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HomeWelfare and Institutions CodeDiv. 9Pt. 3Ch. 2Art. 7§ 11479 Paternity Establishment For Adoption

§ 11479 Paternity Establishment For Adoption

Welfare and Institutions Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 11479 Paternity Establishment For Adoption

Key Takeaways

  • •If a child's dad isn't known for sure, the county will send the mom to a child support office when she asks for help.
  • •If the mom is thinking about letting someone adopt her child, the child support office will wait to do anything until she decides not to go through with the adoption.
  • •The child support office can look into the case and, if they think it's right, they can go to court to figure out who the dad is.
  • •If the case goes to court, it will be scheduled as soon as possible and will be more important than most other cases.

Example

A mom applies for help from the county because she needs support for her child, but she isn't sure who the dad is.

The county will tell her to go to the child support office. If she is thinking about letting a new family adopt her child, the child support office will wait until she decides about the adoption before they start looking for the dad. If she decides not to go through with the adoption, the child support office can then look into the case and even go to court to find out who the dad is.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 11479 Paternity Establishment For Adoption

In all cases in which the paternity of the child has not been established to the satisfaction of the county department, the county department shall refer the applicant to local child support agency at the time the application is signed. Upon the advice of a county department that a child is being considered for adoption, and regardless of whether or not the whereabouts of the parent is known, the local child support agency shall delay the investigation and other action with respect to the case until advised that the adoption is no longer under consideration. The local child support agency shall conduct such investigation as the agency considers necessary, and where he or she deems it appropriate, the agency may bring an action under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 7630) of Part 3 of Division 12 of the Family Code. When the cause is at issue, it shall be set for trial at the earliest possible date and shall take precedence over all other cases except older matters of the same character and matters to which precedence may be given by law. (Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 478, Sec. 46. Effective January 1, 2000.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

paternitycounty departmentlocal child support agencyadoptionChapter 4 of Part 3 of Division 12 of the Family Code

Related Statutes

  • § 11477.04 Child Support Cooperation Exemptions
  • § 11485 Child Support Notification Duty
  • § 11476.6 Child Support Payment Notification
  • § 305.6 Emergency Custody Of Hospitalized Children
  • § 726.4 Father Identification Inquiry

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Welfare and Institutions Code. Section 11479.
View Official Source