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.