Learn the definitions of critical terms related to collecting child support. Find valuable resources for the enforcement of child support orders.
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Links to resources about the Bureaus of Child Support Enforcement, Offices of Recovery Services, Departments of Human Services, Departments of Social Services, &
Departments of Family Services.
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Frequently Asked Questions about child support orders, establishing fatherhood, and finding the noncustodial parent
Are you eligible for help with child support issues?
Every parent or any person with custody of a child who needs help to establish a child support or medical support order or to collect support payments is eligible to apply for child support enforcement services. in addition, if you have received assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, or any Federally assisted Foster Care program, you are supposed to be automatically referred for child support enforcement services for further assistance in obtaining child support orders.
Where do I apply for help in obtaining a child support order?
It is best to apply through your state or local child support enforcement (CSE) office. These state agency offices can be in the phone book, or
contacted through the local family court. When you apply to your local CSE agency, please know that you have the right to apply to other places as well, if that application will result in more efficient service.
Do I need to be certain who is the father?
There are a series of steps that must be taken to collect child support. These include:
establishing fatherhood (paternity)
finding a noncustodial parent
obtaining a support order
enforcing support orders
You must provide to the CSE office sufficent information so that they can be efficient in working on yoru case. Please remember thaat all information you provide is confidential. Therefore, the more details and accuracy that you provide, the faster they can process your claim and allow you to proceed to collect child support payments.
What information should I supply about the noncustodial parent?
You should supply the following information about the non-custodial parent
Name
Address
Social Security number
Current or recent employer
Friends and relatives
organizations to which he or she might belong
Information about his or her income and assets
pay slips
tax returns
bank accounts
investments
property holdings
physical description
photograph, if possible
What if I do not have the social security number?
There are other places to look. You can often track back to a social security number through professional licenses, drivers’ licenses, occupational and recreational licenses, and marriage licenses, divorce
records, and support orders.
In addition, it is possible for a caseworker to access a database if you can supply some of the following pieces of information: the parent's name, place of birth, date of birth, his/her father's name, and his/her mother's maiden name.
How do I enforce child support against a noncustodial parent in the other part of my state after I have established paternity?
I most states, the local CSE offices can handle enforcement across different parts of the same state without your having to personally travel outside your local venue. To learn more abou this, you should ask your local CSE office for details about how enforcement would work in your child support situation.
Can I hire a private agency to find the noncustodial parent?
Yes, however the private service must provide a guarantee in writing that the information is to be carefully safeguarded, as this is highly confidential.They must also provide an agreement that meets state requirements for acting as an "agent of the child."
