I don't have a child support order. Can the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Program help me?

Answer:

You need to work with your state or local Child Support Enforcement (CSE) office to try to establish a child support order. State Web sites usually give addresses and telephone numbers for local offices. Links to the state CSE Web sites are at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/extinf.html

The CSE agency will need to find out if paternity has been established and if you know where the other parent lives and works.

If paternity has not been established, the CSE agency can help with that. For more information on establishing paternity:   http://faq.acf.hhs.gov/cgi-bin/childsupportenforcement.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=8

For information about some of the benefits of establishing paternity:   http://faq.acf.hhs.gov/cgi-bin/childsupportenforcement.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=692

If you don't know where the person lives or works, a caseworker can use state and Federal locate information to try to find him or her. For information about: locating a person for child support:   http://faq.acf.hhs.gov/cgi-bin/childsupportenforcement.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=6

The support order will include the amount of money that the parent should provide, and it will include provision for medical support. The order will be based on state guidelines for support orders. To find information about how child support orders are decided:  http://faq.acf.hhs.gov/cgi-bin/childsupportenforcement.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=128

If the parent lives in another state, and has not lived in your state, the CSE agency may have to ask the state where he or she lives to establish the order.

If there is not enough information to identify the parent, the CSE agency may not be able to establish an order. Give your caseworker as much as you can of: his/her full name; where and when he/she was born, and what his/her parents' names are. Your case worker may be able to find the Social Security Number which is an important tool for finding someone.

Your CSE agency is the best source of information about state laws and practices and about your case. If the Web site does not tell you what you need to know, you can call the State CSE agency to ask where your local office is. State CSE agency telephone numbers and addresses are at: 

English:  http://ocse.acf.hhs.gov/int/directories/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.extivdlist 
Spanish: http://ocse.acf.hhs.gov/int/directories/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.extEspanolIVDAll

For general information about the Child Support program:   http://faq.acf.hhs.gov/cgi-bin/childsupportenforcement.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=694

For information about state laws:   http://faq.acf.hhs.gov/cgi-bin/childsupportenforcement.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=33

Last Updated: 04/28/2008