Does CalFresh require proof of childcare expenses or just self-reporting?

They can count your childcare costs as a deduction which helps increase your CalFresh amount, but they do need verification. Since you pay your sister cash, you'll need to create a simple statement that both you and your sister sign. It should include: - Your sister's name and contact info - How much you pay her monthly - Names and ages of your children - Days/hours she provides care - Both your signatures I went through this last year during recertification. The county accepted a handwritten statement from my neighbor who watches my son. Make sure you both sign it, though! Without verification, they won't apply the deduction.

when i applied they just took my word for it but that was back in 2023 maybe the rules changed??

I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM last month!!! My aunt watches my kids and I pay her $400/mo. The worker REFUSED to count it because I didn't have receipts. I called the office SIX TIMES trying to get it fixed and kept getting stuck in their stupid phone system. FINALLY I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at the county in like 5 mins. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 When I finally talked to a supervisor, she told me I just needed a signed statement from my aunt with the info about childcare. They accepted it and recalculated my benefits! The system is so frustrating!!!!

my cousin got denied for this exact reason last year it's so frustrating when they make everything so complicated

I'm going through CalFresh recertification right now and just dealt with this. For childcare costs, they initially asked for receipts, but when I explained I pay my mother-in-law cash, they accepted a statement we both signed. The worker said they need SOME form of verification, but it can be pretty simple. What really matters is that the information is consistent. Like, don't say you pay $650 on the application then have a statement showing $850. They look for discrepancies. Also, the amount needs to be reasonable based on your income - if you claim $2000 in childcare but only make $2500 a month, they'll question how you afford rent and other expenses. In 2025, they're being more careful about verifications in general because there was apparently a lot of benefit fraud during COVID.

For everyone's reference, here's what the official CDSS CalFresh regulations say about childcare verification: Childcare expenses can be verified through: 1. Billing statements 2. Receipts 3. Cancelled checks 4. Written statement from the provider 5. Collateral contact with the provider If verification cannot be obtained, a client's sworn statement can be accepted if reasonable. So yes, they do need some verification, but a simple signed statement is usually sufficient for informal care arrangements like family members watching children.

I work at a community organization that helps ppl with benefits (not a county worker tho). From what I've seen, different counties handle this differently. Some counties are super strict and want formal receipts, others will take a statement. One thing that can help - if your sister has a phone number, put that on the statement. Sometimes they'll call to verify. Also, if your sister lives at a different address than you, include that too. Makes it more "official" looking even though it's just a personal statement. They're mainly trying to prevent people from making up fake childcare costs to increase benefits. That's why they want SOME kind of proof. And FYI this verification is only required once a year or when you report a change, not every month.

Does anyone know if they verify the person watching your kids has a license or something??? My mom watches my daughter but she doesn't have any kind of daycare license.

my friend just writes herself receipts for her mom watching her kids lol the county never checks

I went through this same situation about 6 months ago with my niece watching my kids. What worked for me was creating a simple childcare agreement that included: - Both our names and addresses - My kids' names and ages - The monthly payment amount ($650 in your case) - Schedule/hours of care - Both signatures and the date I also included a brief note explaining it was an informal family arrangement paid in cash. The county worker accepted it without any issues and applied the deduction to my benefits. Don't stress too much - they understand that many families have informal childcare arrangements, especially with relatives. The key is just showing that it's a real expense and not made up. Good luck with your verification!