Child Welfare and Attendance Authorization

About the CWA Program | Program Requirements | Memorandum of Understanding | Registration | Program Completion

About the CWA Program

What is the Child Welfare and Attendance (CWA) Authorization? 

The Child Welfare and Attendance (CWA) Authorization is an added specialization to an existing Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential in School Counseling, School Psychology, and School Social Work. The CWA authorization allows PPS credential holders to provide specialized student support work in attendance improvement, student welfare, and truancy prevention and remediation. The CWA program at CSUDH is accredited by the California Commision on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) and is directed by the School and College Counseling Department at CSUDH. 

What are the benefits of earning a CWA? 

The CWA authorization provides additional expertise beyond one’s PPS credential and can open additional employment opportunities in the field. In some districts, the additional course units may allow for a salary increase if it moves one to a higher step schedule. 

When and where do the classes meet?

Classes will meet on selected Saturdays (tentatively 10 class meetings) from 8:30 AM to 2:15 PM synchronously on Zoom. The classes will also require supplementary supervision meetings on Zoom to be arranged by the instructor. 

How much does the program cost? 

The program cost is $3,600 for the semester, which includes the required six course units, course materials, and instructor’s credential recommendation. Upon completion, the CWA authorization applications to the CSUDH credential analysts and CTC will require separate credentialing processing fees. 

How do I apply to the program?

Complete the following steps: 

1. Complete the online application form. 
2. Within the application, you will upload verification of your valid PPS credential. 
3. Within the application, you will upload transcripts (unofficial transcripts are acceptable) showing your completed Master's degree. 
4. Applications must be complete and submitted by the deadline to be considered for admission. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. 

Program Requirements 

What is required to earn the CWA from the CSUDH program? 

The following requirements must be met to be recommended for the CWA authorization 

• All students must have an MOU in place before beginning the program (see below for more information). 
• Within the semester enrolled, students must complete both coursework and fieldwork, which includes 150 hours of supervised fieldwork focused on student attendance support and intervention within a public school setting. 
• Students must attend all classes and supervision meetings, with their cameras on. 
• Students must maintain exemplary professional and ethical behavior, as mandated by the standards of the School Counseling professional associations and accrediting bodies. 

Who is eligible to take the CWA program? 

The CWA program is intended for alumni of the CSUDH School Counseling program (i.e., those who earned their PPS credential from CSUDH). However, pending space availability, eligible school professionals who received their PPS from other institutions will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. All applicants must meet the following criteria: 

• Have a current PPS credential in School Counseling, School Psychology, or School Social Work. 
• Have a Master's degree from a regionally accredited university. 
• Alumni applicants must furnish verification of completing the PPS credential through the CSUDH School Counseling program. 

I am a LAUSD employee and have heard there may be restrictions on earning fieldwork hours in the district. Could you explain more? What should I do? 

Current LAUSD employees should speak to their HR team and their school site administrator regarding completing fieldwork hours during contractual work hours. Note that due to current district policies, LAUSD employees cannot complete fieldwork hours at their site of employment during their contracted workday. 

Who qualifies as a site supervisor? 

Site supervisors must possess a PPS credential and be actively supporting students on child welfare and attendance matters. Supervisors do not need to possess a CWA authorization but do need to provide you with fieldwork experiences related to attendance improvement. 

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 

Am I required to have an established Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between my school district and CSUDH in order to take the CWA program? 

Yes. All registered CWA students must have a MOU in place by August 1 for Fall semester CWA classes. 

How do I know which districts already have an existing MOU with CSUDH?

Please view a list of our current MOU agreements:
https://www.csudh.edu/Assets/csudh-sites/coe/counseling/CSUDH-School-Counseling-MOUs-Fall2025.pdf

The school district where I want to complete my CWA fieldwork does not have a MOU with CSUDH. What should I do? 

If you registered for the CWA program and your intended school district is not on our list of current agreements, we can work to establish one for you, however, please note that the process is typically lengthy (from several weeks to months), and in some cases, school districts may choose to not enter into a new agreement at all. Because no one can predict what the outcome of requesting a new MOU will be, you will need to be prepared to drop the courses if a MOU is not established by August 1. 

I understand that there is uncertainty involved in establishing a new MOU with my intended school district, but I want to move forward. What are the next steps in the process? 

If you have registered for the CWA program, then contact your district’s Human Resources department to inquire about establishing a MOU with our program. You will need to find out who the appropriate contact person is in the district and then forward their contact information to us. From there, we will reach out to your district to establish a MOU. Please note that approval can take several weeks to months depending on the district’s process of approval. Board approval may or may not be needed, depending on your district’s policy. If your school district requires board approval, then this may add several weeks to the timeline. 

Instructions to establish a new MOU with the CSUDH CWA program are as follows: 

1. Register for the CWA program courses. Establishing a new MOU with a school district can only proceed for registered CWA students. 
2. Send the following school district information to Dr. Mancillas at amancillas@csudh.edu 

• • Your name 
  • Proof of registration in CWA courses 
  • Name of school district 
  • Address of school district 
  • Name of contact person in the school district (usually in HR) 
  • Contact person’s email and phone number 

Should I register for the CWA program while a new MOU between my district and CSUDH is being established? 

Yes. Students must register for the CWA courses before we can request a new MOU. Please note the MOU must be approved by both the district and the university no later than August 1 in order to begin the program. 

What happens if I register for classes and my MOU is not established by August 1? 

You would need to drop the courses if the MOU is not approved by August 1. Students will receive a refund of 100% of their fees (less a $10 processing fee) if you withdraw before the classes begin. Please visit CCPE policies for information on course withdrawal and refund of fees. 

Registration

How do I register for the CWA program? 

Interested candidates must complete their application using the instructions above. After an application is submitted, you will receive an email confirming receipt and information about your application status within 10 business days. 

Who qualifies as a CSUDH PPS program alumni for priority registration? 

Alumni are defined as those who earned their PPS credential from CSUDH, not graduates of CSUDH in general. 

What happens if I am placed on the wait list? 

We will monitor enrollment and notify applicants on the waitlist if space opens. Please note if you receive an offer of enrollment after August 1, an MOU must already be in place between your school district and CSUDH. 

When will you offer the CWA program next? 

At the present time, we are only offering the CWA program in Fall semester, however, we may eventually offer the program in Spring semesters, pending resource availability. 

Completing the Program

I am not available on some Saturdays. What is the attendance policy of the program? 

Candidates must be available for every class meeting in order to receive a Credit (CR) for the courses and be considered for the authorization. Although there will only be ten class meetings during the semester, registered students are expected to keep all Saturdays open until the exact meeting dates are distributed prior to the start of the class. Candidates unable to attend all class meetings will not meet the requirements of the courses and not be recommended for the CWA authorization. 

What happens if I enroll in the program, but cannot complete the courses or fieldwork hours required? 

It is the student's responsibility to arrange a supervisory agreement and school site placement that both meets the credential requirements and is in accordance with your district’s policies. The CWA program is not responsible for students’ inability to accrue fieldwork hours, including any restrictions students encounter that may negatively impact the completion of fieldwork hours, including delays in MOU agreements. Students who are unable to meet the program requirements, will receive a No Credit (NC) for the courses unless they withdraw from the program by the appropriate deadlines. Please visit CCPE policies for information on course withdrawal and refund of fees. 

What happens after I finish the program? 

Once a candidate successfully completes all course and fieldwork requirements, they will be provided with a letter of completion by the course instructor. The candidate will then apply for the CWA to be added to their existing PPS credential through the CSUDH credential analysts. From there, the university credential analyst will recommend the candidate to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to receive the CWA authorization. There is an application fee for both the CSUDH credential application and the CTC application. The processing time to receive the CWA varies but typically takes 3-4 weeks from the time the application was submitted.