DCF 58.12(3)(a)1.1. A kinship care agency shall notify the relative caregiver of the opportunity to claim a good cause exemption in the application for kinship care or long-term kinship care.
DCF 58.12(3)(a)2.
2. The notice shall describe the right to refuse to cooperate for good cause in securing child support and shall advise the relative caregiver of all of the following:
DCF 58.12(3)(a)2.a.
a. The potential benefits the child may derive from securing child support.
DCF 58.12(3)(a)2.b.
b. That cooperation in securing child support is a condition of eligibility for kinship care and long-term kinship care.
DCF 58.12(3)(a)2.c.
c. That good cause for refusing to cooperate may be claimed and if the kinship care agency finds that there is good cause, the relative caregiver will be excused from the cooperation requirement.
DCF 58.12(3)(b)1.1. A relative caregiver may claim good cause in application form prescribed by the department under s.
DCF 58.04 (1). The good cause information in the application shall describe the circumstances that support a good cause claim and how a claim should be documented.
DCF 58.12(3)(b)2.
2. The information on good cause in the application shall include that the kinship care agency directs the child support agency to proceed to attempt to secure child support without the participation of the relative caregiver.
DCF 58.12(3)(b)3.
3. The relative caregiver shall sign and date the good cause claim to initiate the claim.
DCF 58.12(3)(b)4.
4. Within 2 days after the date on which the relative caregiver signs the good cause claim under subd.
3., the kinship care agency shall notify the child support agency that the relative caregiver has filed a good cause claim and instruct the child support agency to either not initiate or to suspend activities to secure child support until the claim is determined.
DCF 58.12(3)(c)
(c)
Burden on relative caregiver to establish good cause circumstances. A relative caregiver who refuses to cooperate in securing child support and who claims good cause for refusing to cooperate has the burden of establishing good cause, except as provided in subs.
(5) (c) and
(11) (a).
DCF 58.12(4)
(4)
Good cause circumstances. The kinship care agency shall determine whether requiring cooperation is contrary to the best interests of the child or the relative caregiver. An exemption may be granted only for one of the following reasons:
DCF 58.12(4)(a)
(a) The relative caregiver's cooperation can be reasonably anticipated to result in any of the following:
DCF 58.12(4)(a)1.
1. Physical harm of a serious nature to the child or to the relative caregiver.
DCF 58.12(4)(a)2.
2. Emotional harm of a serious nature to the child or the relative caregiver.
DCF 58.12(4)(b)
(b) One of the following circumstances exists and it can be reasonably anticipated that proceeding to secure child support would be detrimental to the child:
DCF 58.12(4)(b)1.
1. The child was conceived as the result of incest or sexual assault.
DCF 58.12(4)(b)2.
2. A petition for adoption of the child has been filed with a court.
DCF 58.12(4)(b)3.
3. The parent or parents are being assisted by a social services agency in deciding whether to terminate parental rights and the discussions have not gone on for more than 3 months.
DCF 58.12(5)(a)(a) Within 45 days from the date a claim is signed, the kinship care agency shall determine if there is good cause for a relative caregiver to refuse to cooperate in securing child support. The 45-day period may be extended by the kinship care agency upon written notice to the relative caregiver if the kinship care agency documents that additional time is needed for any of the following reasons:
DCF 58.12(5)(a)1.
1. Information needed to verify the claim cannot be obtained by the kinship care agency within 45 days.
DCF 58.12(5)(a)2.
2. Supporting evidence was not submitted by the relative caregiver within 20 days as required under sub.
(10) (a).
DCF 58.12(5)(b)
(b) The kinship care agency's determination on whether good cause exists shall be reviewed and signed by a supervisor in the agency.
DCF 58.12(5)(c)
(c) If there is no evidence or verifiable information available which suggests otherwise, the kinship care agency shall conclude that a refusal to cooperate was a case of cooperation to the fullest extent possible.
DCF 58.12(5)(d)
(d) The kinship care agency shall place all of the following in the relative caregiver's case record:
DCF 58.12(5)(d)1.
1. The agency's final determination on the relative caregiver's good cause claim and the reasons for the determination.
DCF 58.12(5)(e)
(e) Written notice of the final determination shall be given to the relative caregiver and to the child support agency. If the kinship care agency determines that good cause does not exist, the relative caregiver may, within 45 days from the date of the notification, do one of the following:
DCF 58.12(5)(f)
(f) A denial or termination of kinship care or long-term kinship care shall remain in effect until there is cooperation or until cooperation is no longer an issue.
DCF 58.12(6)
(6)
Approving or continuing payments. If the relative caregiver is cooperating with the kinship care agency in furnishing evidence and information for a determination on good cause, the kinship care agency may not deny, delay, reduce, or discontinue a kinship care or long-term kinship care payment, pending the determination, provided that all other eligibility criteria are met.
DCF 58.12(7)(a)(a) The kinship care agency shall allow the child support agency to review and comment on the findings of the kinship care agency and shall consider the child support agency's recommendations prior to the final determination on good cause by the kinship care agency.
DCF 58.12(7)(b)
(b) The child support agency may participate in any hearing resulting from a good cause determination.
DCF 58.12(7)(c)
(c) The final decision on good cause shall be made by the kinship care agency.
DCF 58.12(8)
(8)
Evidence. An initial good cause claim shall be based on evidence in existence at the time of the claim. There is no limitation on the age of the evidence. Once a final decision, including any hearing, is made on the claim, any subsequent claim shall have new evidence as its basis. Any of the following types of evidence may be used in determining good cause:
DCF 58.12(8)(a)
(a) Birth certificates or medical or law enforcement records that indicate that the child may have been conceived as a result of incest or sexual assault.
DCF 58.12(8)(b)
(b) Court documents or other records that indicate that a petition for the adoption of the child has been filed with a court.
DCF 58.12(8)(c)
(c) Court, medical, criminal, child protective services, social services, psychological, school or law enforcement records that indicate that a parent might inflict physical or emotional harm on the child or on the relative caregiver.
DCF 58.12(8)(d)
(d) Medical records indicating the emotional health history and present emotional health status of the relative caregiver or the child, or a written statement from a mental health professional indicating a diagnosis or prognosis concerning the emotional health of the relative caregiver or the child.
DCF 58.12(8)(e)
(e) A written statement from a public or private social services agency that the parent is being assisted by that agency to determine whether or not to terminate parental rights.
DCF 58.12(8)(f)
(f) Sworn statements from persons other than the parent or the relative caregiver with knowledge of the circumstance on which the good cause claim is based.
DCF 58.12(9)
(9)
Special requirements for proof of good cause. DCF 58.12(9)(a)(a) Emotional harm. If a good cause claim is based on emotional harm to the relative caregiver or to the child, the kinship care agency shall consider all of the following:
DCF 58.12(9)(a)1.
1. Present emotional state of the person subject to emotional harm.
DCF 58.12(9)(a)2.
2. Emotional health history of the person subject to emotional harm.
DCF 58.12(9)(a)5.
5. Extent of involvement of the child or the relative caregiver in the establishment of the support enforcement activity to be undertaken.
DCF 58.12(9)(b)
(b)
Physical harm. If a good cause claim is based on anticipated physical harm and no evidence is submitted, the kinship care agency shall conduct an investigation.
DCF 58.12(9)(c)
(c)
Incest or sexual assault. If a good cause claim is based on the relative caregiver's statement that the child was conceived as a result of incest or sexual assault, but this is not documented, the claim may be reviewed as one based on emotional harm.
DCF 58.12(10)(a)(a) The relative caregiver who claims good cause shall provide supporting evidence within 20 days from the day the claim is signed. The kinship care agency worker may, with supervisory approval, determine that more time is necessary because of difficulty in obtaining certain evidence.
DCF 58.12(10)(b)
(b) There shall be at least one document of evidence, in addition to any sworn statements from the
relative caregiver, for proof of good cause. The relative caregiver shall be encouraged to provide as many types of evidence as possible. The kinship care agency shall offer assistance in obtaining necessary evidence.
DCF 58.12(10)(c)
(c) When sufficient evidence to substantiate a good cause claim has not been submitted, the kinship care agency shall do all of the following:
DCF 58.12(10)(c)1.
1. Notify the relative caregiver that additional evidence is required and specify that evidence.
DCF 58.12(10)(c)3.
3. Make a reasonable effort to obtain specific documents that are not reasonably attainable by the relative caregiver without assistance.
DCF 58.12(10)(d)
(d) If after having been notified that additional evidence is required, the relative caregiver continues to refuse to cooperate or the evidence obtained does not establish good cause, the kinship care agency shall then notify the relative caregiver that if no further action is taken within 45 days from the date of the notification, good cause will not be found and that the relative caregiver may do any of the following:
DCF 58.12(10)(e)
(e) If the 45-day period under par.
(d) has expired and no action as specified in par.
(d) has occurred, the kinship care agency shall deny the application for, or close the case of, any affected child.
DCF 58.12(11)(a)(a) The kinship care agency shall conduct an investigation of any good cause claim based on anticipated physical harm, both when the claim is credible without supporting evidence and when supporting evidence is not available. Good cause shall be found when both the relative caregiver's statement and the investigation satisfy the kinship care agency that the relative caregiver has good cause.
DCF 58.12(11)(b)
(b) The kinship care agency may also investigate any good cause claim when the relative caregiver's statement, together with the corroborative evidence, does not provide a sufficient basis for a determination.
DCF 58.12(11)(c)
(c) Neither the kinship care agency nor the child support agency shall, in the course of any investigation, contact the parent from whom support would be sought without first notifying the relative caregiver in writing of the intention to do so. The relative caregiver may, within 45-days from the date of the notification, do any of the following:
DCF 58.12(11)(c)1.
1. Present additional supporting or corroborative evidence or information so that contact with the parent is unnecessary.
DCF 58.12(11)(d)
(d) When the 45-day period under par.
(c) has expired and no action as specified in par.
(c) has occurred, the kinship care agency shall deny the application for, or close the case of, any affected child.
DCF 58.12(12)(a)(a)
Notice to the child support agency. The kinship care agency shall notify the child support agency in writing of the final determination whether good cause is found or is not found and, if found, whether or not the child support agency should proceed to secure child support without participation of the relative caregiver.
DCF 58.12(12)(b)
(b)
When good cause is found. When good cause is found, the kinship care agency shall do one of the following, as appropriate:
DCF 58.12(12)(b)1.
1. Direct the child support agency to suspend all further case activities if it is determined that the child support agency's action, even without participation of the relative caregiver, can be reasonably anticipated to result in physical or emotional harm to the child or the relative caregiver.
DCF 58.12(12)(b)2.a.a. Advise the child support agency to proceed without the participation of the relative caregiver if the child support agency's action can reasonably be anticipated to not result in physical or emotional harm to the child or the relative caregiver.
DCF 58.12(12)(b)2.b.
b. The kinship care agency shall notify the relative caregiver immediately of its intended recommendation to the child support agency under subd.
2. a., but shall delay notice to the child support agency for 45 days from the date on which the kinship care agency gave notice to the relative caregiver to allow the relative caregiver time to exclude any affected child from the application or case, to withdraw the application or request that the case be closed, or to request a hearing.
DCF 58.12(12)(b)2.c.
c. The kinship care agency's recommendation under subd.
2. a. to the child support agency shall be in writing and shall contain the kinship care agency's findings and the basis for its determination. A copy of the written recommendation shall be included in the relative caregiver's case record.
DCF 58.12(12)(c)
(c)
When good cause is not found. When good cause is not found, the kinship care agency shall do all of the following:
DCF 58.12(12)(c)2.
2. Wait 45 days before taking further action. If after the 45 days, the relative caregiver still refuses to cooperate and has not excluded the affected child or withdrawn the application or requested that the case be closed, the kinship care agency shall deny the application for any affected child or close the case. If the application is denied or the case is closed for not cooperating in securing child support, the kinship care agency shall inform the relative caregiver, in writing, of the right to a hearing under s.
DCF 58.11 (2). If a hearing is requested, the kinship care agency shall direct the child support agency not to proceed with any support enforcement action during the hearing process.
