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601.1 TANF MANUAL 7/22 Page 1a

2. explaining the benefits of providing information to DCSE such as possible entitlement to receive up to a $100 disregard per month when support has been collected, monetary support for the child if the applicant/recipient loses TANF benefits, and future benefits or pensions for the children;

3. securing information regarding absent parent(s), and the amount of support, if any, which is received by or on behalf of the applicant/recipient from such persons;

4. reporting information about absent parent(s) to DCSE;

5. explaining the applicant/recipient's rights and responsibilities regarding the automatic assignment of rights to support (201.9), the requirement regarding cooperation in obtaining support and good cause for refusing to cooperate (201.10);

6. in pending applications where it appears from the applicant's statement that a putative father is living in the home, the local agency may pursue the establishment of paternity. An Acknowledgement of Paternity (AOP), form VS22, obtained from the local health department, should be used for this purpose. The form must be completed, signed by the putative father and the mother, and notarized. A copy of the notarized Acknowledgement of Paternity should be filed in the case record, an original copy given to the parents, and the original sent to the local agency’s Regional District DCSE Office. A list of Regional District DCSE Offices may be accessed at dss.virginia.gov/family/dcseoffices.cgi. When an AOP is completed for a child born outside of the state of Virginia, the local agency is to send the original notarized AOP to the child support agency in the State in which the child was born. To confirm the mailing address for the out-of-state child support agency, the local department of social services should access the Intergovernmental Reference Guide (https://ocsp.acf.hhs.gov/irg/welcome.html) and select the State Contact, and select an agency contact from the States Central Registry or Customer Service list.

Once a child becomes a recipient, the agency is not to pursue the putative father for the purpose of establishing paternity. However, the agency will accept an acknowledgement of paternity which is initiated by the putative father at any time. Paternity will be established by a notarized Acknowledgement of Paternity form that has been signed by both parents. There will be no instance in which the local agency initiates court action for the purpose of establishing paternity when the putative father is not in the home.

Additionally, the local agency will not accept a notarized statement denying paternity under any circumstances.

7. determining good cause for not cooperating with DCSE;

8. determining noncooperation with the local department of social services;

9. determining exceptions to providing identifying information on the noncustodial parent in Section 201.10 A.1.c.).

TANF Transmittal 74