Florida TCA Child Support Good Cause Exemption for Kinship Caregivers

The Requirement You Cannot Ignore

Every caregiver receiving Temporary Cash Assistance on behalf of a child must cooperate with Florida's Department of Revenue to establish paternity and collect child support from the non-custodial parent. Any child support DOR collects is assigned to the state to offset the cost of the TCA grant.

For many kinship families, this requirement creates real fear. The absent parent may have a history of violence. The child may have been conceived through assault. Or the caregiver knows that contacting the parent would destabilize a fragile household situation. Florida law accounts for this through the Good Cause Exception.

What Good Cause Means

Good Cause is a formal exemption from child support cooperation. When approved, the child's TCA eligibility continues without requiring contact with or enforcement against the absent parent.

You request Good Cause by filing Form CF-ES 2641 (Claim Notice – Good Cause for Refusal to Cooperate with Child Support) through your local DCF office or your assigned economic self-sufficiency specialist. The moment the form is submitted, enforcement activity pauses immediately while DCF reviews the claim.

Accepted Evidence

Documentation that can support a Good Cause request includes:

• Domestic violence, battery, or threats by the non-custodial parent — supported by law enforcement or court records
• The child was conceived through sexual battery or incest — supported by birth certificates, medical records, or law enforcement documents
• Formal adoption proceedings are pending in court
• Cooperation would cause severe emotional or physical harm to the child or caregiver — verified by a licensed mental health professional or social worker

What Happens After You File

Once Form CF-ES 2641 is submitted:

1. Enforcement pauses immediately. Child support enforcement activity is suspended while DCF reviews the claim.
2. DCF reviews the evidence within 30 days.
3. If approved, TCA continues without requiring any contact with or enforcement against the absent parent.
4. If denied, DCF sends a written notice explaining why. You can request a Fair Hearing to appeal the denial.

Do Not Skip the Application Out of Fear

Some grandparents avoid applying for TCA entirely because they do not want DOR contacting an absent parent. This leaves money on the table. The Good Cause process exists precisely for this situation — file the TCA application and the Good Cause claim together. Enforcement does not begin until the Good Cause determination is resolved.

If you are unsure whether your circumstances qualify, the Florida Senior Legal Helpline (1-888-895-7873) and local legal aid organizations can help you assess your situation before you file.

For a full walkthrough of the TCA application process — including the child support cooperation step and the Good Cause form — the Florida Kinship Financial Help guide covers everything in sequence.

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