Child Support Collections

How Does a Child Support Agency Collect Child Support Owed to a Parent

Federal and State laws give Child Support (CS) agencies many tools to collect child support payments. Most child support is collected by withholding amounts owed from the noncustodial parent’s wages on a monthly basis, to ensure that child support is paid in a timely manner.

Other tools available to CS agencies include:

• Suspending driver’s, fishing, hunting and other licenses
• Intercepting tax refunds and other lump sum payments (inheritances, insurance settlements)
• Filing liens on real estate and other personal property
• Denying the renewal of a passport
• Seizing bank accounts and other investments
• Seizing and selling assets, such as cars and boats
• Garnishing unemployment and retirement benefits

How Will Working with the Local CS Agency Help an Assets for Independence (AFI) Project Participant?

Child support payments are a very important source of income for many families that receive such payments.   For many low-income families, child support payments are often the most important source of income aside from the custodial parent’s own earnings. Often, when child support payments are added to earnings, a family has more income than would be available through public assistance payments. When combined with other work supports such as subsidized child care, food assistance, Medicaid and tax credits such as the Earned Income credit, the increase in family well-being can be substantial.

What Type of Information do CS Agencies Need about Noncustodial Parents to Obtain Child Support Payments?

When the CS agency has the most current information about the noncustodial parent, it can be much more efficient in collecting support from them.

The following information about the noncustodial parent can be helpful to the CS agency:

• Place(s) of employment, or when employment changes
• Social Security numbers, and other names used by the parent
• Ownership of bank accounts, investment accounts, cars, homes
• Information about incarceration, prison, or work release

What Are the Implications for AFI Projects Working with Noncustodial Parents?

Some AFI project participants are noncustodial parents who have income or savings that can be garnished to pay past-due child support payments. If the amount of child support collected is creating a hardship for the noncustodial parent, the parent should contact the CS agency to negotiate lower payments to reduce the debt, or to request a modification of the order so the required amount for future payments matches his current economic situation. (See AFI Resource Center Fact Sheet “Child Support Modification” for more information.)

More Information

For more information about child support, contact your State CS agency. A list of all state CS agencies can be found at:

https://ocse.acf.hhs.gov/int/directories/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.extivdlist

This is one in a series of factsheets on asset-building, fatherhood, and child support services produced by the Assets for Independence Resource Center. For more information, visit the resource center website at www.IDAresources.org or contact the center on 1-866-778-6037 or via email at info@IDAresources.org.