Maryland Child Support Good Cause Exemption for TCA

When you apply for TCA child-only in Maryland, the state requires you to cooperate with the Child Support Administration to establish paternity and collect support from the child's biological parents. For many kinship caregivers, that requirement is the moment the application falls apart — because pursuing the parent could endanger the child, reopen trauma, or simply be impossible.

Maryland recognizes this. Under COMAR 07.03.03.10, you can claim a Good Cause Exemption that waives the cooperation requirement entirely.

What the Cooperation Requirement Looks Like

Normally, you complete CSEA Form 980 (or 980A) and provide information about the absent parents so the Child Support Administration can pursue them for payments. Current support is assigned to DHS while you receive TCA, and Maryland sends a monthly pass-through payment of up to $100 for one child or $200 for two or more children, capped at the amount of current support paid.

If an active TCA recipient does not cooperate and has no Good Cause exemption, the grant is reduced by 25% after the conciliation process. For a one-child grant at the $348 maximum effective October 1, 2026, that is $87 less each month. For an initial application, DSS must establish cooperation or Good Cause before approving TCA, but it may not deny, delay, or terminate assistance while a Good Cause claim is pending.

When Good Cause Applies

Good Cause exists when cooperation is reasonably anticipated to result in serious physical or emotional harm to the child or to you. Common scenarios in kinship care:

• The parent has a history of domestic violence against you or the child
• The parent is incarcerated for a violent offense and contact could endanger the household
• The child was removed due to parental abuse or neglect, and reestablishing contact could re-traumatize the child

The caseworker evaluates the exemption through a confidential safety discussion. During the investigation, the local department may not contact the absent parent or putative father. It must decide the claim within 45 days unless the information needed to verify it cannot be obtained within that time.

What Evidence to Bring

The stronger your documentation, the faster the exemption is processed:

• A protective order (active or expired) naming the parent
• Police reports documenting domestic violence or abuse
• A statement from a domestic violence agency, counselor, or social worker
• Medical records showing injuries from domestic violence
• Court records from the child's removal or dependency case
• A written statement describing the risk, if no formal documentation exists

COMAR does not require you to produce written evidence to claim Good Cause. If available, records such as those above may support the claim; COMAR also lists a written statement from the caretaker or another person with knowledge of the circumstances as acceptable evidence.

When to File

Tell DSS you are claiming Good Cause as soon as possible, preferably with the TCA application. You may request a Good Cause determination at any time during the application or certification period. DSS may not deny, delay, or terminate assistance while it decides the claim.

The Maryland Financial Help Guide walks through the child support cooperation requirement, the Good Cause Exemption process, and the evidence you need — so you can protect your full grant amount from the start.

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