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July 1, 2026

31 • The child was conceived as a result of incest or sexual assault • The parent is considering whether to terminate parental rights and has sought the assistance of a public or licensed private social services agency not more than three (3) months ago • A petition for the adoption of the child has been filed with a court, except this does not apply as a good cause exemption from the responsibility to make payments under an existing court order

Local agencies do not have discretion to grant good cause for any reasons not listed in this section.

This section last updated 12/1/2022

Section 4.7.4.2 Good Cause Claim Documentation Parents must submit at least one (1) document of supporting evidence and a statement specifying the circumstances that the parent believes provide sufficient good cause for not cooperating. The parent must submit supporting evidence to the local agency within 20 calendar days from the date the Good Cause Claim form (DCF-F-DWSP2019-E) was signed. The agency worker may, with supervisory approval, determine that more time is needed due to difficulty in obtaining supporting evidence.

If the good cause claim is based on domestic abuse, and no supporting evidence is currently available, the local agency may permit the parent to submit evidence to the local agency within 60 calendar days from the date the Good Cause Claim form was signed.

The local agency must encourage the parent to submit as many types of supporting evidence as possible and must inform the parent that if assistance is needed in obtaining evidence, the agency worker will assist him or her. The agency worker must make every reasonable effort to obtain specific documents or information that the individual is having difficulty obtaining.

If the documentation that the parent provides does not prove that they have good cause for not cooperating with the Child Support Agency, the local agency must notify the individual that additional evidence is required and must explain the types of evidence that may be used.

A parent may provide any of the following types of documents to prove that they have good cause for not cooperating: • Court, medical, criminal, child protective services, social services, psychological, school, or law enforcement records regarding domestic abuse or physical or emotional harm to the parent or child