Do I need to list my baby's father on CalWORKs application if we're not married?

Thank you for explaining this. What counts as "good cause"? We don't have any domestic violence history, he's just unreliable and I don't want him involved with my baby. Would that qualify or do I need something more serious to get the exemption?

Same here. But at least child support payments don't count against your CalWORKs cash aid dollar-for-dollar. They let you keep the first $100 of child support (for 1 kid) without reducing your grant amount. So you actually end up with more money if the father pays anything.

Thank you for the detailed explanation. That's better than what my eligibility worker told me. I'm going to go ahead and provide his information then, even though I'd rather not deal with him. Do you know if they contact him right away or only after my application is approved?

this is so frustrating tho why do they make single moms jump through all these hoops? like some of us have REASONS we dont want the father involved!! 😡

That's really helpful to know about the confidentiality option. I'll definitely request that. And thanks for the Claimyr tip - I tried calling my county office yesterday and gave up after 45 minutes on hold. I'll check out that service.

That's a relief. At least I'll get the benefits started before he finds out. I know it sounds bad but he's been so flaky I just want to get stable first.

YES!!!! This!!! 👆 The caseworker tried to scare me saying I HAD to do child support but when I explained why it would be harmful they gave me the exemption. Document everything. Texts, emails, anything showing why it's a bad idea. They DO give exemptions if you have legitimate concerns.

This is an important point. CalFresh and Medi-Cal don't require child support cooperation, only CalWORKs does. So if the child support issue is a complete deal-breaker, you could still get some assistance. But as you mentioned, you'd miss out on the cash aid which is significant - currently up to $712 for a parent and one child (2025 rates).

Good luck with your application! One last tip - make sure to apply for the Diaper Allowance too when you submit your CalWORKs application. It's an extra $30 per month for children under 3 years old. Every bit helps when you're a new mom!

Thank you so much for sharing your actual experience with the good cause exemption! This gives me a lot of hope. My situation is similar - the father has had issues with alcohol and has been really inconsistent. I was worried that wouldn't be "serious enough" but hearing that you got approved for substance abuse and erratic behavior concerns makes me feel like I might have a real chance. I'm definitely going to document everything I can think of before my appointment. Did you have to provide any official documentation or was your written explanation on the CW 51 form enough? And how long did it take from when you submitted the form to when you heard back about the decision?

@048b44a5e3bf I'm so glad this is helpful! For documentation, I didn't have official police reports or anything like that - mostly just my written explanation on the CW 51 form detailing specific incidents and behaviors I was concerned about. I included dates when I could remember them and described how his drinking affected his reliability and judgment. The timeline was about 3 weeks from when I submitted the form to getting the approval letter. My eligibility worker told me that good cause decisions are made at the county level, so it might vary depending on where you apply, but they're supposed to make a decision within 30 days. One thing that helped was being very specific in my description rather than just saying "he has problems." I wrote things like "became aggressive when drinking on [specific date]" and "missed scheduled visits multiple times due to being under the influence." The more concrete examples you can provide, the better. Don't give up if you don't have "perfect" documentation - your safety and your child's wellbeing are what matter most. Trust your instincts about the situation!

@048b44a5e3bf I'm so glad my experience helps! For documentation, I didn't need official records initially - my detailed written explanation on the CW 51 was enough. I described specific incidents, dates when I could remember them, and explained how his behavior would be harmful to me and my son. The decision took about 3 weeks for me, but my eligibility worker said it can vary by county. Some take longer if they need to review with supervisors. The key is being as specific as possible about the harm that could come from cooperation. Don't downplay your concerns - if you genuinely believe it would be problematic, that matters. One tip: if you have any text messages, emails, or witnesses to his erratic behavior, mention that in your explanation even if you don't submit copies right away. They may ask for more documentation later if needed, but the initial review is often based on your written statement. Good luck with your application - you've got this! 💪

@048b44a5e3bf I can answer this from my experience! For the CW 51 form, I mostly relied on my written explanation, but I did include some text screenshots where he was being threatening or erratic. I also mentioned dates of specific incidents I could remember. They didn't require like police reports or anything official - just my detailed account was enough. The timeline was about 3 weeks from when I submitted the form to getting the approval letter. My eligibility worker told me that most good cause decisions come back within 30 days. During that waiting period, my CalWORKs benefits weren't affected - they continued processing everything normally. The key thing is being as specific as possible about why cooperation would be harmful. Don't just say "he's unreliable" - explain HOW he's unreliable and what that could mean for you and your baby's safety/wellbeing. Alcohol issues and inconsistent behavior definitely count as legitimate concerns, especially if you can give examples.

I'm so glad my story helped! For documentation, I didn't need official records - just my detailed written explanation on the CW 51 form was enough. I described specific incidents, dates when I could remember them, and explained how his behavior would make cooperation harmful for me and my child. I did include screenshots of some concerning text messages he had sent me, but the caseworker said that wasn't required - it just helped support my case. The written explanation was the most important part. As for timing, I submitted my CW 51 form with my initial CalWORKs application, and I got a decision letter about 3 weeks later approving the exemption. My eligibility worker said it can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks depending on the county's workload. One tip - be as specific as possible in your explanation. Instead of just saying "he has alcohol problems," I wrote things like "father has a history of drinking and driving with unpredictable behavior when intoxicated, which creates safety concerns for our child." The more detailed and specific you are about why cooperation would be harmful, the better. You've got this! Trust your instincts about protecting yourself and your baby.

For my good cause exemption, I mostly relied on my written explanation on the CW 51 form, but I also included some text message screenshots showing his erratic behavior and a brief statement from my mom who had witnessed some of his concerning actions. You don't need official court documents or police reports - they understand that many situations don't have "official" documentation. The timeline was about 3 weeks from when I submitted the form to getting the approval letter. My eligibility worker said they have to review it with a supervisor, which is why it takes a bit longer than regular application processing. One tip - be very specific in your written explanation. Don't just say "he has alcohol issues" - describe specific incidents and how they made you concerned for your and your baby's safety or wellbeing. The more detail you can provide about why cooperation would be harmful, the stronger your case will be. Good luck! It sounds like you definitely have grounds for an exemption based on what you've described.

For the CW 51 form, I mainly provided my own written explanation but I did include screenshots of some concerning text messages he had sent and a brief statement from a friend who had witnessed some of his erratic behavior. You don't need official police reports or court documents - they understand that many people in our situations don't have formal documentation. The whole process took about 3 weeks from when I submitted the form to getting the approval letter. My eligibility worker told me that was pretty typical timing. During that time, my CalWORKs application continued to be processed normally, so the good cause review didn't delay my benefits. One thing that really helped was being specific in my written explanation - not just saying "he has alcohol issues" but describing specific incidents and how they made me concerned for my safety and my child's wellbeing. The more details you can provide about why cooperation would be harmful, the stronger your case will be. You've got this! Document what you can and be thorough in explaining your concerns. The system really does work when you have legitimate safety or wellbeing concerns.

@048b44a5e3bf I'm so glad my experience was helpful! For documentation, I didn't have official court records or anything formal - I just wrote a detailed explanation on the CW 51 form about specific incidents and behaviors I was concerned about. I included dates when I could remember them and described how his drinking affected his reliability and decision-making. The key was being specific rather than just saying "he's unreliable." I wrote things like "missed scheduled visits 4 times in 2 months due to being intoxicated" and "sent erratic text messages at all hours demanding money." The more concrete examples you can give, the better. From when I submitted the form to getting the approval took about 3 weeks. My eligibility worker said they have to review each case individually, so timing can vary. But don't worry - your CalWORKs benefits continue normally while they're reviewing the good cause request. One thing that really helped was my eligibility worker explaining that the state's priority is the safety and wellbeing of you and your child. If pursuing child support could create problems or put you at risk, they'd rather have you stable and receiving benefits. Document everything you can and don't downplay your concerns!

For my good cause exemption, I mostly relied on my written explanation on the CW 51 form, but I did include some text messages that showed his erratic behavior and a few photos of times he showed up intoxicated. You don't necessarily need official police reports or medical records - they understand that not everyone has formal documentation of these issues. The timeline was about 3 weeks from when I submitted the form to getting approval. My eligibility worker said they have to review it with a supervisor, and sometimes they might ask for additional information, but in my case they felt I had provided enough detail about the safety concerns. Make sure to be very specific in your description - don't just say "he drinks too much" but explain how it affects his behavior, any incidents that worried you, and why you believe it would be harmful to you or your child if they pursued child support. The more concrete examples you can give, the better. You've got this! @048b44a5e3bf

@048b44a5e3bf I hope you don't mind me jumping in here, but I wanted to answer your questions since I went through something similar. For documentation, I didn't have any "official" records like police reports or court documents. I just wrote a detailed explanation on the CW 51 form describing specific incidents and patterns of behavior that concerned me. I included things like missed appointments, showing up intoxicated to pick up our older child, and screenshots of erratic text messages. The decision took about 3 weeks from when I submitted the form. My eligibility worker told me that they really do consider each case individually and that having a pattern of concerning behavior documented (even just in your own words) can be enough. The key is being specific about why cooperation would be harmful rather than just saying you don't want to deal with him. Good luck with your application! It sounds like you have valid concerns that they should take seriously.

For my good cause exemption, I mainly relied on my written explanation on the CW 51 form, but I also included some text messages that showed his erratic behavior and a copy of a police report from when I had to call them about his drinking and showing up at my place unexpectedly. You don't necessarily need "official" documentation, but anything that backs up your concerns helps. The timeline was about 3 weeks from when I submitted the form to getting the approval letter. During that time, my CalWORKs case stayed open and I kept receiving benefits - they don't cut you off while they review the good cause request. One thing that really helped was being very specific in my explanation. Instead of just saying "he has substance abuse issues," I wrote about specific incidents, dates when possible, and how his behavior would impact our child's safety and wellbeing. The more detail you can provide about why cooperation would be harmful, the stronger your case will be. Your situation definitely sounds like it could qualify. Document everything you can remember - texts, voicemails, any witnesses to concerning behavior, anything that shows the pattern of problems. You've got this!

@048b44a5e3bf I hope you don't mind me jumping in, but I wanted to share what worked for me when I applied for my good cause exemption. I didn't have any official documentation like police reports or medical records, but I wrote a really detailed explanation on the CW 51 form about specific incidents and patterns of behavior that made me concerned about safety and stability. I included things like screenshots of erratic text messages, dates when he showed up intoxicated, and examples of unpredictable behavior. Even though these weren't "official" documents, they painted a clear picture of why cooperation would be problematic. The eligibility worker said they look at the overall pattern, not just whether you have formal paperwork. It took about 3 weeks to get a decision in my case. They called me to go over some details from my form, which actually made me feel like they were taking it seriously rather than just rubber-stamping a denial. The key is being as specific as possible with dates, examples, and explaining how these behaviors would impact your child's wellbeing. Good luck with your application!

@048b44a5e3bf For my good cause exemption, I didn't need official documentation - my detailed written explanation on the CW 51 form was enough. I described specific incidents, dates when possible, and how his behavior would put me and my child at risk. The key is being specific rather than general. It took about 3 weeks to get the decision, but my eligibility worker told me it can take up to 30 days. They actually called me to let me know it was approved rather than just mailing a letter, which was nice. One thing that helped my case was that I also mentioned how pursuing child support would likely make him angry and potentially escalate his drinking, which could lead to him showing up at my place or causing other problems. They really do consider the broader safety implications, not just direct physical violence. @53fb4ed3f6b1 Your situation sounds very similar to mine. Document everything you can remember - even if it seems minor, write it down. Inconsistent behavior combined with substance issues is definitely something they take seriously. Good luck with your application!