PDFWAC 110-50-0320

What constitutes good cause for not pursuing the collection or establishment of child support or paternity?

Children's administration uses the following criteria to determine whether sufficient good cause exists for requesting that DCS not pursue collection or establish child support or paternity on foster care cases:
(1) It is not in the child's best interest;
(2) The parent or other legally obligated person, or the parent or other person's child, spouse, or spouse's child was the victim of the offense for which the child was committed to the custody of the juvenile rehabilitation administration (JRA) and the child is being placed directly into foster care from a JRA facility until this placement episode closes;
(3) Adoption proceedings for the child are pending in court or the custodial parent is being helped by a private or public agency to decide if the child will be placed for adoption;
(4) The child was conceived as a result of incest or rape and establishing paternity would not be in the child's best interest;
(5) The juvenile or tribal court in the dependency proceeding finds that the parents will be unable to comply with an agreed reunification plan with the child due to the financial hardship caused by paying child support. The social worker also may determine that financial hardship caused by paying child support will delay or prevent family reunification; or
(6) The custodial parent and/or the child may be placed in danger as a result of the presence of or potential for domestic abuse perpetrated by the person that the division of child support would be pursuing for collection action.
[WSR 18-14-078, recodified as § 110-50-0320, filed 6/29/18, effective 7/1/18. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 2004 c 183, 74.20.040, and 74.13.020. WSR 05-06-091, § 388-25-0227, filed 3/1/05, effective 4/1/05.]