Frequently Asked Questions

To find out if a tribe in your area has a tribal child support program, visit our contact map that lists all tribal child support programs by state.

To establish paternity and child support, apply for services with either tribe or state. If neither tribe has a child support office, then apply in the state where you live.  The child support office will work with you to establish paternity and get a support order established.

To establish paternity and child support, apply for services with your tribe or state. If your tribe does not have a child support program, then apply in the state where you live. Child support agencies work with the military to establish paternity and child support.

The Handbook for Military Families is a helpful resource.

Yes, tribes are required to recognize and enforce child support orders issued by state courts and other tribal courts.

Yes. The state will enforce a tribal order. State and tribal child support agencies are required to recognize and enforce the child support orders issued by the other jurisdiction.

If the noncustodial parent still lives on the reservation, the tribe will continue to enforce the order. If the noncustodial parent moves off the reservation, the tribe may ask the state for assistance in enforcing the order. If the noncustodial parent met the obligation with in-kind payments and the state is helping to enforce the order, the noncustodial parent will now pay the order in cash rather than in-kind, non-cash payments.

Yes, you can pursue a paternity establishment action even if your child’s father lives in another state. Your state may be able to claim jurisdiction and establish paternity if the father has lived in your state, the child was conceived in your state, or there is another basis for your state to have authority over the case.

Otherwise your state can petition the jurisdiction in which your child’s father lives to establish paternity under their laws. Often, genetic tests will be ordered to help prove paternity. Ask your caseworker for specific information about the laws in your state and the state where the other parent lives.