Child Care Services
What are Child Care Services?
CalWORKs provides cash aid and subsidized child care services to eligible families who are participating in Welfare-to-Work program. The purpose of the Child Care program is to support parents as they transition to the stable, long-term child care necessary for the family to leave and remain off aid.
Three-Stage Child Care System
The CalWORKs program has a three-stage child care system to help families connect with local child care resources.
- The CalWORKs Stage One Child Care program provides child care to eligible CalWORKs families when they first engage in the program.
- CalWORKs families move to Stage Two when they are discontinued from cash aid or when the participant's work or school activity becomes stable. Families may remain in Stage Two until they have been off cash aid for two years or until their income reaches 75% of the state's median income.
- Stage Three is for former CalWORKs customers and the general population when spaces are funded and available.
Note: Department of Human Assistance (DHA) administers Stage One Child Care only. For Stage Two and Three, families are transferred out to Child Action, Inc.
Child Care Benefits for CalWORKs Families
If you are receiving cash aid and participating in a Welfare to Work activity with the Department of Human Assistance (DHA), ask your worker to send a referral for child care to the Child Care Processing Unit. You will be enrolled on DHA's Stage One program.
When you are approved for Stage One Child Care, your provider will be paid within 21 days after submitting the completed attendance forms.
If you were on cash aid within the last 24 months and are no longer aided, you could be eligible for Child Action's Stage 2 program. If you think you are eligible, please call (916-361-0511) to apply.
If you have never been on cash aid or it's been longer than 24 months, you can call the CEL (916-369-0191) or go online at Child Action, Inc. to apply for services.
If you were on cash aid within the last 24 months and are no longer aided, you could be eligible for Child Action's Stage Two program. If you think you are eligible, please call (916) 361-0511 to apply.
If you have never been on cash aid or it's been longer than 24 months, you can call Child Action at (916) 369-0191 or go online at Child Action, Inc. to apply for services.
For information about your case, use one of the following options:
Online: BenefitsCal.com
By phone: 1-800-560-0976
By Fax: (916) 876-8454 or e-fax (916) 854-9225
By Mail: P.O. Box 487 Sacramento, CA 95812
In Person: See locations
Reasonable Accommodations
Do you have any physical, mental, developmental, or emotional conditions that make it hard for you to apply for benefits or meet program requirements? We can give you extra help. We call this type of help a reasonable accommodation.
To request a reasonable accommodation, you may:
- Verbally by calling the Service Center at 1-800-560-0976 or while speaking to a worker about your case
- Submit a written request online, by mail, by fax, or in person
The law protects people with physical, mental, emotional, and developmental disabilities as well as others with serious health problems (42 U.S.C. § 12132). For more information, please review the PUB 13 and USDA Nondiscrimination Statement.