CalWORKs Home Visiting Program (HVP)
The California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Home Visiting Program (HVP), formerly known as the CalWORKs Home Visiting Initiative (HVI), is a voluntary program supervised by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and administered by participating California counties. The HVP aims to support positive health development and well-being outcomes for pregnant and parenting people, families, and infants born into poverty, expand their future educational, economic, and financial capability opportunities, and improve the likelihood that they will exit poverty.
Assembly Bill 1811 (Chapter 35, Statutes of 2018) appropriates funding for the implementation of the HVP within the CalWORKs program. The HVP will provide an opportunity to demonstrate the impact of home visiting services with the CalWORKs population.
Home visiting is an evidence-based, voluntary program that pairs new parents with a nurse or trained professional who makes regular visits to the participant’s home to provide guidance, coaching, and access to health and social services. The HVP supports and resources will include, but will not be limited to: (1) prenatal, infant and toddler care, (2) infant and child nutrition, (3) child developmental screening and assessments, (4) parent education, parent and child interaction, child development, and child care, (5) job readiness and barrier removal, and (6) domestic violence and sexual assault, mental health, and substance abuse treatment, as applicable.
In order to be eligible for HVP an individual must meet both of the following criteria:
(A) The individual is one of the following:
- A member of a CalWORKs assistance unit.
- The parent or caretaker relative for a child-only case.
- A pregnant individual who has applied for CalWORKs aid within 60 calendar days prior to reaching the second trimester of pregnancy and would be eligible for CalWORKs aid other than not having reached the second trimester of pregnancy.
- An individual who is apparently eligible for CalWORKs aid.
(B) The individual is pregnant or the individual is a parent or caretaker relative of a child less than 24 months of age at the time the individual enrolls in the program.
- A county may serve additional individuals with prior approval by the CDSS.
What is an Evidence-Based Home Visiting Model?
“Evidence-based home visiting” is a program model which has been evaluated using the criteria developed by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or an evidence-based program approved by the CDSS.
To review the HHS criteria for evidence-based home visiting models, visit the following link:
Examples of evidence-based home visiting models include:
How will the HVP program be funded?
Effective January 1, 2019, Assembly Bill 1811 (Human Services Omnibus, Chapter 35, Statutes of 2018) appropriated funding for the HVP. The CDSS released an application to counties along with funding allocations covering services provided from January 1, 2019 to June 30, 2019. Subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, the Department will continue to award funds to participating counties who apply biennially and meet the minimum requirements.
For more information on the HVP and how to implement this program in your area, please email: CalWORKsHVP@dss.ca.gov.