CalWORKs childcare payment rates for Stage One? Mom watching kids 20hrs/week

The payment rates depend on your county and your kids' ages. For Stage One childcare, license-exempt providers (like family members) usually get about 70% of what licensed providers get. In most counties, for preschool age kids it's around $15-18 per child per day for full days or $10-12 for part days. So if your mom is watching two kids for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, she might get around $100-120 per week for both kids. When summer comes and she's watching all six kids, that amount would go up accordingly. Make sure your mom fills out the childcare attendance forms accurately each month - they're pretty strict about those forms being complete and on time or they won't process payment.

They pay WAAAAY less for family members than regular daycare!!! My sister watched my kids and only got like 65% of what a daycare would get. Its ridiculous bc she did the SAME WORK!! And payments were always late, sometimes 6 weeks after care was provided. Just warning you so ur mom doesn't get disappointed

I went through this last year with my mom watching my kids. The rate for license-exempt providers (family members) is set by the state at 70% of the Regional Market Rate (RMR). For a 3 and 4 year old in Stage One, your mom would get paid based on an hourly, daily, or weekly rate depending on how many hours of care she provides. For example, in my county it was about $4.50/hour per child for part-time care (less than 30 hours/week). So for two kids at 20 hours/week, that would be around $180/week. During summer when she watches all six, the rate may actually be capped at a certain point, as there are maximum payment thresholds. Your caseworker should give you the CalWORKs CCP1 and CCP2 forms that explain all this. Your mom will need to submit timesheets (CCP 500) every month by the 10th to get paid by the end of the month. The first payment typically takes 4-6 weeks to process as they set up her provider status in the system.

My friend watches her sisters kids and CalWorks pays her 5.36 an hour for each kid in Sacramento county. It took a full month to get the first payment it came as a check in the mail but now she gets direct deposit. Hope that helps

I've been trying to reach someone at my county's childcare payment unit for THREE WEEKS about a similar question. Keep getting voicemail and no callbacks. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a live person. You can see how it works in their video: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE They connected me directly to a CalWORKs specialist who pulled up my case and answered all my childcare payment questions. Saved me so much time and stress. The worker confirmed for me that family providers get paid monthly, and the first payment does take 4-6 weeks typically. They also told me about a form my provider needed to complete to get direct deposit set up.

my mom watches my kid and she gets $3.75/hr in riverside county. its a joke honestly for the work she does but better than nothing i guess??? the worst part is how long it takes to get paid she waited like 2 months for first payment!!!! be sure to tell your mom so she doesn't count on the money right away

Just to clarify something important - the childcare payments aren't considered income for your mom when it comes to her taxes or benefits. They're considered reimbursement for expenses. So if she's on any benefits herself (SSI, CalFresh, etc.) this shouldn't affect her eligibility. Many family providers worry about this. Also, the payment process has improved in many counties since 2023. Stage One payments are now processed within 30 days of receiving completed attendance records in most counties. Stage Two and Three (which you'll transition to after a certain period in CalWORKs) are typically faster with electronic payments. Make sure your mom is properly set up as a license-exempt provider in the system. There are specific forms she needs to complete including a background attestation form. Your worker should provide these, but if they haven't, request the TrustLine Alternative forms specifically.

One more thing - don't forget that your mom needs to track and report any meal expenses separately on the childcare forms. Stage One offers food reimbursement for childcare providers through a program similar to CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program). It's not much, but it can add a little extra. She just needs to mark which meals she provides on the attendance forms. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks all have different reimbursement rates.

does ur mom have to do fingerprints? my sister had to and it took FOREVER to process. that was back in 2023 tho maybe its different now

I'm new to CalWORKs and just got approved for childcare too! This thread is super helpful. One question - does anyone know if the payment amount changes if my mom watches the kids at her house versus my house? My caseworker mentioned something about different rates for in-home vs out-of-home care but I couldn't understand what she meant. Also, do they reimburse for transportation costs if she has to drive to pick up/drop off kids for activities during WTW hours?

Hey @Liam Duke! Welcome to CalWORKs! From what I've experienced, the payment rate is the same whether your mom watches the kids at her house or yours - it's all considered license-exempt family care. The "in-home vs out-of-home" thing your worker mentioned might be about licensed daycare centers vs family providers, not about location. As for transportation, that's usually not covered under the childcare payments themselves. However, if your mom needs to transport the kids to WTW-related activities (like if you're in school and need kids picked up), you might be able to get separate transportation assistance through your county's ancillary services. I'd ask your worker specifically about "supportive services" for transportation - it's a different pot of money than childcare payments. The childcare payment is really just for the hours of care provided, not additional services like transportation. But definitely worth asking about other support programs that might help with those costs!

I just went through this process with my aunt watching my 2-year-old! A few things that might help: First, make sure your mom knows she'll need to fill out attendance sheets EVERY month by the 10th - they're super strict about this deadline. Second, the payment can vary quite a bit by county. I'm in Alameda County and my aunt gets about $4.25/hour per child for part-time care under 30 hours/week. One thing nobody mentioned yet - if your mom has any other adults living in her household (like a partner, adult kids, etc.), they might need to do background checks too depending on your county's rules. This can slow down the approval process. Also, keep copies of EVERYTHING - the attendance forms, any correspondence, approval letters. The system can be glitchy and having your own records saved me when they "lost" my paperwork twice. The good news is once it's set up and running smoothly, it's pretty reliable. Just be patient with that first payment - it really does take 4-6 weeks typically. Your mom is awesome for helping you meet your WTW requirements!

I'm going through the exact same situation right now! My mom is going to watch my 2 and 5 year old while I do my WTW activities. From what I've learned so far, the rates really do vary by county but the 70% of market rate that others mentioned seems accurate. One thing I found helpful was calling the childcare payment unit directly instead of trying to reach my regular caseworker - they were much more responsive about payment questions. The number should be on your approval notice or you can get it from the main CalWORKs office. Also, make sure to ask about the meal reimbursement that Logan mentioned - my mom was excited to learn about that since she'll be feeding the kids lunch every day. Every little bit helps! Has anyone here dealt with the transition from Stage One to Stage Two? I'm wondering how that affects the payment rates and if there are any gaps in coverage during the switch.

I'm in a similar situation and just got approved for Stage One childcare last month! My mom will be watching my twin 4-year-olds while I attend my job training program. From what I've learned so far, the payment process can be frustrating but it's worth it once everything is set up. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - make sure your mom gets set up for direct deposit right away if possible. The checks can get delayed in the mail and direct deposit is much more reliable. Also, I'd recommend having your mom start keeping detailed records of the hours and activities even before the first payment comes through, just to get in the habit. The attendance forms are pretty straightforward once you see them - they just want date, time in/out, and your signature. The key is being consistent and turning them in by the 10th of each month no matter what. Good luck with your WTW activities! It's so nice to have family support during this process.

I'm just starting the CalWORKs childcare process too and this whole thread has been incredibly helpful! My grandmother is going to watch my 6-year-old and 3-year-old while I do my WTW requirements. One thing I'm wondering about that I haven't seen mentioned - does the payment rate change if one of the kids has special needs? My 6-year-old is on an IEP and needs some extra attention during the day. Also, if my grandmother needs to take him to therapy appointments during her childcare hours, does that count as regular childcare time or is there a different process for that? I'm also curious about the background check process for family members. Several people mentioned it's been streamlined, but does anyone know roughly how long that takes to complete? I want to give my grandmother a realistic timeline for when she can expect to start getting paid. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences here - it's so much more helpful than the generic info packets they give you!

I'm also new to CalWORKs and going through the childcare approval process right now! This thread has been incredibly helpful - way more informative than anything my caseworker has provided so far. My situation is similar - my sister will be watching my 18-month-old and 4-year-old while I attend my WTW activities (about 25 hours per week). Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like I should expect around $4-5 per hour per child based on the 70% rate for family providers, but I'll definitely call the childcare payment unit directly to get the exact rate for my county. A few questions for those who've been through this: Has anyone had experience with infants/toddlers under 2? I'm wondering if the rate is different for my 18-month-old versus my 4-year-old. Also, for the attendance forms, do you need to track exact minutes or is it okay to round to the nearest quarter hour? Thanks again to everyone for sharing your real experiences - it's made this whole process feel much less overwhelming knowing what to actually expect!

I'm also navigating the CalWORKs childcare system as a newcomer and this thread has been incredibly valuable! My aunt will be watching my 2-year-old and 5-year-old during my WTW activities starting next month. One thing I want to add that might help others - I found out that some counties have online portals where family providers can submit their attendance forms electronically instead of mailing them in. This can speed up processing time and you get confirmation that they received it. Worth asking your caseworker if your county has this option! Also, for anyone worried about the paperwork being overwhelming - I just completed the initial setup with my aunt and it's really not as bad as it seems. The self-certification form for family members is only 2 pages and pretty straightforward. The hardest part is just waiting for that first payment to come through. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences here - it's made such a difference in understanding what to expect from this process!

I'm also new to CalWORKs and just getting started with the childcare process! This entire thread has been so much more helpful than anything I've gotten from my caseworker so far. My mom is going to watch my 3-year-old while I do my WTW activities. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the key things to remember are: expect 4-6 weeks for first payment, make sure to submit attendance forms by the 10th of each month, and the rate will be around 70% of what licensed providers get (so roughly $4-5/hour per child depending on county). One thing I'm curious about that I haven't seen mentioned - does anyone know if there are any restrictions on what activities the kids can do while in family childcare? Like, can my mom take my daughter to the park or library during childcare hours, or does she need to stay at home? I want to make sure we're following all the rules from the start. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real experiences - this community is amazing for getting practical info that actually helps navigate the system!

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!