SonomaWORKS

Helping You Support Your Family

SonomaWORKS provides temporary help for families with children who have little or no money. We also help adults caring for a child prepare for a job, then find and keep a job, so they can support their families.

Support while on the program may include housing, food, utilities payments, childcare or medical care. Monthly cash benefits are added to an ATM-style plastic card, called an Electronic Benefit Transfer or EBT card, which you can use to make purchases.

SonomaWORKS is a Sonoma County program that is also known as CalWORKS in California and Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) by the federal government.

You may be Eligible to Pandemic EBT

Who gets Pandemic EBT (P-EBT)?

Children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals can get a food benefit called Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) for the months their school is closed. Families will get up to $365 per eligible child on their P-EBT card to use for food and groceries, just like a debit card. This benefit is in addition to their pick-up meals from the school and receiving P-EBT does not impact their ability to receive CalFresh benefits.

P-EBT is available to all eligible California families with school aged children, regardless of their immigration status. P-EBT is not the same as CalFresh or Food Stamps. P-EBT is an emergency food benefit and is similar to other benefits that immigration officials do not consider for public charge purposes.

Click here for information in Spanish

How to get P-EBT

Who does NOT need to apply

If your family receives CalFresh, Medi-Cal, or CalWORKs benefits, you do NOT need to apply for P-EBT. The state will automatically mail you a P-EBT card with $365 per child between May 12 and May 22, 2020. Note: You may not get the full P-EBT amount if your family started getting CalFresh or Medi-Cal benefits for the first time after schools closed.

Who NEEDS to apply

If you have children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals but did not get a P-EBT card in the mail by May 22, 2020, you must apply online before July 15, 2020. To apply after May 22, visit ca.p-ebt.org. Eligible families should receive their P-EBT card within 10 days after applying.

More information

Download the flyer (English/ Spanish)
To apply for P-EBT after May 22: Visit ca.p-ebt.org.
For help with your P-EBT card: Call California’s EBT Service Center at (877) 328-9677, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for help with PIN set-up, address change, lost or stolen cards, application status, and basic eligibility troubleshooting.
Inquire on your P-EBT Case: https://inquiry.pebt.dss.ca.gov/
For questions about your existing CalFresh or Medi-Cal benefits: Call (877) 699-6868.
For SonomaWORKs, call (707) 565-5500.

Who Is Eligible

An adult caring for a child
- under age 18, OR
- under age 19 if the child is in high school or vocational school.
One or both of the child’s parents must be unemployed, disabled, continuously absent or deceased.
You must meet income and resource limits.
You may also qualify if you are:
- pregnant in your second trimester
- a mother under age 18
- a relative caring for a child.

How SonomaWORKS May Help

Going through the program builds your skills toward getting and keeping a job, so that you can support your family into the future.

During your program, SonomaWORKS staff may:

Assess you for types of jobs you might do
Help you make a plan to get work and increase your job skills
Support you in training for various jobs, including taking classes at Santa Rosa Junior College
Help you manage your cash aid, CalFresh benefits and Medi-Cal benefits
Provide childcare while you are completing the program
Help you get such services as: mental health services, alcohol or other drug services, legal help, learning disability support and/or support for those affected by domestic violence.

Contact Information

Employment and Training

Human Services Department

Business Hours

Monday – Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Address

2227 Capricorn Way

Suite 100

Santa Rosa, CA 95407

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