I'm also new to CalWORKs and just got approved for Stage One childcare! My mom will be watching my 2-year-old and 6-year-old while I complete my WTW hours. This thread has been incredibly helpful - so much better than the vague information my caseworker provided. From reading everyone's experiences, I'm now prepared for the 4-6 week wait for the first payment and understand about the 70% rate for family providers. One question I have that I haven't seen addressed - does anyone know if the childcare payments are affected at all if you're also receiving other CalWORKs benefits like CalFresh? I want to make sure there won't be any issues or reductions when multiple programs are involved. Also, for the attendance forms, do you submit one form per child or is there a single form that covers all children being watched? My mom will have kids of different ages so I want to make sure we're tracking everything correctly from the start. Thanks to everyone who's shared their real experiences here - it's made this whole process feel much more manageable for us newcomers!

I'm also brand new to CalWORKs and just starting the childcare approval process! My grandmother is going to watch my 4-year-old twins while I attend my job training program. This entire thread has been incredibly informative - thank you all for sharing your real experiences! From reading through everyone's responses, I'm getting a much clearer picture of what to expect: the 4-6 week wait for first payment, the 70% rate for family providers (around $4-5/hour per child), and the importance of submitting those monthly attendance forms by the 10th. I do have one question - has anyone dealt with childcare for twins specifically? I'm wondering if there are any special considerations or if the payment is just calculated as two separate children at the regular rate. Also, since my grandmother is in her 70s, are there any age restrictions or additional requirements for older family providers? The tip about calling the childcare payment unit directly instead of trying to reach your regular caseworker is golden - I'm definitely going to try that for county-specific rate information. Thanks again everyone for making this process feel so much less overwhelming for us newcomers!

That's great news that you got your Notice of Action and the reduction wasn't as bad as expected! $276 for CalFresh plus $922 for CalWORKs is definitely better than just the $435 you had before. Good luck with your WTW appointment - the childcare assistance can be a huge help when you're job searching. Also, once you do find work, remember that CalWORKs has earned income disregards that let you keep more of your benefits while working, so don't be afraid to take a job thinking you'll lose everything right away. The system is designed to help you transition to work gradually. Keep us posted on how things go!

I went through the exact same thing about 6 months ago! My CalFresh dropped from $412 to $298 when I got approved for CalWORKs, but honestly it was still worth it overall. One thing that helped me was creating a new budget right away - I treat part of my CalWORKs cash as "grocery money" to make up for the CalFresh reduction. Also, if you haven't already, make sure you're signed up for any local food banks or pantries in your area. They can really help stretch your food budget, especially during that adjustment period when you're getting used to the new benefit amounts. The first month or two felt tight but now I've got a system that works!

Update: I tried that Claimyr service and IT WORKED!!! Got through to a person in 20 minutes after trying for a week on my own. Turns out they needed verification of my new job's pay stubs because the format looks different from my old ones. They're giving me 10 days to submit them and said my benefits won't stop if I get them in. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for the help!

I'm so glad you got through and figured it out! This whole thread is such a perfect example of how broken the communication system is. Like seriously, how hard would it be for them to just include a checklist in the notice that says "Missing: new paystub format verification" instead of just "incomplete"?? For anyone else reading this - definitely save Claimyr and that assembly member tip for future reference. And @Javier Torres thanks for explaining the 30-day restoration rule - I had no idea that existed and it could save people so much stress and reapplication hassle! It's crazy that we have to crowdsource this basic information because the actual system is so hard to navigate. But at least we're all helping each other out! 💪

This is such valuable information for families! I'm a case worker (though not in your county) and I can confirm everything that's been shared here is correct. The automatic termination at 18 is unfortunately common when proper documentation isn't on file beforehand. For anyone else reading this thread, here are a few additional tips: - If your teen is in an alternative education program or independent study, make sure the verification letter specifically states it's equivalent to traditional high school - Keep copies of everything you submit, including dates and who you spoke with - If your regular worker is unavailable, ask to speak with their supervisor - don't let coverage issues delay getting this handled @Mason Stone - you handled this perfectly by being proactive. That receipt is gold - keep it safe! And for others in similar situations, this thread shows exactly why this community is so helpful for navigating the system.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm also new to the CalWORKs system and caring for my teenage niece who will turn 18 next year while still in high school. Reading through everyone's experiences really highlights how important it is to be proactive rather than reactive with these situations. @Mason Stone - you did exactly the right thing getting that documentation submitted early. It's so frustrating when your regular worker is unavailable during critical times like this, but you found a way to get it handled properly. One thing I'm curious about - for those who had to deal with getting benefits reinstated after they were cut off, how long did that process typically take? I want to understand the worst-case scenario in case something goes wrong despite proper preparation. It sounds like it can be a real nightmare from some of the stories shared here. Thanks again to everyone sharing their knowledge and experiences. This community is such a valuable resource for families trying to navigate these complex systems!

Hey Andre! I'm pretty new to CalWORKs myself (been on it about 4 months) and I totally get the anxiety about not knowing what happens after you submit your SAR7. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful - it sounds like the main thing is that no news is actually good news, which is the opposite of what I would have expected! I'm also in school (finishing my nursing prerequisites) so I really relate to trying to balance everything while depending on these benefits. It's encouraging to see other people making it work. One thing I learned from my first SAR7 experience is to take a screenshot or photo of everything before I mail it in - that way I have a record of exactly what I sent if any questions come up later. Definitely sounds like setting up that BenefitsCal online account is the way to go for next time. I've been putting it off but after reading about being able to track the status and get confirmation numbers, I'm going to do it today. Good luck with school and I hope your SAR7 processes smoothly! 📚

I've been on CalWORKs for about 6 months now and I remember having this exact same anxiety after my first SAR7! The waiting and not knowing is honestly the worst part. What really helped me was creating a little calendar reminder to check my BenefitsCal account and EBT balance about 10 days after submitting - that way I wasn't obsessively checking every day but still stayed on top of it. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier is that you can actually call the county office and ask them to confirm they received your mailed SAR7 without having to talk to your specific worker. Just ask for "document verification" and give them your case number. They can usually tell you right away if it's in their system. Since you mentioned this is only your second SAR7, you're still learning the rhythm of how this all works. It gets less stressful once you realize that the system, while flawed, does generally work if you submit everything correctly. The fact that you triple-checked and included all your pay stubs sounds like you did everything right! Also wanted to say good for you for working part-time while finishing school - that's not easy to balance but you're investing in your future. Keep up the good work! 🎓