On November 25, 2024, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) notified the California Department of Social Services of California’s selection into the Work and Family Well-Being federal pilot program commonly referred to as the “FRA Pilot” to test alternative performance measures in the TANF program. California is pleased to be one of the five states selected for this important pilot program. These new tools will allow the State to enhance our efforts to secure employment for Californians participating in the CalWORKs program through better support of participants, removal of barriers, and increased skill development — necessary to securing a career pathway that leads to real economic mobility, life stability, and the opportunity to pursue their California Dream. We are appreciative of your support for the State’s application, as well as the upcoming partnership and collaboration needed to make the Pilot a success.
The Pilot will be in effect for six federal fiscal years, beginning October 1, 2024 and continuing through September 30, 2030, with one year designated to establish benchmark data and negotiate targets and five years to measure performance against the targets. The performance metrics for the duration of the pilot will supersede the current requirement to meet WPR benchmarks.
California’s Pilot will build upon a strong foundation of supportive and barrier removal services to facilitate employment and well-being, and leverage the CalWORKs Outcomes and Accountability Review (Cal-OAR) framework to measure success more holistically in the CalWORKs program with performance metrics that gauge participant support, barrier removal, and skill development, as well as outcome measures of employment and earnings.
The Department will receive additional information from the Office of Family Assistance in December and we anticipate forming a Pilot Advisory Committee to provide recommendations and feedback on implementation in early 2025. We look forward to collaborating with you on the implementation of this pilot.
In partnership,
Lisa Witchey, Branch Chief
CalWORKs & Family Resilience Branch
Family Engagement & Empowerment Division
California Department of Social Services