Item 02-03-01B.htm

California Department of Social Services - State Hearings Division
Notes from the Training Bureau - March 28, 2002

Item 02-03-01B
ACL 01-81 November 21, 2001 (Synopsis): Child Citizenship Act of 2000 and CalWORKs and Food Stamp Eligibility

Subject: Child Citizenship Act of 2000 and CalWORKs and Food Stamp Eligibility

Under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, a child born outside the United States automatically becomes a citizen of the United States when all the following conditions are met:

At least one parent is a United States citizen;
The child is under age 18;
The child is residing in the United States in the legal and physical custody of the citizen parent and the child entered the United States pursuant to a lawful admission for permanent residence.

If the child is adopted, the child must be under age 16 and have resided in the legal and physical custody of the citizen parent for at least two years.

In order to determine the child’s citizenship status, the county must verify the citizenship status of at least one parent, the age of the child, that the child entered the United States pursuant to a lawful admission for permanent residence and the legal relationship of the child to the parent.

The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 became effective February 27, 2000.