Latest news with #CaliforniaDepartmentofSocialServices
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Rep. Vince Fong introduces SKIM Act to combat EBT fraud
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — For months, KGET has followed the EBT fraud crisis in Kern County. What started out as calls to our newsroom led to the revelation of dozens of victims and thousands of dollars in benefits stolen. The investigation shed light on millions of stolen dollars and a sophisticated Romanian crime ring operating across the county. After countless attempts of asking elected officials for answers, change may be coming from Capitol Hill. Skimming Scheme: The Romanian crime ring stealing EBT benefits in Kern County On Friday, Rep. Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) introduced the 'Stopping Klepto-card and Identity Misuse Act' — or SKIM Act. This legislative effort is specifically designed to crack down EBT theft, that is Electronic Benefit Transfer, known as CalFresh and CalWorks in California. Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) is a co-sponsor of the bill. Through 17 News' investigation, we uncovered that the California Department of Social Services has lost more than $439 million in EBT benefits since 2021. In the last seven months, more than $2 million in Kern County taxpayer money has been stolen. Ex-Arvin teacher accused of sex with underage student set for hearing next week The SKIM Act directs the U.S. Attorney to coordinate federal, state, and local efforts to fight EBT fraud. It also asks sentencing guidelines to be much harder on EBT thieves. The bill also asks the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a report to Congress on their efforts to prevent, investigate, prosecute, and sentence convicted EBT thieves. You can read the SKIM Act in full here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
At what age can I leave my child home alone in California? Tips for parents during summer
With summer right around the corner and the school year ending, parents will be scrambling for childcare, begging the question: How old do kids need to be to be left alone? California has no set age for when children can be left alone, but the state penal code on child neglect has laws in place regarding child safety, said Theresa Mier, a spokesperson for the California Department of Social Services. There is no minimum age for babysitters, however, the department of social services states, "an occasional short-term babysitter may be under 18 years of age, but shall have the maturity, experience, and ability necessary to provide adequate care and supervision to a 'child.'" Here's what to know about leaving your child home alone in California. The California Department of Education has provided a checklist to help parents decide if their kids are ready to be left home alone. Checklist or questions for parents to ask: Would your child rather stay home than go to a child care or after-school program? Is he easily frightened? Is she responsible? Can he creatively solve problems? Would she spend her time responsibly? Does your child become bored easily? Does he always tell you where he is going and when he will return? Would she be at home with an older brother or sister? Do siblings get along? Would the older sibling resent caring for the younger one? Would caring for the younger sibling restrict the older child's activities? Do you live in an isolated area without close neighbors? Is your neighborhood safe? Will you or another adult always be available to your child in case of an emergency? Is a neighbor home to help if needed? How would your child handle: Strangers on the telephone or at the door?; Being locked out of the house? Fire?; Arguments with a sister or brother?; An insect bite or a skinned knee? Along with a checklist the education department recommends writing out concrete house rules and leaving them in an easily accessible place, including: which friends are allowed to come over, what television programs they are allowed to watch, approved foods, using the stove, telephone, computer, appliances or tools, how to reach you and what to do if/when they leave the house. The CDSS has outlined a couple of ways to find childcare locally. Parents or guardians can look for child care providers and resources in their area using the Child Care Resource and Referral Program, Mier said. The online search tool on is also a good way to search for local childcare, she added. With summer vacation comes summer heat and trips to the local public pool, or even the pool at home. Keeping children safe and supervised is a priority with increased pool time. According to as of 2022 California is the state with the second most residential pools in the country with 1,343,000. Florida holds the top spot with 1,590,000. is an online site for homeowners to find contractors for home improvement projects, originally called Angie's List. The CDSS has helped outline tips for pool safety. Keep children in direct sight at all times, as children in or near water can drown immediately and silently. Never leave a young child alone in or around a pool, spa, or wading pool, even for a few seconds. Assign someone a 'Water Watcher' to keep them in direct sight, and relieve the watcher every 20 minutes. Keep doors and gates leading to water closed, even when using the pool or spa. Assign a set pool time for toddlers. Always look first in the pool or spa if a child is missing. Keep rescue equipment, like a safety ring and a phone, next to the pool or spa. CPR training Teach children how to dial 9-1-1. Restrict access to the pool or spa when it cannot be adequately supervised. Doors and gates should be closed and locked. Keep things children can climb on, like chairs, away from pool fences and gates. Have a professional regularly inspect your pool or spa for entrapment or entanglement hazards. Teach children how to swim when they are old enough. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting at 4 years old. Safety barriers are recommended to help prevent or slow a child from getting to the water. According to the department, a four-sided isolation fence is the best barrier as it surrounds the pool or spa. Additional safety precautions include: California law-approved safety covers, self-latching fences and ladders, exit alarms, swimming pool alarms that detect movement, and pet doors. Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@ This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Tips for parents leaving their child home alone over the summer
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California must fund legal aid for immigrant children facing deportation
California has long stood as a progressive stalwart in the United States. During the first Trump administration, our communities and elected officials rallied together to put forth a progressive agenda that was equal parts unifying and galvanizing. However, the state's response to Trump 2.0 may jettison critical opportunities to support the legal protection and due process needs of vulnerable communities and fail to meet the urgency of the moment. This includes failing to rally around populations that are being targeted by the new administration, including unaccompanied immigrant children whose legal support is in jeopardy following devastating funding cuts at the federal level. The Acacia Center for Justice has developed and supported various programs that ensure unaccompanied children have access to needed legal and social services. In California, we partnered with the state to pilot the Children's Holistic Immigration Representation Project (CHIRP), which provides holistic legal advocacy for unaccompanied children at risk of deportation, with an emphasis on trauma-informed intervention to ensure that unaccompanied minors have legal services and appropriate wrap-around support. Opinion Despite the success of the model, it has yet to receive permanent support from the state of California. This means it will run out of funding on June 30. CHIRP's uncertain future has been exacerbated by the fact that the new federal administration terminated existing funding allocated to support immigrant children in California, leaving thousands of children on their own in the middle of their deportation proceedings. In the wake of this crisis, we hope the California legislature and governor recognize this as an opportunity to exercise critical leadership to protect thousands of children across our communities. Several offices are meeting the moment to address some of the most pressing challenges our communities face. In February, Assemblymember Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, introduced Assembly Bill 1261, a bill that seeks to codify the right to counsel for unaccompanied children. This bill is an important step in the right direction, but it must be paired with an investment in existing programs serving unaccompanied children like CHIRP. Without a committed investment, this well-meaning effort will fall far short of accomplishing its goal of protecting vulnerable children forced to face a judicial process on their own. For years, the California Department of Social Services has invested in programs like CHIRP to develop a patchwork of safety and support and set the groundwork for a right to counsel for unaccompanied children. Ensuring that CHIRP gets the support it deserves is essential to making sure the promise of a right to counsel for children can become a reality. Without funding, that 7-year old boy sitting on the wooden bench in the courtroom, waiting for his case to be called, will have to continue to defend himself in immigration court without an advocate by his side. Protecting due process for these children presents an important opportunity to showcase leadership and strategic vision that would galvanize an exhausted and disillusioned base working to protect their communities from frightening enforcement efforts. California can draw an important line in the sand about what values we seek to uphold, and how we can stand in solidarity with the most vulnerable members of our state. Unfortunately, Gov. Gavin Newsom's May Revise failed to include a much-needed increase in funding for immigration legal services. However, the opportunity remains for the legislature to exercise this leadership by ensuring that programs like CHIRP have the funding they need to continue, and that there is a sustainable plan to provide legal support for unaccompanied children and all vulnerable individuals at risk of deportation. This investment will not only pay off for the state of California and its residents, it will also give California lawmakers and our communities a much needed win. Shaina Aber is executive director of the Acacia Center for Justice.
Newsweek
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
California Under Investigation for Benefits to Illegal Immigrants
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Department of Homeland Security is investigating the state of California over allegations that it provided federal benefits to undocumented immigrants. Why It Matters At the federal level, immigrants living in the United States illegally are prohibited from receiving benefits, but some states provide them without considering applicants' citizenship status. The California Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) is a state-funded initiative providing monthly cash benefits to elderly, blind, or disabled legal immigrants who are ineligible for Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) solely due to their immigration status. Established in 1998, CAPI aims to support immigrants residing in California. The program provides monthly payments of approximately $1,100 for most qualifying elderly or disabled individuals, and up to $1,900 for eligible couples. For those in nursing home care, benefits can reach nearly $1,500 per month. According to the California Department of Social Services, the state funds CAPI without federal assistance. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detain a man during an operation in Escondido, California. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detain a man during an operation in Escondido, California. Gregory Bull/AP What To Know CAPI is under subpoena as part of the investigation. Federal officials allege that the program has facilitated access to benefits for migrants who are ineligible for Social Security due to their immigration status. The subpoena seeks all records from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services, which oversees the state program, to determine whether ineligible migrants received Supplemental Security Income from the Social Security Administration between January 2021 and the present. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) issued a Title 8 subpoena to the L.A. County Department of Public Social Services to request information about program applicants. "Radical left politicians in California prioritize illegal aliens over our own citizens, including by giving illegal aliens access to cash benefits," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement on May 12. California Governor Gavin Newsom's office said the program is "for individuals with lawful status, legal protections, or those applying for them, including victims of crime and trafficking." In fiscal year 2024–25, the program supported 16,556 individuals, according to the California Department of Social Services. Through its subpoena, HSI is seeking a range of records, including applicants' names and dates of birth, copies of their applications, documentation of immigration status, proof of ineligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from the Social Security Administration, and any affidavits submitted in support of their applications. One expert told Newsweek the move by DHS is "gift-wrapping" personal data to ICE to carry out President Donald Trump's mass deportation plans. Legal precedent related to privacy and enforcement issues affecting immigrant populations includes the Ninth Circuit ruling in Peters v. United States, 853 F.2d 692 (9th Cir. 1988), which determined that blanket subpoenas issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are invalid. What People Are Saying Immigration Justice Clinic Director Amelia Wilson, an assistant professor of Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, told Newsweek: "Anytime ICE has evidence that a person is present in the United States without authorization, that evidence can form the basis of deportation proceedings and detention. "If successful, ICE's subpoena effort in California will not only reveal residents' immigration status, but their name, date of birth, and current address, essentially gift-wrapping all the information that ICE needs to effectuate a mass deportation operation in that state." Jason Montiel, a spokesperson at the California Department of Social Services, told Newsweek: "We are reviewing the request regarding the program administered by Los Angeles County." DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a press release: "The Trump Administration is working together to identify abuse and exploitation of public benefits and make sure those in this country illegally are not receiving federal benefits or other financial incentives to stay illegally. If you are an illegal immigrant, you should leave now. The gravy train is over. While this subpoena focuses only on Los Angeles County – it is just the beginning." What Happens Next Depending on the findings, the investigation could expand beyond Los Angeles County and lead to further federal enforcement actions.
Fox News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
California Dem lawmakers proposes bill to decriminalize welfare fraud below $25K over administrative errors
A bill that would decriminalize welfare fraud under $25,000 in California for simple administrative errors is being pushed by a Democratic lawmaker. State Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas introduced Senate Bill 560, which would delete criminal penalties for welfare fraud below $25,000, and delete a provision for criminal penalties for any attempt at welfare fraud below $950, according to the legislation, which was introduced in February. "California's safety net should lift families up, not trap them in poverty," Smallwood-Cuevas told Fox News Digital. "Right now, a missed deadline or paperwork mistake can lead to felony charges that tear families apart — even when there's no intent to deceive." The lawmaker said the bill "offers a smarter, more humane approach by allowing counties to resolve most overpayment cases administratively, holding people accountable without criminalizing poverty." The legislation is set for a hearing on May 5. The bill would require a county agency to determine whether the welfare benefits were authorized as a result of an error in the Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS). It would prohibit a person from being subject to criminal prosecution in certain instances for an overpayment or overissuance of benefits, the bill states. "This bill is about keeping families out of the criminal justice system from making administrative errors on raising the threshold for welfare fraud prosecutions," Smallwood-Cuevas said in an April 8 Instagram post. Most welfare fraud occurs when the reported absent parent is actually living in the home, unreported income, using an ineligible child or children not living in the home who are part of the recipient's case, according to the California Department of Social Services. In Los Angeles County, field investigators handle 15,000 to 20,000 fraud cases or referrals, according to the Department of Public Social Services. Annually, investigators find fraud in around 5,000 to 8,000 cases. Of that, 200 cases are sent to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office and 95% result in a conviction.
