Can I apply for CalWORKs Cash Aid for only some of my children but not my newborn?

Unfortunately, no - you can't pick and choose which children to include on your CalWORKs case. When you apply for Cash Aid, you MUST include all children who live in your household as part of your assistance unit. The regulations require that all siblings living together be included (with very few exceptions). The newborn's father's income won't count against your case if he doesn't live with you and isn't married to you, but you still need to list the baby on your application.

omg i tried to do the same thing last year!!! didn't work lol. they made me add my baby even tho his dad was paying support. somethin about the baby being part of the "household unit" or whatever

The previous responses are correct. CalWORKs requires you to include all children in your household on your application. This is called the "mandatory inclusion rule" for assistance units. However, there's something important you should understand - if your newborn's father is providing financial support, you'll need to report that income on your Semi-Annual Report (SAR7), but it might not necessarily reduce your benefits by much. Here's why: The first $250 of child support income is exempt each month (as of 2025). So if he's providing more than that, only the amount above $250 counts as income. Additionally, adding another child to your case actually increases your potential maximum grant amount. You will need to provide paternity information for all children, including your newborn, as part of the child support cooperation requirement (unless you have good cause for not cooperating).

I've been on CalWORKS for 3 years now and they ABSOLUTELY make you list all your kids!!!! The county will probably find out anyway through birth records or hospital reports. I tried leaving my youngest off once and they found out when they did some kind of database check and then threatened to charge me with FRAUD!!! Don't risk it!!! Just list all your kids and then report whatever support the baby's dad gives you on your SAR7. If its not a ton of money you might still qualify for a decent amount.

When I applied last summer they told me all family members in the household have to be included on the application no matter what. But I remember the worker saying something about being able to exclude certain income depending on who it's for? Maybe ask about that when you do your interview.

CalWORKs eligibility worker here! To clarify a few things: 1. You must list ALL household members on your application, including your newborn 2. Child support payments received need to be reported, but remember the first $250 is disregarded 3. Adding your newborn actually INCREASES your potential maximum grant 4. You'll need to provide paternity info for all children (child support cooperation requirement) The only way a child can be excluded from your assistance unit is if they receive SSI, foster care payments, or in very specific other circumstances that don't apply to your situation. Apply through BenefitsCal.com and make sure to request an expedited determination if your situation is urgent.

I was having the EXACT same problem trying to reach somebody at the CalWORKs office to ask questions like this before applying. Hold times were like 3+ hours and I kept getting disconnected! I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that holds your place in line and calls you back when a worker is available. Totally worth it - got through in about 45 minutes instead of waiting all day. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE

One more thing to consider - if the baby's father is providing substantial support (like over $1000/month), you might want to consult with a benefits counselor about whether applying for CalWORKs makes financial sense for your family. In some cases, the income might reduce your grant significantly. You can always apply for CalFresh (food stamps) separately, which has higher income limits than Cash Aid.

Just wanted to add that even though you have to include your newborn on the application, you might actually come out ahead financially! With $800/month support, after the $250 disregard, only $550 would count as income. But adding a 4th child to your assistance unit increases your maximum grant by quite a bit - potentially more than the $550 reduction. Plus you'd get increased CalFresh benefits too. Definitely run the numbers with a benefits counselor, but don't assume you'll be worse off including the baby!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share something that might help! I went through a similar situation last year with my twins - one had a father who was providing support and the other didn't. The caseworker explained that CalWORKs looks at your household as a unit, so even though the circumstances are different for each child, they all have to be included. What really helped me was using the BenefitsCal.com calculator before applying - it showed me exactly how the child support would affect my grant amount. In my case, even with $600/month in support, I still qualified for a decent amount because the additional child increased my maximum grant. The key is being completely transparent about all income sources during your application and ongoing reporting. Don't stress too much about the paternity cooperation stuff either - if the father is already providing support voluntarily, that actually makes the process smoother!