The Employment & Human Services Department's (EHSD) has 3 programs designed to help CalWORKs participants overcome the transportation barriers they face in achieving self-sufficiency. These are:

Rides To Success: A free bus service that picks up CalWORKs participants at home and takes them to job-related destinations.

The Children's Transportation Project: A free bus service that picks up children of CalWORKs participants and takes them to and from daycare or school.

The KEYS Auto Loan Program: A low-interest auto loan program for employed CalWORKs participants who have difficulty obtaining an auto loan from other sources.

For more information, see the sections on each program below.

Referral to all of these programs is through the CalWORKs participant's EHSD case manager. For other questions related to these programs, contact Joel Flamand, Assistant Transportation Coordinator at (925) 313-1735 or via email: jflamand@ehsd.cccounty.us

RIDES TO SUCCESS

Rides To Success (RTS) is a free employment-related transportation service for CalWORKs participants in Contra Costa County. RTS can give you a ride to a job interview, to work, to training or an emergency ride home from work or training.

Each CalWORKs participant who is enrolled in RTS can receive up to 120 free one-way rides. RTS can also include multiple stops to drop off or pick up your children at school or childcare.

To be eligible to schedule rides, you must be referred to RTS by your Employment & Human Service Department case manager.

Why YOU should sign up for Rides To Success

If you don't have a car and rely on transit to get you where you want to go, RTS can give you more flexibility in getting to your employment-related destinations. RTS can get you home from work or training quickly if you have a sick child or other family emergency.

If you do have a car, RTS will be there as a guaranteed ride home or to work or training if your car breaks down.

For more information or to see if you are eligible to enroll for Rides To Success, contact your case manager at Employment & Human Services.

CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION PROJECT

Do you need help getting your children to school or daycare? EHSD's Children's Transportation Project may be answer. The Children's Transportation Project is a free door-to-door transportation service for children of CalWORKs participants in Contra Costa County. Pre-school through middle school children are driven by bus to and from school or daycare. This service is available from 6 AM through 6 PM on weekdays.

A Few Details:

For the safety of your children, 2 adults, a driver and an aide, are on each bus. Both of these will have passed a criminal background check and a drug test.

Car seats will be provided for children as required by state law.

If your child is under age 5, you're welcome to accompany him or her on the bus. Then we will take you to work or training in the area, or to make your connection on a local transit line.

For more information or to see if you are eligible to enroll your children in this free transportation project, contact your case manager at Employment & Human Services.

KEYS PROGRAM

KEYS is EHSD's Auto Loan Program that assists the County's CalWORKs population in obtaining a low interest loan to purchase an automobile. KEYS stands for "Keeping Employment Equals Your Success".

In its first year, 17 CalWORKs participants received KEYS Auto Loans averaging $2,725 each. Once you are approved for a KEYS Loan, KEYS can help you select a car and pays for a diagnostic report on the automobile you selected. In addition, you must attend classes on budget management and basic automobile maintenance to help you as a new car owner.

Is there anything particular I need to do to qualify for a KEYS loan?

Yes, you need a valid driver's license with no more than one point on your driving record. You must be working fulltime, and your employment must be with the same employer for the last (3) months. You will be asked to show proof of this by completing a KEYS Loan packet.

How much will KEYS loan me?

A KEYS Loan can be for up to $4,000 and must be paid back by making monthly payments over a two-year period.

My credit score is ok but certainly not great. How will this affect me acquiring a KEYS loan?

Our KEYS Program does look at all applicants' credit reports but understands that many applicants have had difficulties in the past with credit issues. It gives participants who cannot qualify for a car loan on their own another chance to do so.

I think I can qualify for a KEYS Loan. What should I do now?

See your EHSD Case Manager today and ask them to complete a KEYS Auto Loan Referral for you. To speed up the process, make sure you have your driver's license and DMV printout with you. To get a copy of your DMV printout, go to the nearest DMV office, show them your driver's license and ask them for a printout of your driving record. It will cost you $5.00. To complete your KEYS Auto Loan referral, ask your Case Manager to finish their part of the referral and send all the information to the KEYS Loan Coordinator.

For more information contact:

Joel Flamand
Phone: (925) 313-1735
E-mail: jflamand@ehsd.cccounty.us