Child Development Division
| Subject: Identifying and notifying former CalWORKs Stage 2 and 3 families of their opportunity to re-enroll in Stage 3 | Number: 11-24 |
| Authority: Stipulated Order of Final Settlement: Parent Voices v. California Department of Education. Case No. RG10544021. | Date: July 2011 Expires: Until Rescinded |
Attention: All CalWORKs Stage 2 and Stage 3 Child Care Program Executive Directors and Program Administrators
Purpose
The purpose of this Management Bulletin (MB) is to direct CalWORKs Stage 2 and 3 child care and development contractors on the process for identifying and notifying former CalWORKs Stage 3 and “time-out” stage 2 families, who would otherwise be eligible to receive services but for the Governor’s veto in 2010, a final opportunity to re-enroll their child(ren) into CalWORKs Stage 3.
This MB specifies that the only families that must be notified are:
- Stage 3 families whose services were terminated between October 31, 2010, and December 31, 2010, and Stage 2 families who would have enrolled in Stage 3 on or after October 31, 2010, at the end of their 24 months (timed-out), and
- Families whose eligible child(ren) are not all currently enrolled in a Child Development Division (CDD) subsidized program.
Background
On October 8, 2010, the Governor vetoed funding for CalWORKs Stage 3 as of November 1, 2010. A subsequent lawsuit resulted in an order requiring, among other activities, that Stage 2 and 3 contractors place and flag the names of children who lost services as a result of the Governor’s veto on the Centralized Eligibility List (CEL), for possible enrollment in CalWORKs Stage 3 child care if and when funding was restored.
Funding was restored March 2011. MB 11-04, which expired on June 30, 2011, provided instructions for contractors to contact CalWORKs Stage 3 and timed-out Stage 2 families, whose names were flagged on the CEL and who were not currently being served in another CDD subsidized program, and set forth the process to re-enroll these families into a CalWORKs Stage 3 child care and development program.
Pursuant to a Stipulated Order of Final Settlement, approved by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Wynne Carvill in the Parent Voices v. California Department of Education (CDE) litigation, the CDE is issuing this MB to provide former CalWORKs Stage 3 and “timed-out” Stage 2 families, who would otherwise be eligible to receive services but for the Governor’s veto in 2010, a final opportunity to re-enroll their child into a CalWORKs Stage 3 child care and development program, regardless of whether their name was flagged on the CEL.
Policy
Contractors must make efforts, as set forth below, to identify and notify in writing former CalWORKs families whose eligible children are not currently receiving CDD subsidized child care and development services, and provide them a final opportunity to re-enroll in CalWORKs Stage 3. Identification and notification for this opportunity is limited to:
- Stage 3 families whose child care was terminated between October 31, 2010, and December 31, 2010, because of the Stage 3 veto, and
- Stage 2 families that lost their child care on or after October 31, 2010, because of the Stage 3 veto.
If a contractor has already taken each of the steps set forth below, they are not required to take further action. However, because the names of some former Stage 3 and Stage 2 timed-out children or families may not have been on the CEL, contractors are required to identify and notify families who were not previously identified and notified.
Contractors also have the discretion to use the process below and allow families previously identified and notified pursuant to MB 11-04, but who were not re-enrolled in Stage 3 within the time line prescribed earlier this year, to re-enroll now assuming they remain otherwise eligible.
Directive
Process for Identifying and Notifying Families
Using any available internal database or record keeping systems, such as NOHO or KinderCare, contractors must identify children from families described above.
Contractors must complete the missing information and send the attached notification, Last Chance to Enroll Your Child in Stage 3 Child Care Services (Attachment A) (DOC), as soon as possible, but no later than July 15, 2011, via U.S. mail, e-mail, and/or fax to the identified children or families that were not previously notified pursuant to MB 11-04. At minimum, families must be given 45 calendar days (or a longer deadline as the agency may provide) from the date the letter is sent to come in for an appointment. If an agency needs more time than 45 days for this process to occur, it must give additional time so that families are not penalized because the agency did not have time to schedule their appointment.
Contractors wanting to do more than the above guidelines to locate and notify families may do so. For example, contractors may wish to make telephone calls to affected families.
The CDD further recommends that contractors send a copy of Attachment A to the family’s last provider of record so that the provider may also attempt to inform the family to contact their contractor regarding possible re-enrollment in services.
Process for Re-enrolling Families
Contractors should use the documentation in the family’s Stage 2 or 3 data file as the basis for determining eligibility and need for the re-enrollment process. At the appointment, the contractor’s staff shall ask the parent(s) to update and sign the application for services, pursuant to the requirements of California Code of Regulation, Title 5 (5 CCR), Section 180103(b).
If the parent(s) confirms that the eligibility and need information remains accurate, the family should be re-enrolled in Stage 3 and issued a Notice of Action (NOA) pursuant to 5 CCR, Section 18095, confirming their re-enrollment in Stage 3.
The family does not need to be recertified at this appointment. Recertification should take place at the family’s regularly scheduled recertification date or if their recertification date has already passed, within 30 days of re-enrollment.
If the parent(s) indicates that the information has changed, the contractor should update the application for services pursuant to 5 CCR, Section 18103(b). If the parent(s)’ continued eligibility cannot be verified, or if the family is no longer eligible based on documentation provided, the contractor must issue a NOA denying services pursuant to 5 CCR Section 18095.
Reporting the Number of Families and Children being Re-enrolled
By the first of each month beginning September 1, 2011, and ending January 1, 2012, contractors must report to the CDE the total number of families/children being re-enrolled into the CalWORKs Stage 3 child care program.
Please send your report to Gretchen Williams by e-mail at gwilliams@cde.ca.gov using the following format:
CalWORKs Stage 3 Agency Name |
Report Month |
County(ies) Served (list all, if more than one, for the impacted family/child(ren)) |
Number of Screenings |
Number of Families Re-enrolled |
Number of Children Re-enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(Enter name) |
(Enter month) |
(Enter county names) |
(Enter number) |
(Enter number) |
(Enter number) |
Questions regarding the information in this MB should be addressed to your CDD Field Services Consultant or by phone at 916-322-6233.
This Management Bulletin is mandatory only to the extent that it cites a specific statutory and/or regulatory requirement or required by court order. Any portion of this Management Bulletin that is not supported by a specific statutory and/or regulatory requirement is not prescriptive pursuant to California Education Code Section 33308.5.
