Welcome to Survivors Across America And beyond

Hello; welcome to Survivors Across America And beyond

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BANNER

This page is dedicated in memory of

JACKIE SMARTT BRADY MANNING

The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Program is a federal/state/local effort to locate parents, their employers, and/or their assets; establish paternity if necessary; and establish and enforce child support orders. State and local CSE offices provide day to day operation of the program. The federal role is to provide funding, issue policies, ensure that federal requirements are met, and interact with other federal agencies that help support the CSE program.

How and where do I apply?

In most states, CSE offices are listed under the human services agency in the local government section of the telephone directory. If there is not a separate listing, the human services agency information operator should be able to give you the number. State CSE agencies are listed at the end of this brochure; they also can provide telephone numbers for local offices.

Call your Child Support Enforcement office to learn how to apply for enforcement services and what documents (birth certificates, financial statements, etc.) you should provide.

What are the steps to collecting support?

The first step, if a child was born out of wedlock, is to establish paternity - or make a legal determination of who fathered the child. Many men will voluntarily acknowledge paternity. Either parent can request a blood test in contested paternity cases. Your caseworker will help you to establish paternity for your child.

Establishing the obligation is the next step. The fair amount of child support that the non-custodial parent should pay is determined according to state guidelines. Your CSE office will be able to tell you how support award amounts are set in your state. Your CSE office can also request medical support for your child.

The last step is enforcement of the child support order. The CSE office can help with collecting the money due no matter where the non-custodial parent lives.

At any of these steps, the CSE office may need to know where the non-custodial parent is living or where he/she is working. When a parent has disappeared, it is usually possible for the CSE office to find him/her with the help of state agencies, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, or the Federal Parent Locator Service. Your caseworker can tell you what information is needed to find an absent parent or his/her employer.

The most successful way to collect child support is by direct withholding from the obligated parent's paycheck. Most child support orders require the employer to withhold the money that is ordered for child support and send it to the CSE office. Your Child Support Enforcement office can tell you about this procedure.

Federal and State Income Tax refunds may be withheld to collect unpaid child support. States also have laws which allow them to use: liens on real and personal property; orders to withhold and deliver property; or seizure and sale of property with the proceeds applied to the support debt. Many states routinely report child support debts to credit bureaus and smart parents are bringing their payments current so that their credit won't be affected.

          
STATE CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT OFFICES
                                   
Alabama        (205) 242-9300      Montana        (406) 444-4614
Alaska         (907) 276-3441      Nebraska       (402) 471-9125
Arizona        (602) 252-0236      Nevada         (702) 687-4744
Arkansas       (501) 682-8398      New Hampshire  (603) 271-4426
California     (916) 654-1556      New Jersey     (609) 588-2361
Colorado       (303) 866-5994      New Mexico     (505) 827-7200
Connecticut    (203) 566-3053      New York       (518) 474-9081              
Delaware       (302) 577-4863      North Carolina (919) 571-4120
DC             (202) 724-8800      North Dakota   (701) 224-3582
Florida        (904) 488-9900      Ohio           (614) 752-6561               
Georgia        (404) 657-3851      Oklahoma       (405) 424-5871
Guam           (671) 475-3360      Oregon         (503) 986-2417
Hawaii         (808) 587-3700      Pennsylvania   (717) 787-3672
Idaho          (208) 334-5710      Puerto Rico    (809) 722-4731             
Illinois       (217) 782-8768      Rhode Island   (401) 277-2409  
Indiana        (317) 232-4894      South Carolina (803) 737-5870               
Iowa           (515) 281-5580      South Dakota   (605) 773-3641
Kansas         (913) 296-3237      Tennessee      (615) 741-1820
Kentucky       (502) 564-2285      Texas          (512) 463-2181
Louisiana      (504) 342-4780      Utah           (801) 538-4400
Maine          (207) 287-2886      Vermont        (802) 241-2319           
Maryland       (410) 333-3979      Virgin Islands (809) 774-5666
Massachusetts  (617) 727-4200      Virginia       (804) 692-2458
Michigan       (517) 373-7570      Washington     (206) 586-3162
Minnesota      (612) 296-2542      West Virginia  (304) 558-3780
Mississippi    (601) 359-4500      Wisconsin      (608) 266-9909              
Missouri       (314) 751-4301      Wyoming        (307) 777-6948

Facts about domestic violence	Myths about domestic violence
Facts about domestic violence & health	Facts about domestic violence & children
Saftey plan against domestic violence	Domestic violence hotline phone numbers
Child support enforcement	Domestic violence warning list
Facts about domestic violence & teenagers	------------------------------------------