just wanted to say i feel u so much on this. being a single parent is SO HARD and employers act like we can just magicly make childcare appear out of nowere. hang in there!!! ur doing the best u can!!

Thank you everyone for all the advice and support! I'm going to: 1) Document everything about my childcare search efforts, 2) Talk to my supervisor about flexible scheduling options, 3) Look into the Family-School Partnership Act protections, and 4) Create a backup childcare plan to propose to my employer. I really appreciate all your help - it's been so stressful trying to balance everything as a single parent. I'll update if anything changes with my situation.

Based on all the information shared, I think your son has about a 50/50 chance of approval. The relocation factor combined with a state-approved apprenticeship program gives him a reasonable argument for good cause. If he does get denied, he should immediately file an appeal and request a hearing. In the appeal, focus on: 1. The necessity of the relocation (impossible to commute 4 hours each way) 2. The career advancement opportunity the apprenticeship represents 3. The connection to his existing union membership Many initial denials get overturned on appeal when all the facts are properly presented. Just make sure he continues certifying for benefits every two weeks while waiting for the appeal outcome.

One more important thing to note: If he does receive a denial, he only has 30 days from the mailing date of the determination to file an appeal. The appeal deadline is strict and rarely extended, so mark the calendar and don't miss it. Regarding timeline: Unfortunately, appeals are currently taking about 3-4 months to be scheduled for a hearing. If he's facing financial hardship, he should include that information in his appeal request and ask for an expedited hearing. It doesn't always work, but sometimes they'll prioritize cases with severe financial impact. In the meantime, he should look into emergency assistance programs in his new location - many counties have short-term aid available for people waiting for unemployment appeals.

My sister had a baby in December and had a similar issue with her Paid Family Leave (which is processed through the same SDI system). What fixed it for her was having her employer contact EDD directly to confirm her leave dates. Sometimes employers don't respond to EDD's verification requests which can hold up the whole process. Might be worth asking your HR department if they received any verification requests from EDD that they haven't responded to yet.

Update us if you get this resolved! I'm curious if any of these suggestions help speed things up. And if you do call using that service someone mentioned, let us know if that works. SDI delays seem to be getting worse every year.

I work as an employment counselor, and one thing many people don't realize is that SDI extension requests have very specific timing requirements. If you're within 7 days of your claim expiring, you actually qualify for expedited processing. When you do reach an agent (using any of the methods suggested here), be sure to specifically mention "I need expedited processing for my SDI extension as my claim expires in less than 7 days." This specific phrasing flags your account in their system. Also important to note: even if your payments temporarily stop while this gets sorted out, they will be backdated once the extension is approved, so you won't lose any benefits you're entitled to. It might cause short-term cash flow issues, but you will eventually receive all payments.

my frend said if u call and press 0 over and over it gets u 2 a person faster but idk if thats true lol

Wait I'm confused about something - are you appealing an overpayment determination or a disqualification? Because those are handled differently. If it's an overpayment determination and you missed the interview, that's one thing. But if it's a disqualification and you missed the eligibility interview, that's totally different and they might be more willing to reschedule. The EDD systems are SO CONFUSING and they do this on purpose!

I had a problem with my certification and couldn't get through to anyone at EDD for weeks. My son told me to contact my assemblyman and they fixed everything in like 4 days! I was shocked how fast it was. The nice lady from their office even called me personally to tell me it was resolved. I think her name was Jennifer. Wish I had known about this years ago.