Will my son's medical needs and our housing instability qualify for a WTW exemption at my CalWORKs interview tomorrow?

You definitely have grounds for a WTW exemption! When you talk to your worker, make sure to specifically mention that you're the caretaker of a child with a disability/medical condition that requires your full-time care. Ask for the CW 61 form - that's the "Request for CalWORKs Exemption" form. Your son's doctors will need to provide documentation about his condition and why it requires your full-time care. Also, being homeless (which includes staying temporarily with friends) is another potential basis for exemption, though usually for a shorter period. Make sure you tell them you don't have stable housing and ask about homeless assistance too - they can help with housing deposits and temporary shelter vouchers.

Im in a kinda similar situation and my worker gave me a hard time at first. Said I needed to start WTW activities right away even tho my daughter has special needs. BUT!!! I didnt give up and asked to speak to a supervisor and explained everything. Got approved for a 3 month exemption and they said I can extend it if doctors say its still needed. Be ready for them to push back a little but DONT accept their first answer if its not helpful!!! also make sure you ask about the homeless assistance program during your call - u can get help with deposit and first months rent when u find a place!

Be very specific about your son's care requirements during the interview. The county worker will be looking to determine if your child's condition requires "substantial care" that would prevent you from participating in WTW activities. The more detail you can provide about: 1. How many appointments per week 2. Travel time to these appointments 3. Special care requirements at home 4. Why you specifically need to be the one providing care Bring up the housing instability as a secondary issue. While homelessness can qualify for a temporary exemption (usually 1-3 months), a child with medical needs requiring caretaking can qualify for longer exemptions that can be renewed with updated medical documentation. Lastly, get a statement from his occupational therapist or primary doctor explaining why your presence is necessary for your child's care. This will significantly strengthen your case.

have you tryd calling them ahead of the interview? mite be good to give them a heads up about your situation. when i had my interview they just jumped right in with questions and i got flustered and forgot to mention important stuff

i was in your EXACT situation last year!!!! my twins were born at 28 weeks and had all kinds of therapy and doctor visits plus we were living in a motel. the system is SO BROKEN. they denied my exemption request the first time even with doctors notes!!! i had to appeal and it was a nightmare. took almost 2 months to get approved and in the meantime they were threatening to sanction me for not doing job search. its so messed up how they treat parents of disabled kids.

When I needed to reach my CalWORKs worker urgently about my WTW exemption for my daughter's medical needs, I kept getting stuck in the phone tree for hours. I eventually found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person at the county office in under 10 minutes. They basically wait on hold for you and call you when they get a real person. Worked perfectly and saved me hours of frustration. They have a demo video too: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Might be worth trying if you need to reach someone before your interview tomorrow to discuss your situation.

One more important thing: If they do grant you an exemption, make sure you understand exactly what verification documents they'll need for renewals. Typically, they require updated medical verification every 3-6 months. Put reminders in your calendar about a month before these are due so you have time to collect the documentation from your son's medical providers. Also, while exempted from WTW requirements, you should still be eligible for supportive services like childcare assistance for your son's appointments and transportation assistance to get to medical visits. Make sure to ask about these during your interview!

make sure u tell them u have no stable housing!!!! thats a automatic exemption for at least 30 days in most countys. my cousin got 3 months exemption when she was couch surfing last year

UPDATE: Had my interview this morning! The worker actually was really understanding about our situation. She said my son's medical needs definitely qualify us for a temporary exemption (3 months to start) and gave me the CW 61 form to have his doctor fill out. She's also referring us to the Homeless Assistance Program for help with housing! Thank you everyone for your advice - it really helped me know what to say and what to ask for. I feel so much relief knowing I'll have time to focus on getting us stable without WTW pressure right now.

Congratulations on getting the exemption! That's such a relief. I wanted to add one tip from my experience - when you get the CW 61 form filled out by your son's doctor, ask them to be really specific about why your presence is required for his care. The more detailed they are about his needs and your role as caregiver, the stronger your case will be for renewals. Also, keep copies of everything they give you - the county has a habit of "losing" paperwork. Wishing you and your little one all the best with finding stable housing through the HAP program!