It depends.
S/he will not have to pay it back if s/he lives with you and the child, and you have informed Cal‑WORKs.
S/he may not have to pay it back if s/he
- is in high school,
- is in jail,
- has a disability, or
- makes no money.
S/he will probably have to pay some of it back if s/he does not live with you and his or her information was not included on your Cal‑WORKs application. The law says parents have to support their children.
S/he may only have to pay some of the money if s/he makes very little money.
Cal‑WORKs will not ask the other parent for child support if
- you think it would put you or your baby in danger, or
- the baby was a result of rape.
If this applies to you, ask your Cal‑WORKs worker for a “Good Cause” exception. If your worker does not agree to make the exception for you, you can request a hearing.
Note: The other parent does not have to pay back childcare help or other support services from Cal‑WORKs.