Steps to Enforce Child Support Collections
Federal, State, and local efforts to locate parents, their employers, and/or their assets; establish paternity if necessary; and establish and enforce child support orders.
Steps to establishing and enforcing child support
State and local offices provide day to day operation while the federal role is to provide funding, issue policies, ensure that federal requirements are met, and interact with other federal agencies.
How and where do I apply?
Listed below is each state's Child Support Enforcement office numbers. To get started establishing your child support collection case, just call your local office to learn how to apply for enforcement services and what documents (birth certificates, financial statements, etc.) you need to provide.
state child support office numbers
Steps to collecting child support?
Step 1: Establish Paternity
If a child was born out of wedlock, paternity must be established to make a legal determination of who fathered the child. Either parent can request a blood test in contested paternity cases. Caseworkers will help establish paternity for your child.
Step 2: Establish the Obligation
This is the amount of support to be paid by non-custodial parent as determined by state guidelines as well as smical support for your child.
Step 3: Enforcement of the Child Support Order
Child Support Enforcement (CSE) offices help with collecting the money due no matter where the non-custodial parent lives. When a parent has disappeared, it is usually possible for the CSE office to find him/her with the help of state agencies, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, or the Federal Parent Locator Service. Your caseworker will tell you what information is needed to find an absent parent or his/her employer.
Enforcement includes intercepting Federal and State Income Tax refunds, liens on real and personal property; orders to withhold and deliver property; or seizure and sale of property.
Up State Child Support Enforcement Offices
Alabama |
New Mexico |
Guam |
South Dakota |
Massachusetts |