Opening a Case FAQ

Yes. Keep in mind that the longer parents are gone, the harder it may be to find them.

Child support case information is confidential and not open to the public. Court files may be public record.

By law, the RCDCSS must try to find the noncustodial parent. The longer the parent has been gone, the more difficult it may by to locate him/her, but every effort will be made.

Child support case files are not open to the public. The information from the RCDCSS’s files will not be released, except as authorized by law or by court order.

No. The RCDCSS will contact the noncustodial parent. As a condition of eligibility for public assistance and or medical, you must cooperate with the RCDCSS in getting child support and/or medical support from the other parent by providing as much information as you can.

To “cooperate" means you must provide any information or documents needed by the RCDCSS to establish paternity and/or locate the other parent, and to get support payments for your child. If you are receiving public assistance and you do not cooperate with the RCDCSS, you must have “good cause” for not doing so. Good cause means you must have a legally accepted reason for not cooperating with the RCDCSS such as probability of physical or emotional harm to you or your children.

You will be asked to provide information about yourself, your child (ren) and the other parent. The more information the caseworker has, the faster a child support order can be obtained.

Only public assistance recipients or the parent(s) of a child placed for foster care must “assign” their support rights. When you “assign” you support rights to the county, you are giving the county the right to keep any medical support money that was owed to you at the time you received public assistance and any money it collects for you. The county will use that money to pay back any public assistance payments or services given to you or paid on behalf of your child. Any support money collected that is more than the public assistance benefits you receive will be paid to you. Regardless of whether you agree or not, support rights are assigned by operation of law when you and or your children receive public assistance.

No. As long as you have cooperated with the RCDCSS, TANF payments and Medi-Cal benefits will be available to you while the RCDCSS tries to find the noncustodial parent.

When you apply for/receive child support services, you must promptly inform the RCDCSS of any changes of information or circumstances in your case. Some examples are: Address and telephone number changes, Name change, Initiation of any divorce or legal proceedings, New information regarding the noncustodial parent, Direct receipt of any child and/or spousal support, Direct receipt of payment from any other health coverage. Refer to the application for the information needed to open a case.