CAN I GET MONEY FOR CHILD CARE?
CalWORKs will pay for child care for children up to age 12, and up to age 21 if the child is disabled and needs special care. You may be eligible for child care even if you are under a CalWORKs sanction, and after you leave CalWORKs for up to two years. If you are low income, working, but did not ever get CalWORKs cash aid, you may still qualify for subsidized child care. For information call (916)369-0191.
1. How Do I Get Child Care?
If you are receiving cash aid and participating in Welfare to Work activity with the Department of Human Assistance (DHA), ask your worker to send a Stage 1 Referral for child care, DHA will handle your child care at first. After DHA approves your case and says you are stable on aid, DHA will send your case to Child Action for Stage 2 Child Care.
If you were on cash aid within the last 24 months and are no longer aided, you could be eligible for CAI’s Stage 2 program. If you think you are eligible, call (916) 361-0511 to apply.
2. Choosing Quality Child Care
It is your right as a parent to choose the child care you think is best for your child. The agency will give you referrals and information on what to look for when choosing a provider. If you decide the referrals are not good choices, ask for more referrals. Choose the child care that’s best for you:
• Child care centers, preschools, or family child care are licensed.
• License-exempt child care can be provided by friends, relatives, or neighbors. If you use license-exempt care, you will need to file a statement that your provider meets minimal health and safety requirements. Your provider may also need to be Trustline registered (criminal background check and fingerprinting.). The child care agency will not pay for child care provided to you by someone on your CalWORKs case.
• If the provider is caring for children from more than one family (besides their own) they may need a license.
Most providers will have to be Trustline registered, meaning they are fingerprinted and go through a criminal background check, before they can be paid. If the provider is the child’s aunt, uncle, grandmother, or grandfather, they are exempt from the Trustline registration process.