The child support program is a federal, state, tribal and local partnership that collects child support. The program’s core functions are:

• Establishing paternity
• Establishing child support orders
• Enforcing those orders
• Collecting and distributing child support obligations

Child support staff use a variety of methods and tools to carry out these core functions to support children and their families. Seventy-four percent of collections come from withheld wages . Employers are critical partners in the program’s mission to ensure that children receive the support they need and deserve. Using administrative and judicial processes, child support staff locate employers and work with them to withhold a portion of wages paid to employees owing support. Agency staff also work with paying parents to modify support orders when necessary to help prevent parents from falling far behind in payments. Agencies try to build a culture of compliance, so that parents support their children voluntarily and reliably. Child support programs promote stable, safe, and healthy relationships between parents and children by participating in the larger community’s efforts to strengthen families, and encourage healthy marriage and responsible parenthood.

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