Community colleges: CalWORKs Recipients Education Program: eligibility and services.

Existing law prohibits program payments to an employer for workstudy from exceeding 75% of the wage for the workstudy positions and requires an employer to pay at least 25% of the wage for the workstudy positions. Existing law requires subsidized campus childcare to be provided to students participating in the program only if they are engaged in certain activities, through the completion of their initial education and training plan and for up to 3 months after completion or until the end of the academic year, whichever period of time is greater.

This bill would expand who can participate in the program to include students who have exceeded the 60-month limit on CalWORKs cash aid and have one or more dependents who are recipients of aid under CalWORKs. The bill would add direct aid designed to meet ongoing basic needs and services, as described, as a special service for which program funds may be used. The bill would authorize programs to waive the requirement that an employer pay at least 25% of the wage for workstudy positions if the number of workstudy positions will not decrease. The bill would delete the limit on the provision of subsidized campus childcare for program participants. By expanding program eligibility and services, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.