717            CHILD SUPPORT ASSIGNMENT AND COOPERATION

717 A.        PURPOSE

Regular child support payments from the noncustodial parent (also referred to as the absent parent) are essential for most TATemporary Assistance families to become self-supporting. Because of this, ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program rules require parents and caretaker relatives to assign their rights to child support payments to the state for the months they are receiving ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program benefit payments, and to cooperate with the Child Support Services Division (CSSD) in:

• Establish the paternity of each child included in the family's assistance unit;
• Identifying and locating the child's noncustodial parent;
• Establishing and modifying a child support order for the child; and
• Enforcing the child support order for the child.

Except for the caretaker relatives listed in ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program MS 717 B below, a parent or caretaker relative who is requesting or receiving ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program benefits for a child in their care is required to cooperate with CSSDChild Support Services Division. This includes a caretaker relative who is a minor parent or who is not included in the assistance unit.

Cooperation with CSSDChild Support Services Division is waived if the caseworker determines the caretaker relative has good cause for not cooperating. If the caretaker relative does not cooperate and does not have good cause, the caretaker relative will be subject to a penalty under ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program. The children will be included in the TATemporary Assistance case and CSSDChild Support Services Division will still pursue establishing paternity and enforcing a child support order for the children receiving ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program benefits.

717 B.        WHO IS NOT REQUIRED TO COOPERATE

For the purpose of ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program eligibility, completion of the Child Support Information form (GEN 53) and other cooperation with CSSDChild Support Services Division is not required when:

• Both of the dependent child's natural or adoptive parents are living in the home;
• There is no other parent because the caretaker relative legally adopted the dependent child as a single parent;
• The dependent child's noncustodial parent is deceased; or
• The applicant is a pregnant woman in her third trimester with no other children in the home.

Note:

When the newborn is added to the case, the parent or caretaker relative must be informed of child support requirements and a GEN 53Child Support Information Form may be required at that time.

In these situations, the caseworker does not complete the Absent Parent Identification (APID) and related screens on EISEligibility Information System. This prevents an unnecessary referral to CSSDChild Support Services Division.