How the Local Child Support Office Can Help You – (procedure is similar in many states)
The Child Support Enforcement Program, authorized under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, provides services to assist parents in their mutual obligation to financially support and provide health insurance for their children. For the purposes of this article, the county or local office of the Family Support Division will be referred to as the FSD or local child support agency.
Every county has a FSD or local child support agency that provides child support services on behalf of the state of California. The FSD or local child support agency provides a variety of child support services to custodial and non-custodial parents and helps parents fulfill their responsibilities to their children.
The FSD or local child support agency provides the following services:
- Locating parents.
- Establishing paternity.
- Establishing, modifying and enforcing a court order to pay child support.
- Collecting and distributing child and spousal support payments.
- Establishing and enforcing medical support (including dental and vision care) and family support orders.
The FSD or local child support agency does not:
- Handle custody or visitation matters.
- Handle divorces.
- Obtain or enforce restraining orders (The agencies that provide these services vary from county to county. Consult your telephone directory under the county government listing for more information).
- Establish spousal support orders (unless it is a UIFSA case).
Any parent or guardian can apply for child support services by visiting or calling the local FSD or local child support agency listed in the county government section at the front of many local telephone directories. There is no application fee or charge for child support services in California. However, some states do charge for services.
For more info go to California Department of Child Support Services website.
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