CalWORKS

CalWORKS Hours:

Monday - Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

CalWORKs Program is offering services in person (by appointment), by phone, via Zoom.

Contact Us:

Phone: 559-494-3504
Email: rc.calworks@reedleycollege.edu
Location: LRC105 (Entrance is on the outside corner of the Library).

Mission of the RC CalWorks Program

We work to help families break the cycle of poverty through education by supporting CalWorks students to advance their academic goals to become gainfully employed and financially self-sufficient.

Lifting California families out of poverty through education.

Am I Eligible for the CalWORKS Program?

If may be eligible for the RC CalWORKs Program if you meet eligibility requirements:

Must be currently receiving cash aid assistance for yourself and your children through Fresno County Department of Social Services (DSS) or the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA).
Must be in good standing and have an approved CalWORKs Welfare-to-Work (WTW) plan

How do I get started?

Please complete this form if you are interested in learning more about the RC CalWORKs Program or contact the RC CalWORKs Coordinator, Dr. Eve Castellanos at 559.494.3504 or email us at rc.calworks@reedleycollege.edu. If you are already participating in a Fresno or Tulare County CalWORKs program and have not connected with us on campus, you may have your Job Specialist, Case Manager, or Self-Sufficiency Counselor refer you to our program!

We are here to help you reach your educational goals

The CalWORKs Program is designed to offer student support services to community college students who are also parents and actively receiving cash aid from the county department of social services. The Reedley College CalWORKs Program works with the Counties of Tulare and Fresno to help students achieve their educational goals so you can establish a career that will help you and your families become financially self-sufficient.

The CalWORKs Program is one of several student support service programs offered at Reedley College. All of these programs have different eligibility guidelines and offer various services that are meant to help you reach your educational goals. You can be in more than one program at the same time, if you qualify. Learn more about the different student service programs available at Reedley College.

CalWORKS Program Supportive Services

Academic & career counseling/advising provided through confidential case management services
Assistance with registration and financial aid
Assistance with funds for required books and supplies
Assistance with child care at the RC Child Development Center. You’ll receive priority enrollment!
Assistance with transportation costs
Work study (on-campus employment). Earn $ in addition to your cash aid grant while you gain valuable job skills!
Life Skills Classes:
- Coun 281: Life Strategies for Succes
- Coun 282: Practical Money Skills for Life
- Coun 282: Parenting Strategies and Family Relationships
Personal & professional development workshops
Referrals to on & off campus services

CalWORKS Staff Contact Information

Please call 559.494.3504 to schedule an appointment over the phone.

We offer phone, Zoom and in-person appointments for your convenience. After the appointment is made, you will receive an appointment reminder from Starfish that will be sent to your RC student email address. We recommend that you check your student email frequently as this is how you will receive important information regarding financial aid, registration, contact with your instructors, and other important student support services.

For more information about Starfish – please visit our Starfish For Reedley College Students Webpage

Learn how to use Starfish by joining our Starfish for Students Canvas Course

You can also contact the CalWORKs staff directly so we can help support your success in school:

Title	Name
CalWORKs Coordinator	Eve Castellanos
CalWORKs Counselor	Blanca Rivera
CalWORKs Counselor	Anthony Ceja
Office Specialist	Renee Dauer

Food or housing while atttending college.

Reedley College offers FREE food to students through our Tiger Pantry and Drive thru food distribution once a month. If you need to visit the food pantry or need help with other things, please visit the RC Basic Needs Page.

Reedley College offers over 120+ majors offered through Guided Pathways

Reedley College uses the Guided Pathways model. Each Pathway has a team of people who work closely together to provide you with specialized counseling, in addition to your CalWORKs Counselor, in support of your major. If you don’t have an assigned counselor and you’re unsure of your major, you should connect with a CalWORKs Counselor to explore your options.

You can learn more about the majors offered at Reedley College and the pathways they fall under by clicking on the links below:

Here are some of the ways that the college CalWORKS Programs applies Guided Pathways in the services we provide:

Clear Pathways to Employment and Education

Every CalWORKS student begins with a vocational assessment and a career goal which is tied directly to an education program.

Help Students Choose and Enter Their Pathway

CalWORKS Programs provide enrollment assistance, SEPs, & intensive orientation.

Help Students Stay On Their Path

Childcare, work study, textbooks, supplies, transportation, counseling and case management for all students.

Ensure Learning is Happening With Intentional Outcomes

Job Development, monthly & quarterly progress reports, and homelessness, mental health & hunger resources.

Equity in Education for All

Reedley College is an open access community college and we stand for racial and student equity for everyone who our college serves, including everyone in the CalWORKs Program. The college CalWORKs Program is also committed to helping to remove racial and other barriers for the students we serve, so they can reach their educational goals to improve their own lives and well as the lives of their children and families by breaking the cycle of poverty. The CalWORKs Program also works to empower our students and encourage them to use their voices to advocate for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Dr. Jerry Buckley, the President of Reedley College, recently shared the following statement on racial equity and committed our college to several actions related to this important issue:

As witnessed by current events during June 2020, our country has reached a cross roads where we either support hate and bigotry, or evolve to a culture of equity and inclusion. The deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks and Breonna Taylor are but recent examples that we need to value every human life, but in this time and place especially Black lives… while we also recognize that our country has united in this moment to speak out against structural racism. That said, as representatives of Reedley College, we must actively contribute to building and maintaining a safe and secure teaching and learning environment for all students, regardless of their ethnicity, culture, religious beliefs or sexual identity.