LCO Child Support Program | May 24, 2019
Tags: Apply for Services | LCO Child Support Program

What is Child Support?

You may have questions about the child support program.  What is it and how does it work?

Essentially, child support payments are payments that one parent makes to the other parent or legal guardian to help with the costs associated with raising a child.  Parents and guardians can receive services from their local child support office.

Here are the top services the program offers:

• Locate Absent Parent
• Establishment of Paternity
• Establishment of Child Support
• Genetic Testing
• Case Consultation
• Collections and Distribution of Child Support Payments
• Enforcement of Child Support Obligations
• Modification of Child Support

To open a child support case, you’ll need to complete an application with your local child support office.  If you receive help from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), you may be required to open a child support case if you do not already have an open case. You should check with your local child support office to see if a child support case is already open.  

The first thing we need to know is where the other parent lives, or works.  There are case in which the other parent may not be located, however the child support office will use all available methods at its disposable to locate the parent.  The more information provided, such as; date of birth, social security number, or place of employment, the more likely it will be the child support office will be able to locate the parent.  

Once the other parent is located, then parentage is established, if it hasn’t already been established.  Next, we can establish the child support order and determine the amount of payment. We use child support guidelines to calculate how much a parent can contribute to the child’s financial support.  If you already have a child support order, a new one will not need to be established.

The most common payment setup process is to deduct the child support payment from the parent’s paycheck and distribute the money to the other parent or legal guardian. Unfortunately, many parents ordered to pay support are not employed or are self-employed. These situations can prove difficult to collect current support. Often, when the parent doesn’t pay the full amount of support, doesn’t pay at all or fails to comply with the order for support, enforcement remedies are initiated.  Enforcement can include many actions, up to incarceration.

Either parent can ask the local child support office to review the child support order, three (3) years after the order is set.  Either parent can also request a review before the three years if they experience substantial changes in circumstances like job loss or incarceration.  

Finally, it is very important to note that child support orders are court orders, not orders issued by the child support program/agency. The child support program/agency works to enforce the order issued by the court.  

For more information please contact Lac Courte Oreilles Child Support.   

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