Can I get help in obtaining child support

New York Gov, Feb 02, 2005

Any parent or person who has legal custody of a child can get help in locating the child's other (non-custodial) parent or in establishing a child's paternity (legal fatherhood). Help is also provided in establishing a child support order, modifying or upwardly adjusting a child support order, obtaining health insurance for a child, collecting current child support, and enforcing a child support obligation (collecting past due child support/arrears).

People who receive public assistance through the Family Assistance, Safety Net or Medicaid, or Federally-Assisted Foster Care programs automatically receive child support enforcement services. As a condition of eligibility for these programs, applicants and recipients are expected to cooperate in pursuing the child's other parent for the purpose of collecting child support unless there is reason to believe that doing so would put the custodial parent and/or the child(ren) at risk of domestic violence.

People not receiving public assistance can receive child support enforcement services by simply applying for such services, without regard to income