KIRO 7 spoke with Melissa Baum after she was given a notice that she was to pay $1,000 for unemployment checks that she was not suppose to receive.

Baum took three months unpaid leave from her job as a call center operator and then filed for unemployment when her employer said she could not return to work part-time. Baum left her job so she could assist in the search for her daughter who has been missing since June 26.

The checks came for five weeks then just before Christmas the state said she was ineligible and asked her to send a $1,000 back.

A top official with the Employment Security Division reached out to Melissa Baum after our story and said does not have to repay the money, but she remains ineligible for unemployment because she left work to search for her daughter and care for her son.

Previous Stories: February 22, 2010: Mom Searching For Missing McCleary Daughter Ordered To Pay Back Unemployment January 27, 2010: Reward Increased For Missing McCleary Girl September 28, 2009: Family Says They Are Unfairly Targeted In McCleary Search September 28, 2009: Search Warrants Served In Missing Girl Case August 22, 2009: National Groups To Aid Search For McCleary Girl July 28, 2009: Searchers Brave Heat In Search For Missing McCleary Girl July 21, 2009: Reward Offered In Disappearance Of 11-Year-Old McCleary Girl July 15, 2009: Parents Of Missing McCleary Girl Hoping For Public's Help July 13, 2009: Parents of Missing McCleary Girl On 'Early Show' July 6, 2009: Dad Deploying To Iraq Pleads For Missing Daughter's Return July 6, 2009: Ground Search Suspended For Missing McCleary Girl June 30, 2009: Search Effort For McCleary Girl Doubles June 29, 2009: Mother Believes Missing Daughter Was Abducted June 27, 2009: Police Search For Missing 10-Year Old Girl