[RavenSong]

It sounds to me that Matthew was either adjudicated a dependent of the juvenile court under Code Section 300 of California's Welfare and Institutions Code or as a ward of the juvenile court under Code Section 601 (beyond control). If she filed a PINS (Persons in Need of Supervision, known as CHINS in other states) petition with the court, it would fall under Code Section 601. In either case, your mother would be financially responsible for child support. Have you actually seen the copy of the "surrender" papers? What does it say in legalese? There is a huge difference between signing a child over to the state of California versus signing voluntary relinquishment papers. In the first scenario, the parent is only signing custody of the child over to the state, and as such, is absolutely responsible for child support. Parents who sign PINS petitions with juvenile courts in California are almost always held liable for child support.