Through local child support agencies California’s Child Support Program offers services to parents and guardians to help them meet their responsibilities to their children.

SERVICES PROVIDED:

Getting Started – Your local child support agency offers free services to parents and guardians. To access child support program services and information, contact your local child support office.

Locating Parents – If you don’t know where the noncustodial parent is located, the local child support agency will try to find the parent to establish paternity (child’s father) and/or establish, change, or enforce orders for child support.

Establishing Paternity – The local child support agency can help you establish paternity with a Paternity Opportunity Program Declaration or a court order. The Declaration is a form you can fill out that must be signed by both parents to establish paternity without going to court. The local child support agency will help you get free or low-cost testing when the child’s father is in question.

Establishing & Enforcing Child Support Orders – Once paternity is established, we can help you get a child support order based on each parent’s income, visitation, and other information. Most orders will also include a wage assignment so money will be withheld from the noncustodial parent’s paycheck to pay child support. In certain situations, we can help you get a change in your court ordered child support, which is called a “modification.”

Child support orders can be obtained and enforced, even when the other parent lives in another state.

The local child support agency has several ways to collect child support for your children, including:

Some of these actions are required by law. Others will be used depending on the facts of each case.

Seeking Health Insurance Coverage –Your children have a right to health insurance coverage. We will work to make sure your children get the health insurance coverage they need if it is available at no cost or reasonable cost.