Apply for Child Support

Steps to Opening a Case

1. File Your Application -  Apply online here | Solicitar en línea aquí.  You may also drop by our office to request an application, or phone us to have an application mailed to you. Once your case is opened you will receive a call from our office notifying you of the case information. This typically occurs within 10 days of your application being submitted.
2. Locate the Other Parent - If you don’t know the other parent’s address, we will try to obtain it. Any information you can give us (like current or past jobs, addresses, and earnings) will help us find the other parent. Note that all cases are confidential. Any information provided and/or obtained by this department will not be disclosed with the exception of documents filed with the courts.
3. Establish Parentage - The local child support agency can help you establish parentage. To learn more, visit the state website and view the Parentage Opportunity Program video. 
4. Obtain a Child Support Order - Legal action will be taken to get child support from the obligor parent. The amount of child support is determined by the income of each parent and the amount of the time each parent spends with the child, among other considerations.
5. Enforce the Child Support Order - The department has a number of ways to collect child support for children. The most common way is by withholding part of the obligor parent’s wages from his or her paycheck.

More Information

For more information on the benefits of opening a child support case, please contact Child Support Services for an assessment based upon the needs of your family.