Office of Child Support Enforcement

Child Support Handbook: Children Need the Support and Love of Both Parents Office of Child Support Enforcement

Publisher Marketing: We have organized the Handbook so that you can refer directly to the sections you need. Your state or tribal child support program is available to help: Find a noncustodial parent: Finding the Noncustodial Parent Establish legal fatherhood for children: Establishing Fatherhood Establish and maintain a fair, financial an medical support order: Establishing the Support Order Enforce support orders: Collecting Support Distribute the money that is collected: Where the Money Goes With interstate, tribal, and international enforcement: Working across Borders To ensure that children have parentage established and to establish fair child support payments, state and tribal child support programs provide: Voluntary in-hospital paternity acknowledgement Genetic testing at the request of either party in disputed paternity cases Child support guidelines for determining child support orders established in each state Review of child support orders at least every three years at the request of either parent Tools that are available to collect child support include: Income withholding Revocation of drivers, professional, recreational and occupational licenses of parents who are not current in their child support payments Seizure of assets, including financial account Liens on property Denial of passports Federal and state tax refund offset To ensure that state and local child support offices have access to information, the federal government operates the Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS), which includes the Federal Case Registry (FCR) and the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH). The FPLS has access to information from state and federal government agencies. The FCR maintains caseload information from all states and territories.