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California
Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs)
CalWORKs is a program that provides cash assistance
and services to eligible needy California families.
The program serves all 58 counties in the state and
is operated locally by the Department of Employment
and Social Services in the Butte Community Employment
Centers. Eligible families in need of immediate short
term help and those who qualify for ongoing assistance
receive money to help pay for housing, food, utilities
and other necessary expenses.
CalWORKs
payments are issued in the form of a check. The amount
of a family's monthly assistance payment depends on
a number of factors, including the number of people
who are eligible and the special needs of any of those
family members. The income of the family is considered
in calculating the amount of cash aid they may receive.
There
are other programs and benefits for which they may qualify
by being on CalWORKs. See Other Programs and Services
below for a listing of these services.
Who
May Be Eligible
Specific eligibility requirements take into account an
applicant's citizenship, age, income, resources, assets
and other factors. Generally, services are available to:
- Families
that have a child(ren) in the home who has been deprived
of parental support or care because of the absence,
disability or death of either parent.
-
Families with a child(ren) when both parents are in
the home but the principal earner is unemployed.
-
Needy caretaker relatives of a foster child(ren).
How
To Get Help
Families requesting assistance must complete an application.
The family can ask for immediate help if it has little
or no cash and needs emergency housing, food, utilities,
clothing or medical care.
An
interview with a worker will be scheduled to obtain
facts and verify eligibility. Applicants must provide
proof of income and property, citizenship status, age,
social security number, residence, shelter costs, work
or school status and other information. Similar information
may be requested for all of the people in the home.
Additionally, adult family members must also be fingerprinted
and photographed.
At
the interview, applicants are advised of the rules of
eligibility for CalWORKs. If the applicant(s) are determined
to be eligible for CalWORKs, the family will receive
monthly checks through the mail.
If an interpreter is needed please ask at the time an
appointment is made so one can be made available for
the interview. There is no cost to you for the services
of an interpreter.
Other
Programs and Services
There are many other programs and benefits for which a
CalWORKs family may qualify:
- Food
Stamps: In most cases, eligible CalWORKs families
qualify for food stamps to help meet their food needs.
Often, the CalWORKs application is automatically used
by the County to assess the family's food stamp eligibility.
-
Medical Coverage:
In most cases, each member of the family receiving
CalWORKs will also qualify for Medi-Cal which will
pay for most medical costs. The County will explain
this benefit to the applicant.
- Child
Support: If the family includes a child aided
by CalWORKs whose parent is not living with the caretaker,
the County will automatically notify the Department
of Child Support Services (DCSS).
DCSS will provide all necessary child support services,
including establishing paternity, establishing and
enforcing a support obligation and collecting support
payments. If the child's paternity has not been previously
established, the adult caretaker is required to help
DCSS do so. This may mean participating in an interview
and submitting the child to blood testing if the alleged
parent, once contacted, refuses to acknowledge paternity.
- Welfare-to-Work
Program: The Welfare-to-Work Program helps family
members acquire the skills needed to get a job. The
County will determine if a family must participate
in Welfare-to-Work activities as a requirement for
CalWORKs. Families may also volunteer to participate.
- Family
Planning: Any member of the family can get information
about methods for planning family size, deciding when
to have children and preventing unwanted pregnancies.
- Child
Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP): Regular,
preventative medical check-ups are available to help
protect those members of the CalWORKs family who are
under the age of 21. The County will provide the family
with information about this benefit.
- Social
Services: If the family needs help with a family
problem, such as drug abuse or legal issues, assistance
may be available.
- Child
Care:
Families that receive CalWORKs may also be eligible
for child care services, such as help paying child
care costs. The County will explain to the family
what services are available.
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