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1. What is the Child Support Program?
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Case Information
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If your child receives public assistance in Oregon or received it in the past, as a general rule, the Department of Justice, Division of Child Support (DCS) will provide child support services. Public assistance means Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Medicaid (including Oregon Health Plan Services). DCS also provides services if your child is in the care of the Department of Human Services (i.e., foster care) or the Oregon Youth Authority.
If your child has not received public assistance, you can receive child support services from the District Attorney in the county where you live. In a few counties, DCS provides services for the District Attorney by contracted agreement.
Also, a request for a review and modification of your order may be assigned to the county where the original order was taken, or to the county where the other parent lives. You should check with your local District Attorney for more information.
If the Division of Child Support handles your case, contact them if you have questions regarding modification of your order.
5. Who do I contact for child support services?
If your child receives public assistance and you have questions about establishing paternity or establishing, modifying or enforcing a support order, contact the nearest Division of Child Support office. If your child has not received public assistance, contact the District Attorney in your area.
6. What is expected of me?
If you are thinking of applying for public assistance, you may want to contact your local District Attorney first. They may be able to help you get child support, which may mean you can avoid going on public assistance.
If you receive public assistance, you are required to cooperate with the Division of Child Support. However, if you can show that to do so would be harmful to you or your child, you may be exempt from cooperating.
Whether you receive public assistance or not, your cooperation with the child support agency is very necessary to the success of collecting support or establishing paternity.
Any facts you have about the noncustodial parent are helpful in enforcing support. Although it is not a requirement for application, you should include as many of the following pieces of information as you can on the application to help the caseworker locate the parent and enforce support:
- The full name and address (or last known location) of the noncustodial parent
- The parent's Social Security Number (this can be found on things such as pay stubs, old tax forms, health insurance forms, and drivers' licenses issued by some states)
- The parent's date of birth (or approximate age)
- The present or last place the parent worked
- The county and state in which the divorce occurred, if there was one, and a copy of the order, or the county and state where there is any other support order
- The child(ren)'s birth certificate and Social Security Number
- Information on any assets such as bank accounts, vehicles, or land the noncustodial parent might have
7. How do I get services?
If your child receives public assistance, your child support case should be referred to DCS automatically. That is also true if your child is in the custody of the Department of Human Services (i.e., foster care) or the Oregon Youth Authority.
If your child does not receive public assistance, you can apply to the District Attorney in the county in which you live. (To find out where to call, see the list of District Attorney offices.) You will be asked to complete an application and charged a one-time $1 fee for this service. The fee will be deducted from the first money we collect.
8. What services are NOT provided?
Legal Advice: Neither the Division of Child Support (DCS) nor the District Attorney is your attorney. They cannot give you legal advice. They represent the State of Oregon. Any person involved in a case handled by DCS or the District Attorney may hire an attorney at their own expense. In contempt and criminal nonsupport cases, the court will appoint an attorney to represent the person charged if that person cannot afford an attorney.
Please tell the child support agency if you have an attorney who represents you in any child support matter. DCS or the District Attorney must deal with your attorney unless your attorney says they can talk with you.
Spousal Support is not enforced unless it was part of the original child support order. If spousal support is not part of the child support order but includes income withholding provisions, we can initiate income withholding and provide accounting services; however, we cannot take other enforcement action to collect spousal support.
Visitation & Legal Custody: Neither DCS nor the District Attorney can advise you about visitation or custody matters. These matters must be discussed with a private attorney or handled in court.
9. What If I have a grievance?
Parties in child support cases are entitled to fair, professional, courteous and accurate service from offices of the Oregon Child Support Program.
If you have a complaint that you have not received this level of service from an Oregon Child Support Office, please contact a supervisor in that office. If talking to a supervisor does not succeed in resolving the issue, you may wish to file a grievance. The Child Support Grievance Form is available from our web site.
This form will contain the instructions for filing the grievance, including the address where it should be sent. Your grievance will be screened, and if accepted, responded to within 90 days.
10. Where can I mail a payment?
Child Support Program
PO BOX 14506
Salem, OR 97309
Please include your 12 digit case number and/or ssn on the check to
ensure accuracy.
11. Do I have any alternatives to income withholding?
All new or modified support orders normally require income withholding. However, the court or enforcing agency may allow an exception by making a written finding that there is “good cause” to not order income withholding. To get this exception, you must show that withholding would not be in the best interests of the child and you have made your payments (if any) on time.
If child support payments are already being withheld from your income, you may request an exception:
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When you and the other party agree to an alternative method of paying support if:
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You have complied with the terms of any previously allowed exception; and
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You pay all past-due support you owe due to missed payments (if any); and
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You authorize payment of support from your bank account each month by completing an application for “electronic payment withdrawal”; and
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The other party signs a consent for payment by electronic payment withdrawal; and
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If money is owed to the state, the state agrees to payment by electronic payment withdrawal.
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Note: you cannot get this exception if you had an exception to income withholding before and your withholding was reinstated because you missed payments.
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When your support order says you have to pay only when your child is in state care and:
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You request an exception in writing; and
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You have complied with the terms of any previously allowed exception; and
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You pay all past-due support you owe (if any); and
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You continue to make all of your payments on time.
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If you get an exception and then fall behind in paying support, income withholding will begin. This could happen if you do not keep enough money in your bank account to cover your monthly support payments. It also could happen if you close your bank account. If you fall behind in paying support, we cannot grant you an exception in the future.
If you want more information about getting an exception, please contact the child support office handling your case.
12. Do I have to make payments through the
Department of Justice?
You are required to make payments through the Department of Justice because your child support order states that payments must be made in this manner, one of the parties to your child support case submitted an application for child support services, or your child is receiving or received some form of assistance from the state.
If support is assigned to the state because your child received some form of assistance, you must continue to make payments to the Department of Justice.
If support is not assigned to the state, ORS 25.030 and 25.130 state that the parties may elect or the court may authorize payment to a checking or savings account or by electronic transfer to an account maintained by a licensed escrow agent. In order for the parties to elect another payment method, both parties must do the following:
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Agree to close their case with the Child Support Program and notify the assigned child support office;
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File an election in writing with the court that entered the support order. The election must be signed by both parties and must specify the amount of the support payment, the date payment is due, the court number; and
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The account number of the checking or savings account that is to be used; or
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The name of the escrow agent, licensed under ORS 696.511, to whom, and the account number into which the payments are to be electronically transferred.
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13. How do I contact my case manager?
To locate your assigned office address/phone number, login into the interactive case status web site or locate an Office nearest you.
14. How do I request a change of address?
To request a change of address, you will need to contact your case manager by letter or phone or in person. The Case Status of Orders-Legal Actions page will indicate which office is handling your case. DCS accepts collect calls.
15. How do I get help to resolve a
problem with my child support case?
- The best way to get an issue taken care of is at the local office that handles your case. If you have not yet talked to a lead worker or manager at the local office, contact the office nearest you to ask to speak to them.
- If you have already talked to the leadworker or manager in the local office and your issue has not been resolved, you may wish to contact our Child Support Program Constituent Services at (503) 986-6166. You also may e-mail representatives of the Constituent Services Team at: constituent.desk@doj.state.or.us.
16. How do I change the amount I receive or have to pay?
You may ask the Child Support Program (CSP) to review the child support and/or medical child support terms of your support order. The CSP will begin the review only if:
- It has been at least 35 months since the date the support order was entered, reviewed or last modified; or
- You can show proof there has been a substantial change of circumstances. This could mean a change in custody, the needs of the child(ren), or the number of children covered by the support order. It could also mean a significant change in a parent’s income, or a change in medical child support.
For more information, see Request for Modification.
17. How does the Division Of Child Support
prioritize its case work?
The Division of Child Support Operations Section has prioritized our
current work to best utilize our resources. We will be focusing on the
work which will most likely lead to positive outcomes for families and
children. Customers inquiring about their case may find that we do not
have information that enables us to pursue paternity establishment,
order establishment, and/or enforcement of their child support order.
Our case managers will be advising those customers that we will be able
to take additional actions when the necessary verified information is
received. Customers and partner agencies interested in more details
about the priorities may contact their case manager or
a branch manager.
18. If I'm receiving Social Security
benefits, where can I find information about my child?
Social Security Number Holder's Right to Information Concerning Others
19. Who can I write to about changing
the current Child Support Laws?
Contact your State Senator or Representative at http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr.
20. Who can I e-mail regarding the
Child Support Program web site?
Please send your comments and/or suggestions about this website to the DCS Webmaster.
21. If I don't find the answer to
my general question?
Please contact your local Division of Child Support or District Attorney office.
