CalWORKs child support cooperation issue - will I face legal trouble for not knowing the father's whereabouts?

They can't deny her Cash Aid just because she doesn't know where the father is currently. The "cooperation" requirement means she needs to provide whatever information she DOES have - his name, last known city, physical description, any old contact info, etc. My sister was in a similar situation and just had to fill out a form explaining why she couldn't provide certain details. As long as your sister is truthful about what she knows, she won't face perjury charges. Make sure she explains in the form that she's willing to cooperate but has limited information. The county can still try to locate him with just a name and last known location.

she should apply for a good cause exemption!!! my friend did this and didnt have 2 give ANY info on her babys daddy. she was scared he might get violent if child support went after him. CalWORKs gave her a form to request exemption from child suppprt cooperation and she got approved no problem. ur sis might qualify if shes worried about him finding out where they live or anything

I went through this exact situation in 2023. Here's what happens: you'll fill out a form called CW 2.1 (Child Support Questionnaire) with whatever info you have. Then they schedule an appointment with LCSA (Local Child Support Agency) where your sister will need to explain her situation. They'll ask for his full name, last known whereabouts, family members' names if she knows them, where he worked last, physical description, etc. Be 100% honest. If she only knows his name and city, that's all she needs to say. They won't deny benefits for that. BUT they will open a child support case and try to locate him. If she intentionally withholds information she does know, that's when legal issues could happen.

Let me clarify something important: the perjury warnings on CalWORKs forms are standard legal language that appears on all government benefit applications. Your sister absolutely will NOT face jail time if she genuinely doesn't know where he is or his complete information. What she needs to do: 1. Provide all information she does know honestly 2. Attend the mandatory child support interview (they'll schedule this after application) 3. Sign the cooperation forms 4. Tell them directly she's willing to cooperate but has limited information As long as she doesn't actively obstruct their efforts or intentionally provide false information, she is considered "cooperating" under the law. The county may still approve her for benefits even if they can't locate him. Also, the fact that he's not on the birth certificate should definitely be mentioned, as this is relevant information about her situation.

I had the WORST experience with this part of CalWORKs!!! 😠 My caseworker kept acting like I was hiding info about my kid's dad when I seriously hadn't seen him in years. They treated me like a criminal just for applying for help! Made me come back THREE TIMES for child support interviews. Total waste of time and gas money I didn't have. The whole system is designed to humiliate single moms I swear.

Something no one mentioned - she should bring any documentation she has to the child support interview. Text messages showing he's not involved, any email communication, etc. This isn't required but can help show she's being honest about the situation. Also, if she knows names of any of his family members or friends, that can help too. They're pretty good at finding people with minimal info.

my sister put unknown on hers cuz she didnt want her ex knowing where she lived (he was bad news) and they denied her applcation at first. had to get a domestic violence exmption form from her worker n then they approved it. idk if thats ur sisters situation tho

I wanted to follow up since I see several comments mentioning exemptions. To clarify: 1. Your sister doesn't need a good cause exemption if she's willing to cooperate but simply lacks information 2. Good cause exemptions are for situations involving: - Domestic violence risk - Rape or incest cases - Adoption proceedings - Risk of physical/emotional harm to the child 3. What your sister needs is just to attend the LCSA interview and provide what information she has The most common mistake people make is not showing up to the child support interview, which WILL result in benefit denial. Make sure she attends that appointment when scheduled.

Has anyone mentioned yet that there's a $50 child support disregard? This means if they do locate him and he pays child support, the first $50 per month won't count against her CalWORKs amount. She gets to keep that on top of the cash aid. Just something to know since many people think all child support reduces their benefits dollar for dollar.

One last tip - if your sister has trouble getting through to the CalWORKs office to ask questions about this (which is super common), I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually reach a real person. They call the office for you and wait on hold, then call you when someone answers. Saved me literally hours of frustration when I was dealing with my child support cooperation issues. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE. Much better than being stuck on hold all day trying to get answers.

Just want to add one more reassuring point - I work with families applying for benefits and see this situation ALL the time. Counties process thousands of applications where parents genuinely don't have complete father information. Your sister's case is very normal and routine for them. The caseworkers have seen every possible scenario and won't be suspicious of her for lacking details about someone who was never involved. Focus on being completely honest about what she does know (his name, last city, approximate age if she knows it) and emphasize her willingness to cooperate with any locate efforts. The key is showing up to appointments and being transparent - that's all "cooperation" really means in these cases.