Child Support Handbook: Children Need the Support and Love of Both Parents

We have organized the Handbook so that youcan refer directly to the sections you need. Yourstate or tribal child support program is availableto help: - Find a noncustodial parent: Finding theNoncustodial Parent- Establish legal fatherhood for children: Establishing Fatherhood- Establish and maintain a fair, financial anmedical support order: Establishing theSupport Order- Enforce support orders: Collecting Support- Distribute the money that is collected: Wherethe Money Goes- With interstate, tribal, and internationalenforcement: Working across BordersTo ensure that children have parentageestablished and to establish fair child supportpayments, state and tribal child support programsprovide: - Voluntary in-hospital paternityacknowledgement- Genetic testing at the request of either party indisputed paternity cases- Child support guidelines for determining childsupport orders established in each state- Review of child support orders at least everythree years at the request of either parentTools that are available to collect child supportinclude: - Income withholding- Revocation of drivers, professional, recreationaland occupational licenses of parents who arenot current in their child support payments- Seizure of assets, including financial account- Liens on property- Denial of passports- Federal and state tax refund offsetTo ensure that state and local child supportoffices have access to information, the federalgovernment operates the Federal Parent LocatorService (FPLS), which includes the FederalCase Registry (FCR) and the National Directoryof New Hires (NDNH). The FPLS has access toinformation from state and federal governmentagencies. The FCR maintains caseloadinformation from all states and territories.