ADVOCACY ALERT FROM THE CALIFORNIA IMMIGRANT POLICY CENTER

March 8, 2007

Assembly & Senate Budget Subcommittees to Review CALWORKS Cuts

Action is needed now to oppose the Governor's proposal to terminate children from the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program and to deny a cost-of-living adjustment to all CalWORKs recipients.

CalWORKs provides cash assistance and services to eligible low-income
families with children. Specifically, the Governor's proposal would
eliminate vital cash assistance for children whose parents face serious
obstacles to employment, including families where the adult has been
sanctioned, is not meeting federal work requirements, or is ineligible for
aid due to time limits, immigration status or other issues.

The Governor's proposal undermines California's long-standing safety net, which was established with bipartisan support, to cover all low-income children regardless of their parent's eligibility. Additionally, the
Governor's proposal freezes CalWORKs grants at current levels for the third consecutive year, asking these families to shoulder an unfair burden in balancing the state's budget. The Assembly Budget Sub Committee #1 on Health and Human Services will hold a hearing on Wednesday, March 28th at 1:30PM in Room 444. The Senate Budget Sub Committee #3 will hold a hearing the following day, on Thursday, March 29th, upon adjournment of session in Room 4203.

Here's what you can do:

- FAX A LETTER TO COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP
Please send your letters by March 21st (see sample letter attached and
below).

- ATTEND THE HEARINGS ON March 28th & March 29th AND PROVIDE TESTIMONY

> The Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 Hearing is scheduled:
WHEN: Wed. March 28, 2007, 1:30 PM, Room 444, State Capitol

> The Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 Hearing is scheduled for:
WHEN: March 29, 2007, Upon adjournment of session, Room 4203, State
Capitol

For More Information please see the sample letters attached and/or contact Cary Sanders, Northern California Policy Analyst, CIPC at: (510) 663-8282 ext. 303

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SAMPLE LETTER
DATE

Assemblymember Patty Berg
Chair, Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1: Health & Human Services
Room 4146
Sacramento, California 95814
Via Fax: (916) 319-2101

RE: MAINTAIN CALIFORNIA'S SAFETY-NET FOR LOW-INCOME CHILDREN

Dear Assemblymember Berg:

On behalf of ______________(your organization's name), I write to urge you to maintain California's safety net for low-income children and to reinstate the cost-of-living adjustment for low-income families on CalWORKs.

CalWORKs was created with strong bi-partisan support in 1997, and was signed into law by Republican Governor Pete Wilson. The program was based on the principle that low-income children (80% of the CalWORKs caseload) need care even if their parents are ineligible for aid.

How would the child-safety-net be dismantled? Under Governor
Schwarzenegger's proposal:

* Cash grants would be terminated for children whose parents do not meet CalWORKs work requirements after 90 days - Under current eligibility rules, counties have the authority to sanction an adult who does not meet work requirements, but must continue to aid children in these families. The proposed new policy of "full family sanctions" would terminate cash grants to the children of parents in sanction status for 90 days or more for not participating in required activities.

* "Safety-Net" Cash Assistance for Children would be Restricted After a
Parent has Timed Out - Currently, children whose parents have reached the CalWORKs time limit remain eligible for cash aid regardless of how many hours their parents work, as long as their family continues to meet other CalWORKs eligibility requirements. The Governor's proposed budget would eliminate cash aid to children whose parents have timed out unless the parents (who are not receiving aid) continue to meet the program's work requirements.

* Benefits for "Child-Only" Units would be Cut after Five Years - Currently, California provides cash assistance to children whose parents are not eligible for CalWORKs. Children in the CalWORKs child-only caseload, like other children, continue to receive benefits after five years. The child-only caseload includes foster children, children of seniors or adults with disabilities, children whose parents have lost aid due to sanctions and children whose parents are ineligible immigrants, drug felons or fleeing felons. The Governor's proposed budget would terminate cash assistance for children after five years only in cases where the parents or caretakers are ineligible immigrants, drug felons or fleeing felons, (or do not continue to meet the work requirements while not receiving aid).

* CalWORKs grants would be frozen at current levels for the third
consecutive year - The Governor proposes to freeze CalWORKs grant levels for a savings of $140.3 million dollars. Currently a family of three in a high-cost county receives a maximum grant of $723 a month or about two-thirds of what a grant for a family of three was worth in 1989-90.
Families on CalWORKs have very limited incomes while housing prices continue to go up. Further cuts to CalWORKs will seriously hamper a family's ability to pay for rent, utilities and basic sustenance.

Punitive policies have not been shown to increase work participation or to
move families towards self-sufficiency.1 In fact, sanctioned families tend
to need the most assistance in order to become self-sufficient.2 Immigrants in particular face many challenges to securing and maintaining employment in the CalWORKs Program, including lack of English proficiency, mental and physical health conditions, and the lack of access to vital work supports and services such as child care, mental health, substance abuse services, job training and transportation.3

Terminating benefits for child-only cases will not lead to greater work
participation rates. This proposal punishes vulnerable children and does
nothing to help the state meet the federal work participation rates. Under
federal regulations, ineligible immigrant parents are excluded from the
calculation of a state's work participation rate.

CalWORKs families who can least afford it have had their COLAs suspended or their grant reduced in 12 of the past 18 years. In high-cost areas, grants from CalWORKs have lost ground to California's rising housing costs. For example, the maximum 2006 grant for a family of three ($723) is not even two-thirds of the average Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles County.

For these reasons, __________________ urges you to oppose the Governor's
proposed budget cuts to the CalWORKs program.

Sincerely,

______________________________ ______________________________
Signature Name

______________________________ ______________________________
City & Zip Code Organization

CC: Assemblymember Patty Berg, Chair, Fax: 916.319.2101
Nicole Vasquez, Assembly Budget Consultant, Fax: 916.319.2155
California Immigrant Policy Center, Fax: 916.448.6774

******************************************************

SAMPLE LETTER
DATE

Senator Elaine Alquist
Chair, Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 3: Health & Human Services
Room 5080
Sacramento, California 95814
Via Fax: (916) 324-0283

RE: MAINTAIN CALIFORNIA'S SAFETY-NET FOR LOW-INCOME CHILDREN

Dear Senator Alquist:

On behalf of ______________(your organization's name), I write to urge you to maintain California's safety net for low-income children and to reinstate the cost-of-living adjustment for low-income families on CalWORKs.

CalWORKs was created with strong bi-partisan support in 1997, and was signed into law by Republican Governor Pete Wilson. The program was based on the principle that low-income children (80% of the CalWORKs caseload) need care even if their parents are ineligible for aid.

How would the child-safety-net be dismantled? Under Governor
Schwarzenegger's proposal:

* Cash grants would be terminated for children whose parents do not meet CalWORKs work requirements after 90 days - Under current eligibility rules, counties have the authority to sanction an adult who does not meet work requirements, but must continue to aid children in these families. The proposed new policy of "full family sanctions" would terminate cash grants to the children of parents in sanction status for 90 days or more for not participating in required activities.

* "Safety-Net" Cash Assistance for Children would be Restricted After a
Parent has Timed Out - Currently, children whose parents have reached the CalWORKs time limit remain eligible for cash aid regardless of how many hours their parents work, as long as their family continues to meet other CalWORKs eligibility requirements. The Governor's proposed budget would eliminate cash aid to children whose parents have timed out unless the parents (who are not receiving aid) continue to meet the program's work requirements.

* Benefits for "Child-Only" Units would be Cut after Five Years - Currently, California provides cash assistance to children whose parents are not eligible for CalWORKs. Children in the CalWORKs child-only caseload, like other children, continue to receive benefits after five years. The child-only caseload includes foster children, children of seniors or adults with disabilities, children whose parents have lost aid due to sanctions and children whose parents are ineligible immigrants, drug felons or fleeing felons. The Governor's proposed budget would terminate cash assistance for children after five years only in cases where the parents or caretakers are ineligible immigrants, drug felons or fleeing felons, (or do not continue to meet the work requirements while not receiving aid).

* CalWORKs grants would be frozen at current levels for the third
consecutive year - The Governor proposes to freeze CalWORKs grant levels for a savings of $140.3 million dollars. Currently a family of three in a high-cost county receives a maximum grant of $723 a month or about two-thirds of what a grant for a family of three was worth in 1989-90.

Families on CalWORKs have very limited incomes while housing prices continue to go up. Further cuts to CalWORKs will seriously hamper a family's ability to pay for rent, utilities and basic sustenance.

Punitive policies have not been shown to increase work participation or to
move families towards self-sufficiency.4 In fact, sanctioned families tend
to need the most assistance in order to become self-sufficient.5 Immigrants in particular face many challenges to securing and maintaining employment in the CalWORKs Program, including lack of English proficiency, mental and physical health conditions, and the lack of access to vital work supports and services such as child care, mental health, substance abuse services, job training and transportation.6

Terminating benefits for child-only cases will not lead to greater work
participation rates. This proposal punishes vulnerable children and does
nothing to help the state meet the federal work participation rates. Under
federal regulations, ineligible immigrant parents are excluded from the
calculation of a state's work participation rate.

CalWORKs families who can least afford it have had their COLAs suspended or their grant reduced in 12 of the past 18 years. In high-cost areas, grants from CalWORKs have lost ground to California's rising housing costs. For example, the maximum 2006 grant for a family of three ($723) is not even two-thirds of the average Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles County.

For these reasons, __________________ urges you to oppose the Governor's
proposed budget cuts to the CalWORKs program.

Sincerely,

______________________________ ______________________________
Signature Name

______________________________ ______________________________
City & Zip Code Organization

CC: Senator Elaine Alquist, Chair, Fax: 916.324-0283
Eileen Cubanski, Senate Budget Consultant, Fax: 916.323-8386
California Immigrant Policy Center, Fax: 916.448.6774

1 The California Budget Project: The Governor's 2007-08 CalWORKs Proposals:
Summary and Context, January 9, 2007, citations provided.
2 The California Budget Project: The Governor's 2007-08 CalWORKs Proposals:
Summary and Context, January 9, 2007, citations provided.
3 Asian Pacific American Legal Services, Immigrant and Refugee Children Left
Behind: A Focus group Study, (February 2002).
4 The California Budget Project: The Governor's 2007-08 CalWORKs Proposals:
Summary and Context, January 9, 2007, citations provided.
5 The California Budget Project: The Governor's 2007-08 CalWORKs Proposals:
Summary and Context, January 9, 2007, citations provided.
6 Asian Pacific American Legal Services, Immigrant and Refugee Children Left
Behind: A Focus group Study, (February 2002).