1. (a) When one (1) or both parents are not living in the home with the child, or when legal paternity has not been established, the person receiving assistance for the child must comply with the child support enforcement requirements unless it would be against the best interests of the child.

2. (b) These requirements are:

   1. (1)

      1. (A) The assignment of child support rights.
      2. (B) Arkansas state law, Acts 1997, No. 1296, provides for an automatic assignment of child support rights when an individual accepts transitional employment assistance.
      3. (C) Refer to 20 CAR § 502-311; and

   2. (2)

      1. (A) Cooperation in obtaining child support and establishing legal paternity.
      2. (B) Refer to 20 CAR § 502-312.
3. (c) The cash assistance payment for which the family is otherwise eligible will be reduced by twenty-five percent (25%) if the casehead or minor parent fails to cooperate, without good cause, with child support enforcement requirements.

4. (d)

   1. (1) The purpose of the Child Support Enforcement Program is to:

      1. (A) Promote greater financial responsibility of parents to their children; and
      2. (B) Provide a child support collection service to reduce dependency upon public assistance.

   2. (2) This purpose may be stated in the following objectives:

      1. (A) Identifying and locating noncustodial parents of children for whom assistance is requested;
      2. (B) Establishing paternity of children born out of wedlock for whom assistance is requested, including situations in which both parents are living with the child;
      3. (C) Obtaining support payments due individuals for whom assistance is requested; and
      4. (D) Obtaining any other payments or property due individuals for whom assistance is requested.
5. (e) During the application interview, the child support enforcement requirements will be explained to the applicant.

Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules provided as follows: “07/01/99”