Child support is financial support paid by a parent to help support a child or children of whom they do not have custody. Child support may also include the provision of medical support, usually in the form of health insurance coverage. The federal government's Child Support Enforcement (CSE) and Paternity Establishment program began in 1975 with the intent to reduce government spending on welfare by obtaining support from non-custodial parents. Child support enforcement agencies in each state locate non-custodial parents or putative fathers, establish, enforce, and modify child support, and collect and distribute child support money.
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Funding
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this topic that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Regulations, Forms & Other Useful Documents
Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2007
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
Focuses on the child support income that custodial parents reported receiving from noncustodial parents living elsewhere and other types of support, such as health insurance and noncash assistance.
Date: 11 / 2009
Handbook on Child Support Enforcement
Sponsoring organization: Office of Child Support Enforcement
Guide for parents to help them get the child support payments their children need. Includes information on establishing parentage and on collecting child support. Provides information for both custodial and non-custodial parents.
Date: 2005
Social Security Act, Title IV-D: Child Support and Establishment of Paternity
Sponsoring organization: Social Security Administration
Describes the federal and state child support and paternity establishment activities set forth in the Social Security Act. This section of the Act requires that each state create a program to locate non-custodial parents, establish paternity, establish and enforce child support obligations, and collect and distribute support payments.
Organizations
Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
Federal government
Funds state, local, and tribal organizations to provide family assistance (welfare), child support, child care, Head Start, child welfare, and other programs relating to children and families. Operates the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF). It is part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
National Child Support Enforcement Association (NCSEA)
National organization
Works to promote the well-being of children through professional development of its membership, advocacy and public awareness. Represents the child support community.
Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE)
Federal government
Works to assure that assistance in obtaining support (both financial and medical) is available to children through locating parents, establishing paternity and support obligations, and enforcing those obligations. Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.
Terms & Acronyms
Child Support Financial support paid by a parent to help support a child or children of whom they do not have custody.
Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS) A computerized national location network operated by the Federal Office of Child Support (OCSE). FPLS obtains address and employer information, as well as data on child support cases in every state, compares them and returns matches to the appropriate states to help child support enforcement agencies. Includes the Federal Case Registry (FCR) and the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH).
Medical Support A form of child support where medical or dental insurance coverage is paid by the non-custodial parent.
Non-custodial Parent (NCP) The parent who does not have primary care, custody, or control of the child, and has an obligation to pay child support.
Paternity Establishment The legal establishment of fatherhood for a child.
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