Plain English Breakdown
The official text specifies a maximum of 12 months for continued service after exiting CalWORKs, but does not define what happens if a family needs more than that.
AB-607: CalWORKs Home Visiting Program Time Limits
This law limits how long families can stay in the home visiting program to match the specific model's duration and sets a new rule for continuing services after leaving cash assistance.
What This Bill Does
- Sets a limit so that time on the program cannot be longer than the length of the specific home visiting model being used.
- Allows people who leave their CalWORKs case or are removed from it to keep getting services until they finish the program or for up to 12 months, whichever happens first.
Who It Names or Affects
- Pregnant individuals and parents or caretakers of children under 24 months old who enroll in the program.
- People who are members of a CalWORKs assistance unit, have child-only cases, or appear eligible for aid but may not currently be receiving it.
Terms To Know
- CalWORKs
- A state program that gives cash help and benefits to qualified low-income families and individuals.
- Home Visiting Program
- Voluntary services where trained staff visit homes to support the health, development, and well-being of pregnant people, parents, and infants born into poverty.
- Assistance Unit
- The group of family members who are together on a CalWORKs case for benefits.
Limits and Unknowns
- The bill does not state the exact number of months each specific home visiting model lasts.
- It is unclear how this change affects counties that do not currently offer the program since participation is voluntary.