Existing law establishes the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families and individuals. If a family does not include a needy child qualified for aid under CalWORKs, existing law requires aid to be paid to a pregnant person as of the date of the application for aid, as specified. Existing law, subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, requires the State Department of Social Services to award funds to participating counties in order to provide voluntary evidence-based home visiting services to assistance units that meet specified requirements.

Existing law establishes the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program, a voluntary program for the purpose of supporting positive health, development, and well-being outcomes for pregnant and parenting people, families, and infants born into poverty. Existing law requires the program to provide high-quality, evidence-based, culturally competent services to pregnant people, parents or caretaker relatives, and children for 24 months or until the childs 2nd birthday, whichever is later, that meet the needs of at-risk assistance units, as specified.

This bill would extend those provisions to apply to children from 24 months and not to exceed the childs 5th birthday. for at least 24 months, and not to exceed the duration of the applicable home visiting program model.

Existing law requires a voluntary participant in the program to meet specified criteria, including that the individual is either a member of a CalWORKs assistance unit, a parent or caretaker relative for a child-only case, or an individual who is apparently eligible for CalWORKs aid, and that the individual is pregnant or the individual is a parent or caretaker relative of a child less than 24 months of age at the time the individual enrolls in the program, except as specified.

This bill would revise that requirement to apply to a child less than 36 months of age. The bill would authorize a voluntary participant whose participation would otherwise be terminated because the participant no longer meets CalWORKs income, eligibility, or need criteria to continue through the duration of the home visiting program or for up to an additional 12 months.

Existing law establishes the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families and individuals. If a family does not include a needy child qualified for aid under CalWORKs, existing law requires aid to be paid to a pregnant person as of the date of the application for aid, as specified. Existing law, subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, requires the State Department of Social Services to award funds to participating counties in order to provide voluntary evidence-based home visiting services to assistance units that meet specified requirements.

Existing law establishes the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program, a voluntary program for the purpose of supporting positive health, development, and well-being outcomes for pregnant and parenting people, families, and infants born into poverty. Existing law requires the program to provide high-quality, evidence-based, culturally competent services to pregnant people, parents or caretaker relatives, and children for 24 months or until the childs 2nd birthday, whichever is later, that meet the needs of at-risk assistance units, as specified.

This bill would extend those provisions to apply to children from 24 months and not to exceed the childs 5th birthday.

Existing law requires a voluntary participant in the program to meet specified criteria, including that the individual is either a member of a CalWORKs assistance unit, a parent or caretaker relative for a child-only case, or an individual who is apparently eligible for CalWORKs aid, and that the individual is pregnant or the individual is a parent or caretaker relative of a child less than 24 months of age at the time the individual enrolls in the program, except as specified.

This bill would revise that requirement to apply to a child less than 36 months of age.

Date of Hearing: July 2, 2024

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Buffy Wicks, Chair

SBPCA Bill Id:SB 1396

Author:(Alvarado-Gil) – As Amended Ver:April 8, 2024

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

SUMMARY:

This bill extends and expands the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Home Visiting Program.

Specifically, this bill:

1. Extends the duration of the home visiting program to at least 24 months, not to exceed the duration of the applicable home visiting program model, rather than for 24 months or until the child’s second birthday.
2. Expands the eligible population to include an individual who is a parent or caretaker relative of a child less than 36 months of age, rather than 24, months of age, at the time the individual enrolls in the program.
3. Allows a voluntary participant whose participation would otherwise be terminated because the participant no longer meets CalWORKs income, eligibility, or need criteria to continue through the duration of the home visiting program or for up to an additional 12 months, whichever is longer.

FISCAL EFFECT:

Ongoing General Fund (GF) cost pressures of an unknown amount, potentially low-millions of dollars annually, to fund the expanded duration of services and eligibility for the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program.

The Budget Act of 2023 provided $97.6 million for the home visiting program. The Governor’s 2024-25 May Revision reduces funding for this program by $47.1 million (GF) beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 and ongoing. However, the Budget Act of 2024 (AB 107 (Gabriel)), awaiting the Governor’s signature, instead reduces funding for the program by $30 million in FY 2023-24, and temporarily reduces funding by $25 million in FYs 2024-24 and 2025-26.

According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the General Fund faces a structural deficit in the tens of billions of dollars over the next several fiscal years. 

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. According to the author:

The CalWORKs Home Visiting Program was created in the 2018-19 Budget to provide two-generation support to children and families in poverty by providing them with the necessary tools to expand their educational, economic, and financial capabilities. Not only does the program establish a pillar for a child's early development, but it also increases the likelihood of these children and families exiting poverty.

The issue, however, is that the current CalWORKs home visiting program statute funds enrollment only until a child's second birthday, which misses children who are just over 24 months of age. It also limits participation through the child's second birthday or 24 months, whichever is later. This forces families who could benefit from the continuation of this program to exit before full benefits can be achieved.

1. Background. Existing law establishes the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program as a voluntary program to support positive health, development, and well-being outcomes for pregnant and parenting people, families, and infants born into poverty. The program must provide high-quality, evidence-based, culturally competent services to pregnant people, parents or caretaker relatives, and children for 24 months or until the child’s second birthday, whichever is later, that meet the needs of at-risk assistance units, including those in underserved, rural, tribal, impoverished, and other communities.

Existing law requires CDSS, subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, to award funds to participating counties for the purposes of the home visiting program. Authorized services are not entitlement services and participating counties may limit the number of families participating in the program to ensure costs do not exceed the amount of funds awarded to the county. In FY 2023-24, 41 of the state’s 58 counties participated.

Each county delivers home visiting program services using different service models, including Early Head Start –Home Based Option, Healthy Families America, Home Instruction for Parent of Preschool Youngsters, Nurse Family Partnership, and Parent as Teachers. Several of these models are designed to last longer than two years.

This bill extends the duration of the home visitation program by allowing services to be provided for at least 24 months, up to the duration of the applicable home visiting program model, and expands the population eligible to receive services by allowing participation of a parent or caretaker relative of a child less than 36 months of age.

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

Date of Hearing: June 11, 2024

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES

Alex Lee, Chair

SBPCA Bill Id:SB 1396

Author:(Alvarado-Gil) – As Amended Ver:April 8, 2024

SENATE VOTE: 39-0

SUBJECT: CalWORKs: Home Visiting Program

SUMMARY: Extends the duration of the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Home Visiting Program (HVP). Specifically, this bill:

1. Adds supporting positive health, development, and well-being outcomes for tribal families to the purpose of the CalWORKs HVP.
2. Increases the duration pregnant people, parents or caretaker relatives, and children can be served in the CalWORKs HVP by requiring services for at least 24 months, and not to exceed the duration of the applicable HVP model, from the current duration of 24 months or until the child’s second birthday, whichever is later.
3. Updates the criteria for a voluntary participant to permit an individual that is pregnant or an individual that is a parent or caretaker relative of a child less than 36 months of age, instead of 24 months of age, at the time the individual enrolls in the program.
4. Permits, in order to promote continuity of services, a voluntary participant whose participation would otherwise be terminated because the participant no longer meets CalWORKs income, eligibility, or need criteria to continue through the duration of the HVP or for up to an additional 12 months, whichever is longer.

EXISTING LAW:

Federal 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 (WTW) programs designed to provide cash assistance and other supports and services to low-income families. (42 United States Code § 601 et seq.)

State law:

1. Establishes the CalWORKs program to provide cash assistance and other social services for low-income families through TANF. Under CalWORKs, each county provides assistance through a combination of state, county and federal TANF funds. (Welfare and Institutions Code [WIC] § 11120 et seq.)
2. 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.)
3. Exempts the following from consideration as income for purposes of public social services, including CalWORKs programs, as specified:
   1. Income that is received too infrequently to be reasonably anticipated, as exempted in federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program regulations;
   2. Income from college work-study programs;
   3. An award or scholarship provided by a public or private entity to or on behalf of a dependent child;
   4. Income or stipend paid by the United States (U.S.) Census Bureau, a governmental entity, or a nonprofit organization for temporary work related to the decennial census; and,
   5. Any federal pandemic unemployment compensation, so long as the federal pandemic unemployment compensation is exempt as income for purposes of establishing eligibility for the CalFresh program. (WIC § 11157(b-d))
4. Establishes the CalWORKs HVP as a voluntary program for the purpose of supporting positive health, development, and well-being outcomes for pregnant and parenting people, families, and infants born into poverty, expanding their future educational, economic, and financial capability opportunities, and improving the likelihood that they will exit poverty. (WIC § 11330.6(a))
5. Requires the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), subject to an appropriation, to award funds to participating counties in order to provide voluntary evidence-based home visiting services to any assistance unit that meets specified requirements. (WIC § 11330.6(b))
6. Requires a county’s application for HVP funding to describe the all of the following:
   1. How the program’s purposes will be accomplished;
   2. How the county will integrate and coordinate the evidence-based HVPs with county workers and core CalWORKs services to maximize the utilization of those services provided to CalWORKs recipients;
   3. How the county consulted with existing HVPs, if applicable;
   4. The county’s plan to recruit and retain home visitors that reflect the population of its CalWORKs program; and,
   5. The voluntary population of CalWORKs applicants and recipients the county intends to serve, which shall include those populations identified in 8) below. (WIC § 11330.6 (c)(1))
7. Requires a voluntary participant to meet both of the following criteria:
   1. The individual is one of the following:
      1. A member of a CalWORKs assistance unit (permits counties to serve additional individuals not part of an assistance unit with CDSS approval);
      2. The parent or caretaker relative for a child-only case;
      3. An individual who is apparently eligible for CalWORKs aid; or,
   2. The individual is pregnant or the individual is a parent or caretaker relative of a child less than 24 months of age at the time the individual enrolls in the program. (WIC § 11330.6 (c)(2))

FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Committee on Appropriations on April 26, 2024, “Unknown General Fund cost pressures due to expanded duration of services and eligibility for the program.”

COMMENTS:

Background: What is a Home Visiting Program? Home Visiting is a preventative approach or strategy that is designed to provide support to low-income pregnant persons and new parents in their homes by pairing them with a support person to connect families to services as they go through the early stages of raising a family. This strategy is aimed at improving outcomes in infant and child health, education, school readiness, and preventing entry into the child welfare system. This is a nationwide strategy that is voluntary in each state. Home visitors are typically trained nurses, child development specialists, and/or social workers and they connect parents to prenatal care, coach parents to develop healthy attachments with their infants, and advise on how best to aid in their child’s development. In California, there are two modes of home visiting: 1) California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) California Home Visiting Program which is administered through local health jurisdictions, and 2) CDSS’ CalWORKs HVP which is administered through county welfare departments. Each has different eligibility requirements including the duration and population served. CDPH’s program does not only serve CalWORKs clients and participants are eligible until five years of age. This bill will extend the eligibility timeframe for CalWORKs HVP to allow families to participate for the full duration of the evidence-based models currently used in counties, instead limiting participation to a duration of 24 months or until the child’s second birthday, whichever is later.

Brief History of the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program. In 2018, AB 1811 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 35, Statutes of 2018, established the Home Visiting Initiative, contingent upon appropriation, as a voluntary program for the purpose of supporting positive health, development, and well-being outcomes for eligible pregnant and parenting women, families, and infants born into poverty. The target demographic was first-year parents. AB 1811 made participation in the program optional for counties and required a county that applies for funds under the program to agree to the terms of the program. In the first year of implementation (2019), 44 counties opted in. According to CDSS, 41 counties participated in fiscal year 23-24.

SB 80 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 27, Statutes of 2019, expanded the Home Visiting Initiative to become the now-known HVP and made the program permanent. SB 80 expanded eligibility to include parents beyond a first-time parent and pregnant individuals, and permitted noncustodial parents to benefit from services.

HVP supports and resources include: (1) prenatal, infant, and toddler care; (2) infant and child nutrition; (3) child developmental screening and assessments; (4) parent education, and training in parent/child interaction; (5) child development and child care referral; (6) job readiness and barrier removal; (7) domestic violence and sexual assault services; and (8) mental health and substance abuse treatment and support. Each county delivers services using the following models:

• • • • Early Head Start –Home Based Option (EHS-HBO). Services are provided until the child is three years of age.
      • Healthy Families America (HFA). The HFA program typically lasts for three to five years.
      • Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY). The HIPPY program provides parents with a curriculum that lasts for 30 weeks.
      • Nurse Family Partnership (NFP). Families can participate in the NFP program for two-and-a-half years.
      • Parent as Teachers (PAT). Families can receive services from the PAT program from the prenatal stages until their child enters kindergarten.
      • Promoting First Relationships-Home Visiting Intervention Model (PFR-HVIM). The PFR-HVIM typically provides weekly, hour-long visits for 10 to 14 weeks, however, the duration can be extended based on a family’s needs.

This bill increases the duration participants can be served in the CalWORKs HVP by allowing services to be provided for at least 24 months, and not to exceed the duration of the applicable HVP model, while also allowing pregnant individuals or those who are a parent or caretaker relative of a child less than 36 months of age, instead of 24 months, at the time the individual enrolls in the program, to become participants.

As an effort to promote continuity of services, this bill also allows a participant whose participation would otherwise be terminated because they no longer meet CalWORKs income, eligibility, or need criteria to continue through the duration of the HVP or for up to an additional 12 months, whichever is longer.

Effectiveness of the CalWORKs HVP. AB 1811 also required an independent, research-based institution to provide an evaluation report. The University of California San Francisco, School of Nursing conducted a program evaluation that was published on January 7, 2022, which found that HVP is successful. The evaluation found, “Clients, home visitors and HVP staff consistently reported a high level of satisfaction with the program activities and services. The interviews and focus groups provided many specific examples of how vital HVP was in helping clients meet basic needs and strengthened client and child health and development.” (Rienks et al. 2022) The evaluation contained several key program implementation improvement recommendations which include:

1. Explore with models and counties how to offer flexibility to home visitors to implement HVP program models while maintaining model fidelity, with attention to supporting home visitors to build rapport and trusting relationship with HVP clients who are often in a state of crisis.
2. Explore opportunities to strengthen collaboration with CalWORKs as the key referral source for HVP clients.
3. Explore ways to address workforce challenges, including recruitment and retention of home visitors as well as ongoing training and support needs.
4. Explore opportunities to support the program and staff learning collaboratives to promote sharing of best practices and up-to-date information, with special interest groups by county size, region or specific program model(s).

Author’s Statement: According to the Author, “The CalWORKs Home Visiting Program (HVP) was created in the 2018-19 Budget to provide two-generation support to children and families in poverty by providing them with the necessary tools to expand their educational, economic, and financial capabilities. Not only does the program establish a pillar for a child's early development, but it also increases the likelihood of these children and families exiting poverty.

“According to research, the first five years of a child's life are the most important for their development. Difficult circumstances at an early age often result in negative consequences for a child's long-term physical, social, and behavioral health while also affecting their educational and economic well-being. Voluntary evidence-based home visiting programs are backed by decades of research and proven to increase families’ economic self-sufficiency, foster healthy child development, promote school readiness, and reduce child maltreatment negating those negative consequences.

“The issue, however, is that the current CalWORKs HVP statute funds enrollment only until a child's second birthday, which misses children who are just over 24 months of age. It also limits participation through the child's second birthday or 24 months, whichever is later. This forces families who could benefit from the continuation of this program to exit before full benefits can be achieved. Some of the evidence-based home visiting programs being used in the CalWORKs HVP support children through their fifth birthday or upon entering kindergarten. Unfortunately, the early discontinuation of service hinders achieving the program's full potential and cuts off the crucial services these families and children could continue benefiting from.

“This bill would align the time frame families can enroll and participate in CalWORKs HVP in alignment with the home visiting models recommended duration, which could be until the child’s fifth birthday or entering kindergarten. SB 1396 would unlock the full potential of the CalWORKs HVP program and provide the continued support and guidance these families inherently deserve.”

Equity Implications: Research shows HVPs are overall effective and successful tools for prevention into the child welfare system and aid in child development; however, there is not enough research evaluating the efforts on closing racial disparities. According to James J. Heckman, a Nobel Memorial Prize winner in economics and an expert in the economics of human development, it is important to “…provide developmental resources to children AND their families. Direct investment in the child’s early development is complemented by investment in parents and family environments. Quality early childhood education from birth to age five, coupled with parent-coaching, such as home visitation programs for parents and teen mothers, has proven to be effective and warrants more investment.” This bill increases the time period someone is eligible to receive services from the HVP and thus may increase the positive impact of the program.

RELATED AND PRIOR LEGISLATION:

SB 120 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review) of the current legislative session, conforms the CalWORKs HVP, with enacted statute that provides aid to a pregnant person as of the date of the application for aid; deletes the provision limiting eligibility for the HVP with respect to pregnant CalWORKs applicants who have not reached the 2nd trimester; and authorizes CDSS to implement and administer these provisions by means of all-county letters or similar instructions from the department until regulations are adopted. SB 120 is pending before the Assembly Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review.

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

AB 1811 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 35, Statutes of 2018, see comments above.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

Alameda County Early Care and Education Planning Council

Alliance for Children's Rights

American Academy of Pediatrics, California

California State Association of Counties

Children Now

County Health Executives Association of California (CHEAC)

County Welfare Directors Association of California

Elderly Care Everywhere

First 5 Association of California

First 5 Humboldt

First 5 LA

First 5 Orange County

First 5 San Bernardino

Nurse - Family Partnership

Parents As Teachers National Center

Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC)

Thriving Families California

Urban Counties of California (UCC)

Western Center on Law & Poverty

Opposition

None on file.

Analysis Prepared by: Alexandria Smith / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: SB 1396

Author: Alvarado-Gil (D)

Amended: 4/8/24

Vote: 21

SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE: 5-0, 4/15/24

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

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 5/16/24

AYES: Caballero, Jones, Ashby, Becker, Bradford, Niello, Wahab

SUBJECT: CalWORKs: Home Visiting Program

SOURCE: Children Now

County Welfare Directors Association of California

DIGEST:

This bill extends the time a voluntary participant’s child can be in the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program from 24 months to at least 24 months and not to exceed the duration of the home visiting program model. Authorizes a participant whose eligibility would otherwise be terminated because the participant no longer meets CalWORKs income, eligibility, or need criteria to continue through the duration of the home visiting program or for up to an additional 12 months.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Establishes the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which permits states to implement the program under a state plan. (42 USC 601 et seq.)
2. Establishes the 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 income, asset, and real property limits used to determine eligibility for the CalWORKs Program and grant amounts based on family size and county of residence. (WIC 11150, 11160, 11450 et seq.)
4. Generally requires a recipient of CalWORKs benefits to participate in welfare-to-work activities as a condition of eligibility for aid. (WIC 11320 et seq.)
5. Establishes the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program as a voluntary program for the purpose of supporting positive health, development, and well-being outcomes for pregnant and parenting people, families, and infants born into poverty, expanding their future educational, economic, and financial capability opportunities, and improving the likelihood that they will exit poverty. (WIC 11330.6 (a)(1))
6. Requires the program to provide high-quality, evidence-based, culturally competent services to pregnant people, parents or caretaker relatives, and children for 24 months or until the child’s second birthday, whichever is later, that meet the needs of at-risk assistance units, including those in underserved, rural, tribal, impoverished, and other communities. (WIC 11330.6 (a)(2))
7. Requires the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, to award funds to participating counties for the purposes of the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program, in order to provide voluntary evidence-based home visiting services to any assistance unit that meets the requirements of this article. Specifies that services authorized are not entitlement services and participating counties may limit the number of families participating in the program to ensure that the costs do not exceed the amount of funds awarded to the county for this purpose, as specified. (WIC 11330.6 (b))
8. Provides that participation in the program established in this article is optional for counties, and counties that apply for, and are awarded, funds shall agree to the terms of this article. (WIC 11330.6 (c)(1))

This bill:

1. Provides that the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program that is established for families also includes tribal families.
   
2. Extends the time a voluntary participant’s child can be at the time enrollment in the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program from 24 months to not to exceed the duration of the applicable home visiting program model.
3. Provides that in order to promote continuity of services, a voluntary participant whose participation would otherwise be terminated because the participant no longer meets CalWORKs income, eligibility, or need criteria may continue through the duration of the home visiting program or for up to an additional 12 months, whichever is longer.

Comments

According to the author, “The CalWORKs Home Visiting Program was created in the 2018-19 Budget to provide two-generation support to children and families in poverty by providing them with the necessary tools to expand their educational, economic, and financial capabilities. Not only does the program establish a pillar for a child's early development, but it also increases the likelihood of these children and families exiting poverty. According to research, the first five years of a child's life are the most important for their development. Difficult circumstances at an early age often result in negative consequences for a child's long-term physical, social, and behavioral health while also affecting their educational and economic well-being. Voluntary evidence-based home visiting programs are backed by decades of research and proven to increase families’ economic self-sufficiency, foster healthy child development, promote school readiness, and reduce child maltreatment negating those negative consequences.”

The author goes on to say, “The issue, however, is that the current CalWORKs Home Visiting Program statute funds participation only until a child's second birthday, which forces families who could benefit from the continuation of this program to exit before full benefits can be achieved. Some of the evidence-based home visiting programs being used in the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program support children through their fifth birthday or upon entering kindergarten. Unfortunately, the early discontinuation of service hinders achieving the program's full potential and cuts off the crucial services these families and children could continue benefiting from. This bill would extend the time frame families can participate in CalWORKs Home Visiting Program through the home visiting models recommended duration, which could be until the child’s fifth birthday or entering kindergarten. SB 1396 would unlock the full potential of the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program and provide the continued support and guidance these families inherently deserve.”

CalWORKs CalWORKs, the state’s largest anti-poverty program, provides temporary cash assistance aimed at moving children out of poverty and helping qualified 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 (WTW) plan. The 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.

CalWORKs grant amounts generally are adjusted for family size, income level, and region. Grant amounts are set and adjusted based on assistance unit (AU) size—larger AUs are eligible to receive a larger grant amount—to account for the increased financial needs of these families. The Administration estimates that the average CalWORKs grant amounted to $960 per month across all family sizes and income levels in FY 2022-23. Recipients in high-cost counties receive grants that are 4.9 percent higher than recipients in lower-cost counties. For example, a family of three in a high-cost county that has no other earned income currently receives $925 per month; however, a similar family in a lower-cost county receives $878 per month. These grants are funded through a combination of federal TANF block grant funding, state General Fund, and county dollars. Families enrolled in CalWORKs typically are also eligible for CalFresh and Medi‑Cal health coverage.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CalWORKs caseload had reached a low of approximately 366,000 cases in 2019-20. CalWORKs caseload temporarily increased by about 3 percent during March through May of 2020, when Executive Order N-29-20 automatically recertified all recipients whose redeterminations were due during those months. However, CalWORKs then experienced the fastest five-month period of caseload declines since at least 2002. The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) suggested that the unprecedented economic assistance provided by the state and federal government, including expanded unemployment insurance benefits, could be a cause for the unexpected decline in the CalWORKs caseload. As the COVID-19 pandemic flexibilities and other increased federal assistance end, recently available data shows that the caseload began to increase again.

In September 2021, the CalWORKs caseload stopped falling, and has increased each month since October 1, 2021. CDSS estimates that the CalWORKs caseload will increase by approximately 1.6 percent for 2024-25 after seeing a 9.6 percent increase in FY 2022-23, largely due to the impacts of legislative and policy changes, including the expiration of expanded federal unemployment insurance benefits, state CalWORKs time clock and earned income disregard changes.

CalWORKs Home Visiting Program. The Home Visiting Program was established in 2010 by authority contained in the federal Affordable Care Act and is supervised by CDSS and administered by participating counties. Participating counties include Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Fresno, Humboldt, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Los Angeles, Madera, Mendocino, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo, and Yuba. This program provides voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services to pregnant and newly parenting families who are a member of a CalWORKs assistance unit. Counties contract with providers and use a variety of evidence-based models including:

• Early Head Start – Home Based Option
• Healthy Families America
• Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters
• Nurse Family Partnership
• Parent as Teachers
• Promoting First Relationships-Home Visiting Intervention Model

To qualify for this program the individual must be pregnant or the parent or caretaker relative of a child less than 24 months of age at the time the individual enrolls in the program. CDSS states the goals of the Home Visiting Program are to help young families reach self-sufficiency by improving family well-being; support healthy development of young children; and prepare and help families find employment resources.

Related/Prior Legislation

AB 1070 (Arambula, 2019) would have stated in the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would expand eligibility for the CalWORKs Home Visiting Initiative to all parents served through the CalWORKs program and applicants deemed apparently eligible for CalWORKs. This bill was not moved by the author.

AB 992 (Arambula, 2017) would have established the CalWORKs Baby Wellness and Family Support Home Visiting Program in CDSS to offer a voluntary home visiting program to CalWORKs assistance units with a pregnant recipient or a child up to 24 months of age. This bill died in Senate Human Services Committee.

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

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:

• Unknown General Fund cost pressures due to expanded duration of services and eligibility for the program.

SUPPORT:

Children Now (co-source)

County Welfare Directors Association of California (co-source)

California Alternative Payment Program Association
California Family Resource Association
California State Association of Counties
California Strategies & Advocacy, LLC
Child Abuse Prevention Center
Child Development Institute
Child Support Directors Association of California
County Health Executives Association of California (CHEAC)
Everychild Foundation
LA Best Babies Network
Nurse - Family Partnership
Para Los Ninos
Parents As Teachers National Center
Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC)
Urban Counties of California (UCC)
Western Center on Law & Poverty

OPPOSITION:

None received

Prepared by: Heather Hopkins / HUMAN S. / (916) 651-1524

5/17/24 12:27:21

**** END ****

SENATE COMMITTEE ON

Senator Anna Caballero, Chair

2023 - 2024 Regular Session

SB 1396 (Alvarado-Gil) - CalWORKs: Home Visiting Program

Bill Summary:

SB 1396 would make changes to the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program.

Fiscal Impact:

Unknown General Fund cost pressures due to expanded duration of services and eligibility for the program.

Background:

Current law establishes the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program as a voluntary program for the purpose of supporting positive health, development, and well-being outcomes for pregnant and parenting people, families, and infants born into poverty, expanding their future educational, economic, and financial capability opportunities, and improving the likelihood that they will exit poverty. The program provides high-quality, evidence-based, culturally competent services to pregnant people, parents or caretaker relatives, and children for 24 months or until the child’s second birthday, whichever is later, that meet the needs of at-risk assistance units, including those in underserved, rural, tribal, impoverished, and other communities.

Current law requires CDSS, subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, to award funds to participating counties for the purposes of the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program. Services authorized are not entitlement services and participating counties may limit the number of families participating in the program to ensure that the costs do not exceed the amount of funds awarded to the county.

A voluntary participant must meet both of the following criteria:

• The individual is one of the following: a member of a CalWORKs assistance unit; the parent or caretaker relative for a child-only case; an individual who is apparently eligible for CalWORKs aid.
• The individual is pregnant or the individual is a parent or caretaker relative of a child less than 24 months of age at the time the individual enrolls in the program; a county may serve additional individuals, as specified.

Proposed Law:

Specific provisions of the bill would:

• Revise the duration of the program to be at least 24 months, and not to exceed the duration of the applicable home visiting program model.
• Revise eligibility criteria to include an individual who is a parent or caretaker relative of a child less than 36, rather than 24, months of age at the time the individual enrolls in the program.
• Provide that a voluntary participant whose participation would otherwise be terminated because the participant no longer meets CalWORKs income, eligibility, or need criteria may continue through the duration of the home visiting program or for up to an additional 12 months, whichever is longer.

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SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES

Senator Alvarado-Gil, Chair

2023 - 2024 Regular

Subject: CalWORKs: Home Visiting Program

SUMMARY

This bill extends the time a voluntary participant’s child can be in the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program from 24 months to at least 24 months and not to exceed the duration of the home visiting program model. Authorizes a participant whose eligibility would otherwise be terminated because the participant no longer meets CalWORKs income, eligibility, or need criteria to continue through the duration of the home visiting program or for up to an additional 12 months

ABSTRACT

Existing Law:

1. Establishes the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which permits states to implement the program under a state plan. (42 USC 601 et seq.)
2. Establishes the 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 income, asset, and real property limits used to determine eligibility for the CalWORKs Program and grant amounts based on family size and county of residence. (WIC 11150, 11160, 11450 et seq.)
4. Generally requires a recipient of CalWORKs benefits to participate in welfare-to-work activities as a condition of eligibility for aid. (WIC 11320 et seq.)
5. Establishes the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program as a voluntary program for the purpose of supporting positive health, development, and well-being outcomes for pregnant and parenting people, families, and infants born into poverty, expanding their future educational, economic, and financial capability opportunities, and improving the likelihood that they will exit poverty. (WIC 11330.6 (a)(1))
6. Requires the program to provide high-quality, evidence-based, culturally competent services to pregnant people, parents or caretaker relatives, and children for 24 months or until the child’s second birthday, whichever is later, that meet the needs of at-risk assistance units, including those in underserved, rural, tribal, impoverished, and other communities. (WIC 11330.6 (a)(2))
7. Requires CDSS, subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, to award funds to participating counties for the purposes of the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program, in order to provide voluntary evidence-based home visiting services to any assistance unit that meets the requirements of this article. Specifies that services authorized are not entitlement services and participating counties may limit the number of families participating in the program to ensure that the costs do not exceed the amount of funds awarded to the county for this purpose, as specified. (WIC 11330.6 (b))
8. Provides that participation in the program established in this article is optional for counties, and counties that apply for, and are awarded, funds shall agree to the terms of this article. (WIC 11330.6 (c)(1))
9. Requires a voluntary participant to meet both of the following criteria:
10. The individual is one of the following:
11. A member of a CalWORKs assistance unit.
12. The parent or caretaker relative for a child-only case.
13. An individual who is apparently eligible for CalWORKs aid.
14. The individual is pregnant or the individual is a parent or caretaker relative of a child less than 24 months of age at the time the individual enrolls in the program.
    1. Provides that a county may serve additional individuals that not a member of the CalWORKs assistance unit with departmental approval. (WIC 11330.6 (c)(2)(A))

This Bill:

1. Provides that the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program that is established for families also includes tribal families.
   
2. Extends the time a voluntary participant’s child can be at the time enrollment in the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program from 24 months to not to exceed the duration of the applicable home visiting program model.
   
3. Provides that in order to promote continuity of services, a voluntary participant whose participation would otherwise be terminated because the participant no longer meets CalWORKs income, eligibility, or need criteria may continue through the duration of the home visiting program or for up to an additional 12 months, whichever is longer.

FISCAL IMPACT

This bill has not yet been analyzed by a fiscal committee.

BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION

Purpose of the Bill:

According to the author, “The CalWORKs Home Visiting Program was created in the 2018-19 Budget to provide two-generation support to children and families in poverty by providing them with the necessary tools to expand their educational, economic, and financial capabilities. Not only does the program establish a pillar for a child's early development, but it also increases the likelihood of these children and families exiting poverty. According to research, the first five years of a child's life are the most important for their development. Difficult circumstances at an early age often result in negative consequences for a child's long-term physical, social, and behavioral health while also affecting their educational and economic well-being. Voluntary evidence-based home visiting programs are backed by decades of research and proven to increase families’ economic self-sufficiency, foster healthy child development, promote school readiness, and reduce child maltreatment negating those negative consequences.”

The author goes on to say, “The issue, however, is that the current CalWORKs Home Visiting Program statute funds participation only until a child's second birthday, which forces families who could benefit from the continuation of this program to exit before full benefits can be achieved. Some of the evidence-based home visiting programs being used in the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program support children through their fifth birthday or upon entering kindergarten. Unfortunately, the early discontinuation of service hinders achieving the program's full potential and cuts off the crucial services these families and children could continue benefiting from. This bill would extend the time frame families can participate in CalWORKs Home Visiting Program through the home visiting models recommended duration, which could be until the child’s fifth birthday or entering kindergarten. SB 1396 would unlock the full potential of the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program and provide the continued support and guidance these families inherently deserve.”

CalWORKs

CalWORKs, the state’s largest anti-poverty program, provides temporary cash assistance aimed at moving children out of poverty and helping qualified 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 WTW plan. The California Department of Social Services (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.

CalWORKs grant amounts generally are adjusted for family size, income level, and region. Grant amounts are set and adjusted based on assistance unit (AU) size—larger AUs are eligible to receive a larger grant amount—to account for the increased financial needs of these families. The Administration estimates that the average CalWORKs grant amounted to $960 per month across all family sizes and income levels in FY 2022-23. Recipients in high-cost counties receive grants that are 4.9 percent higher than recipients in lower-cost counties. For example, a family of three in a high-cost county that has no other earned income currently receives $925 per month; however, a similar family in a lower-cost county receives $878 per month. These grants are funded through a combination of federal TANF block grant funding, state General Fund, and county dollars. Families enrolled in CalWORKs typically are also eligible for CalFresh and Medi‑Cal health coverage.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CalWORKs caseload had reached a low of approximately 366,000 cases in 2019-20. CalWORKs caseload temporarily increased by about 3 percent during March through May of 2020, when Executive Order N-29-20 automatically recertified all recipients whose redeterminations were due during those months. However, CalWORKs then experienced the fastest five-month period of caseload declines since at least 2002. The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) suggested that the unprecedented economic assistance provided by the state and federal government, including expanded unemployment insurance benefits, could be a cause for the unexpected decline in the CalWORKs caseload. As the COVID-19 pandemic flexibilities and other increased federal assistance end, recently available data shows that the caseload began to increase again.

In September 2021, the CalWORKs caseload stopped falling, and has increased each month since October 1, 2021. CDSS estimates that the CalWORKs caseload will increase by approximately 1.6 percent for 2024-25 after seeing a 9.6 percent increase in FY 2022-23, largely due to the impacts of legislative and policy changes, including the expiration of expanded federal unemployment insurance benefits, state CalWORKs time clock and earned income disregard changes.

CalWORKs Home Visiting Program

The Home Visiting Program was established in 2010 by authority contained in the federal Affordable Care Act and is supervised by CDSS and administered by participating counties. Participating counties include Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Fresno, Humboldt, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Los Angeles, Madera, Mendocino, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo, and Yuba.^[1] This program provides voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services to pregnant and newly parenting families who are a member of a CalWORKs assistance unit. Counties contract with providers and use a variety of evidence-based models including:

• Early Head Start – Home Based Option
  
• Healthy Families America
  
• Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters
  
• Nurse Family Partnership
  
• Parent as Teachers
  
• Promoting First Relationships-Home Visiting Intervention Model

To qualify for this program the individual must be pregnant or the parent or caretaker relative of a child less than 24 months of age at the time the individual enrolls in the program. CDSS states the goals of the Home Visiting Program are to help young families reach self-sufficiency by improving family well-being; support healthy development of young children; and prepare and help families find employment resources.^[2]

Related/Prior Legislation:

AB 1070 (Arambula, 2019) would have stated in the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would expand eligibility for the CalWORKs Home Visiting Initiative to all parents served through the CalWORKs program and applicants deemed apparently eligible for CalWORKs. This bill was not moved by the author.

AB 992 (Arambula, 2017) would have established the CalWORKs Baby Wellness and Family Support Home Visiting Program in CDSS to offer a voluntary home visiting program to CalWORKs assistance units with a pregnant recipient or a child up to 24 months of age. This bill died in Senate Human Services Committee.

COMMENTS

Currently there are discrepancies in program duration timeframes of the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program versus the recommended enrollment and duration timeframes the evidence-based models are set up to serve. This creates a disconnect between model design and practice. By not allowing participants to receive the full benefit of the home visiting program design, the state loses the opportunity to gain the full benefit of the investment. This bill would address this disconnect to allow families to gain the full benefits of these evidence-based programs.

POSITIONS

Support:

Children Now (Sponsor)

County Welfare Directors Association of California (Sponsor)

California Alternative Payment Program Association

California Family Resource Association

California State Association of Counties

Child Abuse Prevention Center

Child Support Directors Association of California

County Health Executives Association of California (CHEAC)

Everychild Foundation

LA Best Babies Network

Nurse - Family Partnership

Para Los Ninos

Oppose:

None

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1. https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CWChildCare/hvp-participating-counties.pdf ↑

2. https://www.cdss.ca.gov/calworks-home-visiting-program/families ↑