of the home, or declared disaster. A CalWORKs Housing Assistance applicant who is a survivor of domestic abuse is eligible for expanded assistance of 32 days of temporary housing assistance.

This bill allows an administrator of a CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two program to offer enhanced support and navigation to recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both, which could presumably ensure that families already enrolled in CalWORKs child care gain access to CalWORKs Homeless Assistance.

1. Navigation Services. Navigation or navigator services are a component of many social service programs, including the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program and the Bringing Families Home Program, both administered by CDSS. While not singularly defined in statute or regulations, navigation services assist families by connecting them with referrals, resources, or services, such as for child care or housing assistance. Navigation is typically more hands-on than casework, as navigators typically consider a family’s specific needs and may coordinate with authorized staff at other supportive service agencies to secure the family’s access to programs.

Several counties have implemented navigation services pilots. BANANAS, a child care child care Resource and Referral and Alternative Payment Program agency in Alameda County, administers a local pilot to provide support and navigation to individuals experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both by providing child care vouchers and navigation support. Similarly, the YMCA of San Diego provides case management, navigation, and child care vouchers for transition-age-youth experiencing homelessness.

This bill allows an administrator of a CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two child care program to provide additional enhanced support and navigation services to recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both. In doing so, this bill codifies administrators’ ability to provide these services, and explicitly allow administrators to provide these services in partnership with other supportive service agencies.

Comments

This bill seeks to allow local program administrators to provide additional supports and services to CalWORKs Stage One and Stage Two child care recipients experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, or both. Some local programs are already working on pilot projects to provide additional supports to this vulnerable population. This bill reinforces this work in statute, as well as explicitly allow these services to be provided in partnership with other agencies, including homeless service agencies, domestic violence agencies, or supportive housing.

“Enhanced support and navigation services” is not defined in this bill, nor do these terms have an established meaning in statute or regulations. The author may wish to consider defining this term or enumerating a non-exhaustive list of services that may be included to provide additional guidance without being too prescriptive.

Related/Prior Legislation

AB 2277 (Reyes, Chapter 693, Statutes of 2022) required a county to waive a CalWORKs program requirement for a recipient who has been identified as a past or present survivor of domestic violence, when good cause exists.

SB 1083 (Skinner, Chapter 715, Statutes of 2022) Made changes, among other things, to the CalWORKs Homeless Assistance program, including expanding the criteria to determine whether a family is considered homeless; requiring a county to provide a housing navigation caseworker who can assist with securing permanent housing, as specified; and clarifying how a pregnant applicant may verify their pregnancy.

AB 557 (Rubio, Chapter 691, Statutes of 2017) extended, among other things, eligibility for CalWORKs Homeless Assistance benefits for survivors of domestic abuse.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No

SUPPORT: (Verified 7/1/24)

Child Care Resource Center (source)

American Association of University Women - California
California Alliance of Caregivers
Children's Bureau of Southern California
Everychild California
First 5 Alameda County
Thriving Families California
Western Center on Law & Poverty
YMCA of San Diego County

OPPOSITION: (Verified 7/1/24)

None received

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 71-0, 5/21/24

AYES: Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Alanis, Alvarez, Arambula, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Juan Carrillo, Wendy Carrillo, Chen, Connolly, Davies, Dixon, Essayli, Flora, Mike Fong, Vince Fong, Gallagher, Garcia, Gipson, Grayson, Haney, Hart, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Lackey, Lee, Low, Lowenthal, Maienschein, McCarty, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Stephanie Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Jim Patterson, Joe Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Rendon, Reyes, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Sanchez, Santiago, Schiavo, Soria, Ta, Ting, Valencia, Villapudua, Waldron, Wallis, Ward, Weber, Wicks, Wilson, Wood, Zbur, Robert Rivas

NO VOTE RECORDED: Calderon, Cervantes, Megan Dahle, Friedman, Gabriel, Holden, Mathis, Papan, Luz Rivas

Prepared by: Diana Dominguez / HUMAN S. / (916) 651-1524

7/2/24 9:32:01

**** END ****

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES

Senator Alvarado-Gil, Chair

2023 - 2024 Regular

Subject: CalWORKs: childcare programs

SUMMARY

This bill specifies that nothing shall prohibit an administrator of a California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Stage One or Stage Two child care program from providing additional enhanced support and navigation services to recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both. This bill allows additional enhanced support and navigation services to be provided in partnership with homeless service agencies, domestic violence agencies, or supportive housing.

ABSTRACT

Existing Law:

1. Establishes the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which provides block grants to states to develop and implement their own state welfare-to-work programs designed to provide cash assistance and other supports and services to low-income families. (42 United States Code 601 et seq.)
2. Establishes the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program to provide cash assistance and other social services for low-income families through the federal TANF program. Under CalWORKs, each county provides assistance through a combination of state, county, and federal TANF funds. (WIC 11200 et seq.)
3. Establishes three stages of child care services through which a CalWORKs aid recipient will pass. States the intent of the Legislature that families experience no break in their child care services due to a transition between the three stages of child care services. (WIC 10370(b))
4. Provides that paid child care shall be available to every CalWORKs program recipient with a dependent child in the household who needs paid child care if the child is 12 years of age or under, or requires child care or supervision due to a physical, mental, or developmental disability, as specified, or who is under court supervision. Provides that current CalWORKs recipients are eligible for all CalWORKs child care services as long as they continue to receive CalWORKs aid. (WIC 11323.2(a)(1)(A)); WIC 10370.5)
5. Requires a county welfare department to manage Stage One child care, which begins upon the entry of a person into the CalWORKs program. Requires a county to move recipients out of Stage One as quickly as possible after the county determines that the need for child care is stable. States a recipient may be served in Stage One for a maximum of six months, which may be extended if the county determines that the recipient’s situation is too unstable to be shifted to Stage Two, or if no funds are available to provide Stage Two child care. Provides that former CalWORKs recipients who cannot be transitioned from Stage One child care because no funded slot is available are eligible to receive Stage One and any subsequent Stage Two child care services for up to a total of 24 months after they leave cash aid, or until they are otherwise ineligible within that 24-month period, pursuant to 6) above. (WIC 10371(a-c))
6. Authorizes a county to contract with public or private child care providers to provide any or all Stage One child care services. (WIC 10371(e))

This Bill:

1. Provides that nothing shall prohibit an administrator of a child care program providing child care services to CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two recipients from providing additional enhanced support and navigation services to recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both.
2. Allows these services to be provided in partnership with homeless service agencies, domestic violence agencies, or other supportive housing.

FISCAL IMPACT

According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee analysis, “No state costs.”

BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION

Purpose of the Bill:

According to the author, “So many families in California lack adequate resources to locate care for their children while also seeking safety, housing, and financial stability. This bill will leverage Federal dollars to meet people where they are at and to enroll them in the child care programs that best suits their needs. This small change in the law will have a substantial impact on how services reach the children most in need in our communities.”

Homelessness in California

Since 2016, homelessness in the U.S. has been growing at an increasing rate. Homelessness has been correlated with a number of negative effects, including high rates of chronic disease and acute illness, mental health and substance use issues, greater exposure to violence, malnutrition, extreme weather, and criminal charges. The health, personal, and economic challenges faced by individuals and families experiencing chronic homelessness and the lack of effective, coordinated services to address these problems often lead to a cycle of housing instability and health deterioration. Persistent homelessness impedes access to needed health and employment services. Additionally, the conditions of homelessness often make it more difficult to exit homelessness by creating barriers to the resources necessary to obtain income through training, education, and employment.

Families with children are increasingly affected by California’s homelessness crisis. California experienced the largest increase in homeless families in the United States from 2018 to 2019, when the number of homeless families increased by 14.6 percent. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s point-in-time data on homelessness in California, there were 14,853 homeless families in California and 8,937 homeless children counted on one night in 2023.^[1] Given that the point-in-time data is a snapshot of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January and other limitations with how the point-in-time count is conducted, the total number of homeless families and children is likely higher.

The short- and long-terms effects of homelessness on children are well documented. Research shows housing instability and homelessness contribute to children experiencing higher rates of mental, emotional and behavioral impairments and interferes with their learning and ability to develop social relationships. Furthermore, experiences of homelessness can be particularly damaging for children, as impacts span from hunger and related physical, cognitive, and developmental issues to increases in stress, depression, emotional instability, and overall poor mental health. A 2017 report by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation under the federal Administration for Children and Families found that young children who have stayed in a shelter have a higher risk for developmental delays and higher rates of behavioral challenges when compared to national norms.^[2]

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is abuse or threats of abuse when the person being abused and the abuser are or have been in an intimate relationship (married or domestic partners, dating or used to date, live or lived together, or have a child together). Domestic violence can also be when the abused person and the abuser are closely related by blood or by marriage.

According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey^[3], based on data from 2016–17, 41 percent of women in the United States reported experiencing sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and experienced an intimate partner violence-related impact during their lifetime. During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, incidents of domestic violence and subsequent calls to helplines increased as people had to stay home due to public health orders.

Domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness among unaccompanied women and women with children. According to a 2024 study of people experiencing homelessness in California^[4], “Experiencing intimate partner violence places a person at risk of homelessness by disrupting agency, social and economic support, and creating an imminent need to flee housing in search of safety.” The study found that, in the six months prior to homelessness, 17 percent of cisgender women in the study had experienced intimate partner violence. In addition, the study found that survivors faced barriers to seeking help to prevent homelessness, including child care responsibilities preventing them from seeking in person services and not knowing about specialized domestic violence resources.

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs)

CalWORKs, the state’s largest anti-poverty program, provides temporary cash assistance to help low-income families meet their basic needs, such as rent, clothing, utility bills, food, and other items needed to ensure children are cared for at home and safely remain with their families. In addition to cash assistance, adult CalWORKs recipients are provided education and employment and training services designed to help remove barriers to work and promote self-sufficiency. These services are typically outlined in a Welfare-to-Work plan. CalWORKs program rules include time limits on eligibility, work requirements, and supportive services, including subsidized childcare, to encourage program participation.

The CalWORKs program is funded through a combination of federal TANF funding and state and county funds. CDSS is the designated state agency responsible for program supervision at the state level, and counties are responsible for administering the program at the local level. According to CDSS^[5], the projected CalWORKs caseload for the 2023–24 fiscal year is 348,621, a 5.3 percent change from the prior fiscal year.

CalWORKs Child Care

The CalWORKs child care program provides subsidized child care for CalWORKs recipients. Eligibility for CalWORKs child care is based on the total income, size, and needs of families. CalWORKs recipients are eligible if they are employed or if they are participating in approved Welfare-to-Work activities. Child care subsidies are provided for children through the age of 12, or through the age of 21 for children with exceptional needs.

In order to establish initial eligibility for subsidized child care, a family cannot earn more than 85 percent of the state median income, as determined by the Department of Finance, which is $6,931 per month, as of as of June 19, 2023, for a family of three^[6]. Ongoing eligibility is also established at the 85 percent of state median income threshold. Families must also have a need for care, such as working or going to school.

Under CalWORKs child care, families are provided vouchers, which are used to obtain care in licensed child care centers, licensed family child care homes, or license-exempt settings. Families may choose the child care program and provider that best meets their needs. However, availability of child care providers, in almost all settings and for all age groups, is limited. This can make it difficult for working parents to find child care providers that meet the families’ needs and accept payment via subsidized vouchers. Upon choosing a provider, families must contact their county welfare department or local Alternative Payment Program agency (APP) to pay the child care provider directly for services on behalf of the family.

CalWORKs provides child care in three stages. Stage One is administered by the county welfare departments. Some county welfare departments contract with APPs. Families may be served in Stage One from when they start receiving CalWORKs aid until the county determines that the family situation is stable. Stage Two is administered by CDSS through contracts with APPs. Stage Two serves CalWORKs recipients whose situation has stabilized, or families that are transitioning off CalWORKs assistance. Families leave Stage Two when they have been off cash aid for 24 months. Stage One and Stage Two are both considered entitlement programs, meaning anyone who is eligible and has a qualifying need shall receive services. Stage Three is administered by CDSS and provides services for former CalWORKs families after they have been off aid for 24 months. Families remain in Stage Three until the family’s income exceeds 85 percent of the state median income or until the children are over the eligibility age. Stage Three is dependent on the availability of funding, and is not an entitlement program.

This bill would allow an administrator of a CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two program to offer enhanced support and navigation services to recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both.

CalWORKs Homeless Assistance

The CalWORKs Homeless Assistance program was established to help families in the CalWORKs program meet the costs of securing or maintaining permanent housing or to provide emergency shelter when a family is experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The program is an entitlement benefit available in all 58 counties. Assistance can be temporary or permanent. Eligible families may receive CalWORKs Housing Assistance benefits once every 12 months, with certain exceptions due to domestic abuse, illness, inhabitability of the home, or declared disaster. A CalWORKs Housing Assistance applicant who is a survivor of domestic abuse is eligible for expanded assistance of 32 days of temporary housing assistance.

This bill would allow an administrator of a CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two program to offer enhanced support and navigation to recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both, which could presumably ensure that families already enrolled in CalWORKs child care gain access to CalWORKs Homeless Assistance.

Navigation Services

Navigation or navigator services are a component of many social service programs, including the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program and the Bringing Families Home Program, both administered by CDSS. While not singularly defined in statute or regulations, navigation services assist families by connecting them with referrals, resources, or services, such as for child care or housing assistance. Navigation is typically more hands-on than casework, as navigators typically consider a family’s specific needs and may coordinate with authorized staff at other supportive service agencies to secure the family’s access to programs.

Several counties have implemented navigation services pilots. BANANAS, a child care child care Resource and Referral and Alternative Payment Program agency in Alameda County, administers a local pilot to provide support and navigation to individuals experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both by providing child care vouchers and navigation support. Similarly, the YMCA of San Diego provides case management, navigation, and child care vouchers for transition-age-youth experiencing homelessness.

This bill would allow an administrator of a CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two child care program to provide additional enhanced support and navigation services to recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both. In doing so, this bill would codify administrators’ ability to provide these services, and explicitly allow administrators to provide these services in partnership with other supportive service agencies.

Related/Prior Legislation:

AB 2277 (Reyes, Chapter 693, Statutes of 2022) required a county to waive a CalWORKs program requirement for a recipient who has been identified as a past or present survivor of domestic violence, when good cause exists.

SB 1083 (Skinner, Chapter 715, Statutes of 2022), among other things, made changes to the CalWORKs Homeless Assistance program, including expanding the criteria to determine whether a family is considered homeless; requiring a county to provide a housing navigation caseworker who can assist with securing permanent housing, as specified; and clarifying how a pregnant applicant may verify their pregnancy.

AB 557 (Rubio, Chapter 691, Statutes of 2017), among other things, extended eligibility for CalWORKs Homeless Assistance benefits for survivors of domestic abuse.

COMMENTS

This bill seeks to allow local program administrators to provide additional supports and services to CalWORKs Stage One and Stage Two child care recipients experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, or both. Some local programs are already working on pilot projects to provide additional supports to this vulnerable population. This bill would reinforce this work in statute, as well as explicitly allow these services to be provided in partnership with other agencies, including homeless service agencies, domestic violence agencies, or supportive housing.

“Enhanced support and navigation services” is not defined in the bill, nor do these terms have an established meaning in statute or regulations. The author may wish to consider defining this term or enumerating a non-exhaustive list of services that may be included to provide additional guidance without being too prescriptive.

PRIOR VOTES

POSITIONS

Support:

Child Care Resource Center (Sponsor)

American Association of University Women - California
California Alliance of Caregivers
Everychild California
Thriving Families California
Western Center on Law & Poverty

Oppose:

None

-- END --

1. https://files.hudexchange.info/reports/published/CoC_PopSub_State_CA_2023.pdf ↑

2. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/opre_homefam_brief3_hhs_children_02_24_2017_b508.pdf ↑

3. https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/NISVSReportonIPV_2022.pdf ↑

4. https://homelessness.ucsf.edu/sites/default/files/2024-01/IPV%20Report%202024.pdf ↑

5. https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Fiscal-and-Financial-Information/Local-Assistance-Estimates/2024-25/2024-25-May-Revision-Caseload-Packet.pdf ↑

6. https://cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Letters-and-Notices/CCBs/2023/CCB_23-16.pdf?ver=2023-06-23-093040-630 ↑

Date of Hearing: May 15, 2024

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Buffy Wicks, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2343

Author:(Schiavo) – As Introduced Ver:February 12, 2024

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No

SUMMARY:

This bill authorizes an agency administering a California Work Opportunity and Responsibility for Kids (CalWORKs) Stage 1 and Stage 2 childcare program to provide, as part of case management, additional support and navigation services to recipients experiencing homelessness or escaping domestic violence (DV). The bill authorizes these services to be provided in partnership with homeless service agencies, DV agencies, or other supportive housing.

FISCAL EFFECT:

No state costs.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. According to the author:

So many families in California lack adequate resources to locate care for their children while also seeking safety, housing, and financial stability. This bill will leverage federal dollars to meet people where they are and to enroll them in childcare programs that best suit their needs. This small change in the law will have a substantial impact on how services reach the children most in need in our communities.

1. Background. Navigation services help individuals navigate complex systems by connecting them with available public benefits and resources they may be eligible for, such as food assistance, healthcare, housing support, childcare, and job training programs. Navigators provide personalized tailored assistance in completing applications accurately and efficiently, reducing the likelihood of errors or delays in the application process. They can also help gather required documentation and submit applications on behalf of applicants, making the process more accessible and less burdensome. In addition to individualized support, navigators also provide information about available support services and community resources, as well as offer crisis intervention and support to individuals facing urgent needs or emergencies, such as homelessness or domestic violence.

This bill clarifies an administrator of a childcare program providing childcare services to participants receiving services through Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the CalWORKs program may refer families experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or both, to existing enhanced support and navigation services.

Analysis Prepared by: Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: April 23, 2024

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES

Alex Lee, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2343 (

Author:Schiavo) – As Introduced Ver:February 12, 2024

SUBJECT: CalWORKs: childcare programs

SUMMARY: Authorizes an administrator of the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility for Kids (CalWORKs) Stage One (C1AP) and Stage Two (C2AP) childcare program to provide additional support and navigation services to recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence (DV), or both, and authorizes these services to be provided in partnership with homeless service agencies, DV agencies, or other supportive housing.

EXISTING LAW:

State law:

1. Establishes the Child Care and Development Services Act to provide childcare and development services as part of a coordinated, comprehensive, and cost-effective system serving children from birth to 13 years old and their parents including a full range of supervision, health, and support services through full- and part-time programs. (Welfare and Institutions [WIC] § 10207 et seq.)
2. Establishes eligibility criteria for state subsidized child development services based on family and child circumstance, including, but not limited to, being a current aid recipient, income, homelessness, or if a child is or has been abused, neglected or exploited, as specified. (WIC § 10271)
3. Establishes the CalWORKs program to provide cash assistance and other social services for low-income families through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Under CalWORKs, each county provides assistance through a combination of state, county and federal TANF funds. (WIC § 11120 et seq.)
4. Establishes income, asset, and real property limits used to determine eligibility for the CalWORKs program, and CalWORKs grant amounts, based on family size and county of residence. (WIC §§ 11150-11160; 11450 et seq.)
5. Establishes that a family is eligible for homeless assistance if homelessness is a direct result of violence by a spouse, partner, or roommate; physical or mental illness, as specified; or the uninhabitability of the former residence caused by sudden and unusual circumstances beyond the control of the family, including natural catastrophe, fire, or condemnation. (WIC § 11450(f)(4)(E)(iii).
6. Defines a family to be considered homeless, for the purpose of eligibility for CalWORKs homeless assistance, when the family lacks a fixed and regular nighttime residence, among other criteria. Additionally defines a family to be considered homeless if the family has received a notice to pay rent or quit. (WIC § 11450(f)(3)(B))
7. Provides there is allowance for nonrecurring special needs benefit for homeless assistance available to a homeless family seeking shelter when the family is eligible. (WIC § 11450(f)(3)(i))
8. Makes a nonrecurring special needs benefit of $85 per day to families of up to four members for the costs of temporary shelter, and $15 per day for each additional family member, up to $145. Allows county human services agencies to increase the daily amount available for temporary shelter as necessary to secure the additional bed space needed by the family. (WIC § 11450(f)(4)(A)(i))
9. Requires the temporary shelter benefit to be granted or denied on the same day upon the family’s application for homeless assistance, and requires benefits to be available for a period of three working days, during which period the family provides a sworn statement that they are homeless. (WIC § 11450(f)(4)(A)(ii))
10. Requires the three-day temporary shelter assistance to be extended for a period of time that, when added to the initial benefits provided, does not exceed 16 calendar days. Requires this extension of benefits to be provided in increments of one week, and to be based upon: searching for permanent housing, which must be documented on a housing search form; good cause; or other circumstances defined by CDSS. (WIC § 11450(f)(4)(A)(iii))
11. Allows a county to waive the three-day limit and provide increments of more than one week for a family that becomes homeless as a direct and primary result of a state or federally-declared disaster. (WIC § 11450(f)(4)(A)(iv))
12. In the case of domestic abuse, provides for expanded homeless assistance benefits in the form of two 16-day periods of temporary shelter assistance within the applicant’s lifetime. Requires the second 16-day period of temporary shelter assistance to continue to be available when the applicant becomes a CalWORKs recipient during the first 16-day period. (WIC § 11450(f)(4)(I)(ii))
13. Defines, for purposes of referring to CalWORKs’ Family Violence Option, the term “abuse” to mean battering or subjecting a victim to extreme cruelty by physical acts that resulted in or threatened to result in physical injury; sexual abuse; sexual activity involving a child in the home; being forced to participate in nonconsensual sexual acts or activities; threats of, or attempts at, physical or sexual abuse; mental abuse; neglect or deprivation of medical care; or stalking. (WIC § 11495.12)
14. Authorizes a county to waive a CalWORKs program requirement for a recipient who has been identified as a past or present victim of abuse when it has been determined that good cause exists, as specified. (WIC § 11495.15)
15. Includes among the reasons for which a county may grant good cause that the applicant or recipient is a victim of DV if participation in work or other welfare-to-work (WTW) activities would be detrimental to, or unfairly penalize, the individual or their family, pursuant to the state option granted under federal TANF law. (WIC § 11320.3(f)(2))
16. Requires a CalWORKs applicant or recipient to cooperate with the county welfare department and local child support agency in establishing the paternity of their child and in establishing, modifying, or enforcing a support order with respect to that child, if the applicant or recipient does not qualify for a good cause exemption. Requires the county to provide a good cause exemption from this requirement when cooperation would increase the risk of abuse for the child or the child's parent or caretaker. (WIC § 11477.04)

Federal law:

1. Establishes the federal TANF program, which provides block grants to states to develop and implement their own state WTW programs designed to provide cash assistance and other supports and services to low-income families (42 United States Code [U.S.C.] § 601 et seq.)
2. Establishes an optional program for states, under federal TANF law, commonly known as the Family Violence Option, which requires states to establish standards and procedures to ensure that the state will screen for and identify individuals receiving TANF assistance with a history of DV, refer such individuals to counseling and supportive services, and waive, pursuant to a determination of good cause, program requirements for individuals receiving assistance in cases where compliance with such requirements would make it more difficult for individuals receiving assistance to escape domestic violence or unfairly penalize such individuals who are or have been victimized by such violence, or individuals who are at risk of further DV. (42 U.S.C. § 602(a)(7))

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown, this bill has not been analyzed by a fiscal committee.

COMMENTS:

Background: Subsidized Childcare. California’s subsidized childcare operates through an intricate system of programs serving children from infancy through 13 years of age. This system relies on a combination of federal and state funding and is administered through a mixed delivery system, including community-based providers, family childcare providers, and local educational agencies. Specifically, subsidized childcare is accessible through various center-based direct-contract childcare, including, but not limited to the General Child Care and Development program and the Family Childcare Home Education Networks.

Childcare is also accessible through voucher-based programs, including but not limited to:

• Alternative Payment Programs (APPs): APPs use federal and state funding to provide vouchers for eligible low-income families. APP agencies help families enrolled in CalWORKs childcare or APPs arrange childcare services and make payment for those services directly to the childcare provider selected by the family.
• Migrant Alternative Payment Program: Issues vouchers to eligible, migrant families that can be used to purchase childcare and development services with childcare providers throughout California’s Central Valley. This program provides services for children birth through 12 years of age, and for older children with exceptional needs. Funding for services follows families as they move from place to place for agricultural work.
• Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children (Bridge Program): The Bridge Program addresses childcare needs as a barrier for families otherwise willing to bring a child in the foster care system into their home, and for parenting youth in the foster care system. It provides time-limited vouchers for childcare and childcare navigator services. There is also trauma-informed care training and coaching component for childcare providers to enhance their ability to provide nurturing and safe environments for children. The Bridge Program is not an entitlement, instead, it is a time-limited “bridge” to long-term childcare solutions used at the time of placement to stabilize children in the best possible settings ensuring that caretakers have adequate support to balance their work and home lives.
• C1AP: Begins when a family starts receiving CalWORKs cash assistance, providing childcare for up to 12 months and can be extended for another 12 months if needed before the childcare end date. Childcare is available for children up to 12 years of age and up to 21 years of age for those with exceptional needs. County welfare departments (CWDs) or their contractors, local APP agencies, administer Stage One. Families move to Stage Two once they no longer receive CalWORKs cash aid.
• C2AP: A family moves to Stage Two once a family is deemed stable by CWDs due to securing employment or when CalWORKs cash aid concludes and may remain in Stage Two for an additional 24 months. CDSS contracts with APP agencies to administer Stage Two.
• CalWORKs Stage Three (C3AP): A family transitions to C3AP after having been off CalWORKs cash aid for 24 months, and may remain in C3AP until their children surpass the eligibility age or their income exceeds 85% of the state median income if funding is available. CDSS contracts with APP agencies to administer C3AP.

C1AP and C2AP services are an entitlement program that allow families to receive childcare services for 24 months, and if authorized, for longer than 24 months, while the duration of C3AP services depends on fund availability. California was providing funding to serve 124,410 slots for all three stages of CalWORKs in fiscal year 2022-23.

Domestic Violence in California. DV and intimate partner violence (IPV) are often used interchangeably to refer to abusive behaviors within intimate relationships; however, there are slight differences in how these terms are defined and used. DV is a broader term that encompasses abusive behaviors within various types of domestic relationships, including not only intimate partner relationships, but also familial relationships such as parent-child, sibling, or elder abuse. It can occur between individuals who are currently or were previously in domestic relationships, regardless of marital status, cohabitation, or sexual orientation. IPV specifically refers to abusive behaviors, including deprivation of financial resources and exertion of economic control, as well as sabotage of the survivor’s attempts to work or go to school, within romantic relationships, typically between spouses, dating partners, or cohabitating partners. All IPV is considered a form of DV, but not all DV falls strictly within IPV. The distinction between these terms is important for understanding the context and dynamics of abuse within different types of relationships.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 34.9% of California women and 31.1% of California men experience IPV in their lifetimes. The prevalence is even more alarming among transgender individuals, with approximately 54% experiencing IPV during their lifetimes nationwide. In a single day in 2019, 81% of California DV shelters served 5,644 adults and children, with 1,236 requests for services going unmet due to lack of resources. Additionally, DV homicides comprise 10.7% of all California homicides.

The onset of intimate partner violence occurs early, with 70% of women and girls and 55% of men and boys experiencing it for the first time by 24 years of age. The repercussions of IPV can be enduring. Young women who suffer from it are more likely to drop out of school compared to their non-abused peers. A study focusing on women in vocational training discovered that those subjected to psychological violence were five times more likely to abandon the program than their counterparts.

Research has indicated that, upon entering the workforce, abused women face wage disparities, earning one dollar less per hour than non-abused peers. Similarly, a Pennsylvania study revealed that DV survivors in the state earned 88 cents for every dollar earned by their non-abused counterparts. Predictably, abused women experience higher rates of physical and mental health disorders compared to non-abused women, resulting in healthcare costs that are 42% higher. These elevated healthcare costs persist even after leaving the abuser, with women who have been free from abuse for five years or longer still facing healthcare expenses that are 19% higher than their non-abused peers.

Homelessness in California. Over 173,000 individuals in California experience homelessness on any given night, based on the most recent annual point in time (PIT) count conducted in January 2022. This is largely considered an undercount of the actual number of people experiencing homelessness because it does not consider those who are couch-surfing or temporarily housed in non-traditional shelters. Of those individuals, over 115,000 are unsheltered, meaning they live on the streets, sleep in cars, camp in parks, or are otherwise staying in places not meant for human habitation. The causes and duration of homelessness are varied. Some individuals experiencing homelessness are chronically homeless, meaning they have experienced homelessness for at least a year, or repeatedly, while struggling with a disabling condition such as a serious mental illness, substance use disorder, or physical disability. Based on the 2022 PIT count, 60,905 people in the state are chronically homeless, and of those 45,132 are unsheltered.

The escalating homelessness crisis in California is disproportionately affecting families with children. California accounts for 14% of the total number of people in families experiencing homelessness in the United States (U.S.). The California Interagency Council on Homelessness, previously known as the California Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council, approximates that 25,483 individuals experiencing homelessness in California belong to families with children. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's PIT data on homelessness in California, there were 5,999 unsheltered homeless families and over 10,173 homeless children in California on a single night in 2023. California accounted for 49% of all unsheltered unaccompanied youth (6,934). However, considering the PIT data's limitations as a snapshot captured on a specific night in January and other constraints associated with its methodology, the actual count of homeless families and children is presumed to be higher.

DV is the leading cause of homelessness for women, according to the National Network to End Domestic Violence. On the organization’s 2019 National Violence Counts Day – a one-day unduplicated count of adults and children seeking DV services in the U.S. – 3,307 survivors of DV received emergency and transitional housing in California. Another 630 survivors requesting housing assistance were turned away that day in California due to a lack of resources.

Studies have shown that housing instability and experiencing homelessness can contribute to physical, cognitive, and developmental issues; higher rates of mental, emotional, and behavioral impairments; lowered academic achievement; increases in stress and depression; and, overall poor mental health. Research has also extensively documented the short- and long-term consequences of homelessness on children indicating that housing instability and homelessness significantly contribute to heightened rates of mental, emotional, and behavioral difficulties among children, impacting their learning capabilities and hindering the development of social relationships. Additionally, the effects of homelessness on children can be particularly detrimental, encompassing issues such as hunger and associated physical, cognitive, and developmental impairments, as well as heightened levels of stress, depression, emotional volatility, and overall diminished mental well-being. A 2017 report titled "Well-Being of Children after Experiencing Homelessness" highlighted that young children who have resided in shelters exhibit a greater risk of developmental delays and experience higher frequencies of behavioral challenges when compared to national benchmarks.

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility for Kids. The CalWORKs program, which implements the federal TANF program through a flexible block grant, provides eligible low-income families with cash grants and supportive services aimed at increasing access to education, training, and employment opportunities. Participating families can access various services aimed at addressing mental health needs, substance use disorders, DV, and learning disabilities, among other issues. Unless deemed exempt, parents are required to develop and participate in a WTW plan. Approved WTW activities encompass subsidized and unsubsidized employment; community service; adult basic education; vocational education and training when education is needed for the recipient to become employed; and, other activities necessary to assist recipients in obtaining employment.

Grant amounts are adjusted based on family size, income level, and region. However, according to the LAO, the average monthly cash grant was $962 across all family sizes and income levels in 2022-23. CDSS’ 2023 annual summary report states that 347,868 families received monthly CalWORKs benefits in 2022-23, which is 0.8% of California’s total population.

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility for Kids Domestic Violence Waivers. California has adopted the Family Violence Option in the federal TANF statute, allowing program requirements such as WTW requirements and time limits to be waived for survivors of DV under certain circumstances. Specifically, Section 42-715.51 of the CDSS Manual of Policies and Procedures (MPP) outlines which program requirements counties have the discretion to waive or uphold for a CalWORKs recipient identified as a survivor of past or ongoing domestic abuse, contingent upon the establishment of good cause. As per the MPP, counties are prohibited from waiving asset, income, homeless assistance, and deprivation criteria, while they have the discretion to waive time limits, work, education, child support requirements, and paternity establishment. Additionally, the MPP requires counties to formulate criteria for waiving requirements and stipulates that counties may determine the duration of WTW and time limit waivers, ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations. Under existing law, a county is authorized to waive CalWORKs program requirements for a recipient identified as a survivor of domestic abuse, but it is not required. This means counties decide the criteria to determine who has good cause for not participating in work activities and how childcare will be administered. Instances that could qualify as valid grounds for waiving CalWORKs program requirements for survivors of domestic abuse include, but are not limited to:

• The individual is escaping the abuser and currently resides in temporary housing or is experiencing homelessness;
• The individual has sought refuge in a shelter;
• Concerns about the safety and well-being of their children are vital;
• The individual has initiated legal action, such as obtaining a restraining order or filing for divorce, against the abuser; and,
• Both the individual and/or their children are undergoing counseling to address the repercussions of the abuse.

CDSS publishes monthly reports that include disaggregated data on the number of CalWORKs families who are enrolled in mandatory WTW employment-preparation activities. Included in those data are enrollees who have been exempted from WTW requirements, including due to a DV waiver. In September 2023 (the most recent month with 10 counties not reporting) 726 families (not including two-parent families) were granted a waiver of program rules due to domestic abuse. From those data, 40 counties reported granting zero waivers during the month of September, with Los Angeles County granting the majority of waivers (651). There is no data for the number of families that applied for a waiver but did not receive a waiver. Without such data, it is difficult to ascertain if there are counties that regularly opt not to grant waivers.

While state law safeguards the confidentiality of disclosing domestic abuse for CalWORKs applicants and recipients, numerous survivors may still refrain from reporting their abuse, often due to fear of retaliation from their abuser. Failure to report abuse that prevents their compliance with CalWORKs requirements can significantly affect their access to necessary services and assistance. Noncompliance with requirements or failure to engage in WTW activities without a waiver may lead to sanctions, resulting in the termination of aid to the household and exacerbating instability for the family. For many eligible survivors, CalWORKs benefits and services offer a crucial lifeline, enabling families to avoid the choice between enduring an abusive situation and facing homelessness.

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility for Kids Homeless Assistance (HA) Program. The HA Program was established to help CalWORKs families meet the costs of securing or maintaining permanent housing or obtaining emergency shelter when experiencing homelessness. The program is an entitlement benefit available in all 58 counties, which offers temporary or permanent homeless assistance, or both. Both temporary and permanent homeless assistance payments are limited to once every 12 months with the exceptions of homelessness due to DV, uninhabitability of the former residence caused by sudden or unusual circumstances, or a medically verified physical or mental illness.

• Temporary Shelter Assistance offers payments of $85 per day for families of four or fewer members, with an additional $15 per day for each additional family member, up to a maximum of $145 per day. This assistance is provided for a duration of up to 16 days while families actively seek permanent housing. Previously, HA required these 16 days to be used consecutively, with benefits deemed exhausted even if not all days were utilized. However, SB 80 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review), Chapter 27, Statutes of 2019, effective October 1, 2020, repealed this consecutive day requirement, allowing families greater flexibility in their use of temporary HA benefits. Families eligible for CalWORKs or apparently eligible for CalWORKs no longer need to use their 16 days consecutively, and benefits remain available until all 16 days are issued, homelessness is resolved, or 12 months have passed from the first HA payment date.
• Permanent Housing Assistance assists families in obtaining or maintaining housing by covering security deposit expenses, including the last month's rent, or by addressing rent arrears to prevent eviction, with a maximum coverage of up to two months of overdue rent. Monthly rent payments must not surpass 80% of the total monthly household income. Effective January 1, 2020, families are no longer obligated to rent from individuals or entities with a history of renting, and they may instead lease from any party with whom they hold a valid lease, sublease, or shared housing agreement.

In accordance with AB 557 (Rubio), Chapter 691, Statutes of 2017, eligibility for CalWORKs HA benefits for survivors of domestic abuse is extended to provide the assistance needed to escape the abuser and allow their eligibility to be determined without their abuser being considered as part of the household, which includes survivors fleeing with nothing from middle- and upper-class environments. The first 32 days via a signed affidavit that they cannot access resources controlled by their partner and the second 32 days upon enrollment into CalWORKs. This is a one-time benefit, but can be combined with other temporary or permanent HA benefits once every 12 months.

In fiscal year 2021-22, 44,550 families received temporary homeless assistance and 2,705 families received permanent homeless assistance, for a total of 47,266 families served through CalWORKs HA.

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility for Kids Family Stabilization (FS). FS is a component of the CalWORKs program that provides intensive case management and services to WTW clients to address immediate crisis situations and needs. CalWORKs recipients are eligible to participate in FS if a county determines that a family is experiencing an identified situation or crisis that is destabilizing the family and would interfere with participation in WTW activities and services. Recipients with a “Family Stabilization Plan” have no minimum hourly WTW participation requirements, and their CalWORKs time clock may stop for up to six months if good cause is determined.

According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, in 2022-23, about 4,100 households participated in FS monthly; 369 individuals received domestic abuse services; and, 1,025 cases received homelessness support/services. Since fiscal year 2013-14, FS has received annual budget allocations ranging from $29.7 million to $49 million. In the 2024-25 Budget, the Governor proposes a retroactive cut of all funding in the current fiscal year, totaling $55 million, and a complete elimination of the program in fiscal year 2024-25 and annually ongoing. This proposed elimination would strip CalWORKs families of essential support, leading to even greater challenges in accessing the resources and services necessary to stabilize their lives and achieve self-sufficiency.

According to advocates, should these cuts be applied, this bill would supplant FS services by allowing administrators of C1AP and C2AP to use a different funding source to support these individuals.

Navigation Services & Pilots. Navigation services help individuals navigate complex systems by connecting them with available public benefits and resources they may be eligible for, such as food assistance, healthcare, housing support, childcare, and job training programs. Navigators provide personalized tailored assistance in completing applications accurately and efficiently, reducing the likelihood of errors or delays in the application process. They can also help gather required documentation and submit applications on behalf of applicants, making the process more accessible and less burdensome. In addition to individualized support, navigators also provide information about available support services and community resources, as well as offer crisis intervention and support to individuals facing urgent needs or emergencies, such as homelessness, DV, or both.

There are numerous counties that have implemented navigation services pilots, including, but not limited to the following:

• Alameda County has a local CARE Homeless Child Care Pilot that aims to provide additional support and navigation services to individuals experiencing homelessness, escaping DV, or both. The project was a result of Parent Voices’ advocacy and a response from the Board of Supervisors. BANANAS, Inc. administers the pilot, which includes approximately $100,000 for vouchered subsidies and dedicated navigation support to unhoused families to alternative subsidies and subsidized care options. Since 2019, 187 families have been referred to the CARE pilot.
• San Diego County invested in the Housing Our Youth Program, an initiative led by the YMCA of San Diego, through the Homeless Emergency Aid Program/Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention dollars, which provides child care wrap-around services for unsheltered transition-age-youth up to 24 years of age. Through case management services, these youth’s need for care is assessed and they are able to receive voucher and navigation services. Providers also receive trauma-informed training.

This bill authorizes an administrator of a childcare program providing childcare services to participants receiving services through C1AP and C2AP of the CalWORKs program to provide additional enhanced support and navigation services to those recipients experiencing homelessness, escaping DV, or both. This bill also authorizes these services to be provided in partnership with homeless service agencies, DV agencies, or other supportive housing.

According to advocates, this bill would allow administrators of C1AP and C2AP to hire a navigator as an eligible expense through existing dollars that are already allocated to counties, which are separate dollars from the CalWORKs HA and Housing Program. Moreover, this bill is not making it mandatory for all programs that provide C1AP and C2AP to provide these services; it is permissive and takes into consideration whether there is capacity to do so. Essentially, there are recipients of CalWORKs who have access to in-network programs, such as HA and FS, but there are also families who are not on CalWORKs, but need childcare and may be eligible for C1AP or C2AP, and need other resources as well such as homeless assistance or DV assistance – this is where a navigator would be helpful in identifying needed services.

For counties that do not currently have navigation services as part of their contract, each county must seek approval from the Board of Supervisors. Additionally, some administrators of C1AP and C2AP oftentimes have unspent money every year that is then required to be returned to the county and then returned to the state. During years of state budget deficits such as this one, once these unspent funds are returned to the state, many administrators cannot relinquish them back the following year. This bill aims to address this gap by tapping into these existing funds to provide navigation services to families who seek homeless assistance and DV assistance, or both, but may also be eligible for C1AP or C2AP and in need of childcare services.

Author’s Statement: According to the Author, “So many families in California lack adequate resources to locate care for their children while also seeking safety, housing, and financial stability. This bill will leverage federal dollars to meet people where they are and to enroll them in childcare programs that best suit their needs. This small change in the law will have a substantial impact on how services reach the children most in need in our communities.”

Equity Implications: By providing additional support and navigation services this bill aims to reduce barriers that marginalized individuals and families face in accessing childcare services, which can help address disparities in access to childcare among populations experiencing homelessness or DV. Systematic inequities in access to childcare, housing, and support services contribute to the cycle of poverty and homelessness. Homelessness and DV disproportionately affect marginalized communities, including women, low-income individuals, people of color, foster youth, families with children, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, and other non-cishet gender identities and sexualities individuals. By targeting additional support to these populations this bill seeks to address underlying structural inequities and promote more equitable outcomes for vulnerable groups.

Furthermore, this bill emphasizes collaboration with homeless service agencies, DV agencies, and other supportive housing providers, recognizing the importance of holistic, coordinated services. By integrating support services across multiple sectors, this bill aims to provide more inclusive and culturally responsive care that meets the diverse needs of program participants. Overall, this bill seeks to tap into existing allocated C1AP and C2AP funds to hire navigators and connect individuals with available homeless resources and DV assistance.

RELATED AND PRIOR LEGISLATION:

AB 2277 (Reyes), Chapter 693, Statues of 2022, required, instead of permit, a county to waive a CalWORKs program requirement for a recipient who has been identified as a past or present survivor of DV, when good causes exist.

SB 1083 (Skinner), Chapter 715, Statutes of 2022, required a county to provide a housing navigation caseworker who can assist with securing permanent housing if that county chooses to require the family to participate in a homelessness avoidance case plan, among other things.

SB 80 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review), Chapter 27, Statutes of 2019, see comments above.

AB 557 (Rubio), Chapter 691, Statutes of 2017, see comments above.

AB 1107 (Garcia) of 2013, would have established statewide standards for notifying CalWORKs applicants and recipients of accommodations available to them if they are survivors of DV and established criteria for granting such waivers. AB 1107 was held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

Child Care Resource Center (Sponsor)

Bananas

California Alliance of Caregivers

California Alternative Payment Program Association

California Family Resource Association

Child Abuse Prevention Center and Its Affiliates Safe Kids California, Prevent Child Abuse California and The California Family Resource Association

Child Action, INC.

Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles

Children Now

Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organizations

Community Child Care Council of Alameda County

Davis Street Family Resource Center

Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office

Pathways LA

Western Center on Law & Poverty

Opposition

None on file.

Analysis Prepared by: Bri-Ann Hernández / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089