CalWORKs

To continue receiving CalWORKs, most adults need to work, search for work, or enroll in job training or school.  Single parent families need to participate for 30 hours per week, and two parent families need to participate for 35 hours per week.  Single parent families with a child under age 6 need to participate for 20 hours per week, and two parent families with a child under age 6 need to participate for 30 hours per week. Activities can include work, attending school, job search or job training. Each family’s activities are included in a Welfare-to-Work plan the family makes with a county worker.

Adults who are not required to participate in Welfare-to-Work are called exempt.  Adults who are exempt can continue to get CalWORKs despite not doing welfare-to-work.  The major reasons why someone can be exempt are:

• adults who cannot participate for the minimum number of hours because they have a disability,
• adults who cannot participate for the minimum number of hours because they are caring for an ill family member, or a child at risk of juvenile dependency,
• adults with a child under age 2 (but only for one child).

If an adult has a good reason for not participating in Welfare-to-Work for a short period of time, they can ask for good cause for not participating. Good cause includes things like a short-term illness, a court appearance, a death in the family, or other good reason for missing Welfare-to-Work for a short time.