Hawaii Child Support Enforcement and Kinship Care: Good Cause Exemption

The TANF-Child Support Connection Most Kinship Caregivers Do Not Expect

When a grandparent or relative in Hawaii applies for a TANF child-only grant, the application triggers an automatic referral to the Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). This catches many caregivers off guard. The child's cash benefits come with a condition: you must assign child support rights to the state so BESSD can seek reimbursement from the absent parent or parents.

For some families, this is straightforward. For others — especially when the child's placement happened because of domestic violence, substance abuse, or incarceration — pursuing child support against the parents creates real risk.

How the Referral Works

BESSD does not give you a choice about the referral itself. When you file a TANF application, the referral to CSEA happens automatically. CSEA then works to establish paternity (if needed) and obtain a support order against the noncustodial parent. Any child support collected first reimburses the state for TANF benefits paid; amounts above the reimbursement go to the caregiver.

Good Cause: When Cooperation Could Harm the Child

Hawaii allows caregivers to claim a Good Cause exemption from child support cooperation. You can request this exemption if:

• Cooperation is reasonably anticipated to cause serious physical or emotional harm to the child or caregiver that reduces the caregiver's capacity to care for the child adequately
• The child was conceived as a result of forcible rape or incest
• An adoption proceeding is pending
• Cooperation would reduce the caregiver's ability to care for the child adequately

To claim good cause, inform the Processing Center when you apply. DHS Form 1247 explains the cooperation requirement and your right to claim the exemption. You will need to provide supporting evidence — a police report, a protective order, a statement from a social worker or counselor, or other documentation of the risk.

While a Good Cause claim is pending, DHS cannot deny, delay, or discontinue the child's financial assistance if you provide the required evidence and the household meets all other eligibility requirements. DHS separately determines whether enforcement can proceed without involving the family directly and risking harm.

SNAP Does Not Require Child Support Cooperation

This is a critical difference: SNAP has no child support cooperation requirement in Hawaii. You can apply for and receive food benefits without assigning child support rights, without establishing paternity, and without any contact with CSEA. If the child support referral is your concern, you can still apply for SNAP independently of TANF.

Practical Considerations

Many kinship caregivers are caught between wanting cash help for the child and not wanting to create conflict with the birth parents. A few points to keep in mind:

The CSEA referral does not mean the caregiver has to personally confront the parents. CSEA handles the legal process. But the parents will be notified that enforcement is underway, which can change family dynamics.

If Good Cause is approved, you are excused from the cooperation requirement. CSEA may still attempt to establish paternity or collect support if DHS determines that it can do so without risk to the family and without the family's participation. The child's TANF grant continues as long as the household meets all other eligibility requirements.

If you are considering both TANF and SNAP but want to avoid the child support process, you can apply for SNAP first (or SNAP only) and decide on TANF separately.

For the full walkthrough of the child support referral process, the Good Cause exemption documentation requirements, and how to coordinate TANF and SNAP applications, see the Hawaii kinship financial help guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will applying for TANF alert CPS about my family situation? The TANF application goes to BESSD, not Child Welfare Services. The child support referral goes to CSEA. Neither automatically triggers a child protective services investigation.

What if the absent parent is incarcerated? CSEA can still establish a support order against an incarcerated parent, though collections may be minimal until release. You can also claim Good Cause if enforcement would cause emotional harm to the child.

Can I withdraw the TANF application to stop the child support referral? If you withdraw before the referral is processed, it may not proceed. But once CSEA has the case, withdrawing TANF does not automatically close the enforcement action. Discuss timing with the processing center before filing.

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