DPSS ePolicy

CCCs responsibilities and duties are as follows:

Receiving Request for Child Care

1. Add child care request to the CalSAWS "Child Care Request Detail" page upon receipt of a participant's request for child care, whether in person, via telephone, U.S. mail, or  the ST1-01, CalWORKs Stage 1 Child Care Request form.
2. Thoroughly document CalSAWS Journal to reflect all child care related communications and action taken. 

          In the event that CalSAWS is temporarily unavailable:

The ST1-01, CalWORKs Stage 1 Child Care Request form must be manually completed and forwarded to the appropriate R&R/APP agency.

Assisting Participants and Providers with Child Care Forms

Explain and/or assist in completion of necessary child care forms, including, but not limited to:

1. ST1-01, CalWORKs Stage 1 Child Care Request;
2. ST1-05, CalWORKs Stage 1 Participant-Provider Services Application;
3. PA 129, Child Care-General Information;
4. PA 129-1, Child Care Payment Requirements; and 
5. Any other child care forms requiring completion by the participant or provider.  

Responding to Requests for Child Care Information   

CCCs must be able and available to answer questions and provide information pertaining to the CalWORKs S1CC Program whenever inquiries are received from current or former CalWORKs participants, child care providers, other DPSS staff, R&R/APP agencies, Cal-Learn/REP/MAXIMUS contractors, the community, Board offices, etc.

Such information would include, but may not be limited to:     

1. CalWORKs Child Care policies, processes and procedures, including child care provider payment requirements;
2. Overview of the three Stages of CalWORKs Child Care;
3. Participants' rights and responsibilities as they pertain to the CalWORKs Child Care Program;
4. "Parental Choice" and access to licensed and license-exempt providers;
5. Linking participants with co-located R&R/APP staff, or the appropriate R&R agency for assistance in locating licensed child care providers, when requested by the participant; and 
6. Information/documents from DPSS Eligibility/GAIN case records needed to determine or maintain child care eligibility.   

Handling Child Care Inquiries/Complaints

1. Resolve inquiries or complaint calls from current and former participants, child care providers, community advocates, Cal-Learn/REP/MAXIMUS contractors, the Child Care Hotline, GAIN/Eligibility, Child Care Program Section, and R&R/APP staff about child care-related issues/concerns.
2. Provide initial response to an inquiry or complaint call on the same day that it is received, follow the Child Care policy in Section 1210.13.
3. Resolve issues/concerns in a timely manner, within established time frames and consistent  with established policies, such as, those concerning protection and dissemination of confidential CalWORKs participant or case information.       

Handling Instances of Suspected Child Care Fraud

1. When there is reasonable suspicion that fraud is being committed in the S1CC Program, initiate fraud referrals to the Welfare Fraud Prevention and Investigations Section (WFP&I) by electronically submitting the referral via CalSAWS.
2. Assist WFP&I staff with gathering child care information and/or documents needed for determining whether or not a participant and/or provider has committed child care fraud,  and in situations where the child care case is being referred to the District Attorney (DA).
3. Follow the Child Care policy in Section 1210.12 when fraud  is suspected in th CalWORKs S1CC Program.    

Ensuring Appeals and State Hearing Compliance

Assist Appeals Hearing Specialists in the DPSS Appeals and State Hearings Section, Child Care Program Section, and R&R/APP staff to obtain any child care information or documents needed from the participant and in DPSS Eligibility/GAIN case records for child care hearing and/or compliance with State Hearing Conditional Withdrawals or Hearing Decisions, follow the Child Care policy in Section 1210.13. 

Assisting R&R/APP agency Staff in Establishing Child Care Eligibility 

It is critical that CCCs assist R&R/APP agencies when a request is received from  R&R/APP staff  for case information or documents.  This will enable R&R/APP staff to process child care requests timely and maintain ongoing cases without unnecessary delays or disruption in services.

As such,  CCCs must assist the R&R/APP agencies in the following instances:

1. Registering participants into the GAIN Program when the participant has requested child care services due to employment, school, or training and the participant is not currently GAIN-registered;
2. Facilitate communication between R&R/APP staff and the appropriate GAIN Services Worker (GSW) to add a participant's WtW activity or the actual start date of the GAIN activity to CalSAWS when the information is not reflected on CalSAWS and the R&R/APP agency staff are unable to contact the GSW or GAIN Services Supervisor (GSS) for assistance;   
3. Assist  R&R/APP staff in communicating with the appropriate DPSS Eligibility Worker (EW) to clarify a participant's CalWORKs eligibility, or revise/update participant information in CalSAWS, as appropriate and when needed;
4. Assist R&R/APP agency staff in determining child care eligibility for families who are no longer receiving CalWORKs cash aid; and
5. Follow the Child Care policy in Section 1210.10 when a request is received from the R&R/APP agency for CalWORKs eligibility or GAIN case information/documents.    

Assisting R&R/APP Agency Staff Resolve Participant's Unavailability to Sign Provider Payment Request (PPR) 

When a participant becomes unavailable to sign a PPR, the provider may submit the PPR to the R&R/APP agency annotated with the reason for the participant's unavailability to sign the document.  As a measure of program integrity, the R&R/APP agencies are mandated by contract to send the unsigned PPRs to the CCC for follow-up and signature.  The guidelines below should be followed when a CCC is in receipt of an unsigned PPR: 

1. Upon receipt of an unsigned PPR, the R&R/APP agency staff will scan the PPR and e-mail it to the corresponding CCC requesting their assistance with the unsigned PPR.
2. The CCC will coordinate with the Case-Carrying GSW and outreach to the participant in efforts to have the participant come to the GAIN office to sign the PPR.
3. If unsuccessful in having the participant come to the GAIN office to sign the PPR, the CCC will validate the child care dates/hours being claimed on the unsigned PPR  with the corresponding activity/employment information in CalSAWS.
4. If unable to verify the activity dates on the PPR to activities/dates in CalSAWS, the CCC shall contact the R&R/APP agency for further clarification and/or information. 
5. Once the dates/hours on the PPR have been validated to the activities/dates in CalSAWS, the CCC will annotate on the PPR that the listed dates align with activities in CalSAWS.  The CCC will sign the PPR on behalf of the participant.
6. Upon receipt of the PPR, the R&R/APP agency staff  shall; 
   • Case note the participant's file;
   • Attach the case notes, a copy of the email from the CCC and the signed PPR to the original PPR; and
   • Process for reimbursement. 
7. The CCC signature verifies that a child care need was present during the date(s) on the PPR,  as information is cross-referenced with information available in CalSAWS and determined that an activity was open in CalSAWS during  the corresponding dates on the PPR.           

Child Care Coordinators Meetings

1. CCCs and their back-ups must attend the Child Care Coordinators' meeting conducted by the Child Care Program Section.
2. These meetings act as a forum to reinforce existing child care policies and procedures, and to discuss new and/or any changes to current child care regulations.  
3. The CCCs must share information received at the meetings with their District  Directors/Regional Directors to update their general staff. 
4. The CCCs must provide in-service training to staff on current, new and changed child care regulations, policies and procedures received from  the CCC meetings.    

ST1-01 - CalWORKs Stage 1 Child Care Request (PDF)

ST1-05 - CalWORKs Stage 1 Participant-Provider Services Application (PDF)

PA 129 - Child Care - General Information (PDF)

PA 129-1 - Child Care Payment Requirements (PDF)

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Administrative staff may contact  the Child Care Program Section at (562) 908-6088. 

November 17, 2017

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