CalWORKs: Home Visiting Program.

Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez frames a reform of California’s CalWORKs Home Visiting Program that replaces a blanket participation window with a duration tied to the lifetime of the chosen home visiting model, while preserving a limited post-exit extension. Participation remains voluntary for counties and participants, with funding contingent on annual appropriation and not guaranteed as an entitlement. The bill reiterates the program’s aim to support positive health, development, and well-being for pregnant and parenting people and infants living in poverty, and to expand educational and economic opportunities.

Key mechanisms include a model-based duration cap, a post-exit extension, and expanded enrollment possibilities subject to departmental approval. Specifically, the time in the program cannot exceed the duration of the applicable home visiting model, replacing the prior fixed timeframe. For participants who are removed from the CalWORKs unit or who exit the program, services may continue for up to 12 months or until the model completes, whichever occurs first. Counties may serve additional individuals beyond the core eligibility if the department approves, and hours spent in home visiting may count toward welfare-to-work activities if the participant engages in that program. The bill also allows, by mutual agreement, the inclusion of the noncustodial parent in home visiting. Participation must be offered in writing, detailing the program, anticipated benefits and duration, and how to opt in or terminate participation. Interim implementation may proceed via all-county letters until regulations are adopted, with funding requirements clarifying that funds cannot supplant existing county expenditures and may be combined with other sources if award conditions are met.

Implementation and oversight emphasize county-led administration within a funding framework that is not entitlement-based and relies on annual budget appropriation. Counties applying for funds must describe how the program will be integrated with core CalWORKs services, coordinated with county workers, consulted with existing home visiting programs, and designed to reflect the county’s CalWORKs population, including recruitment and retention of home visitors. The bill defines core terms such as cultural competence and evidence-based home visiting and continues to tie the program to the broader set of CalWORKs requirements and related provisions through cross-referenced design and approval processes. Together, these provisions place the program within a model-driven, county-flexible structure that seeks to align service duration with specific home visiting models while preserving voluntary participation and ongoing linkages to welfare-to-work.