Child Support

At the Department of Social Services (DSS), we work to build a support network for children and families as they grow. The Office of Child Support Services is part of this network.

The DSS Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) provides services, such as:

• Establish legal parentage of children and locate non-custodial parents
• Establish monetary and medical support orders
• Help parents address their needs
• Collect and distribute child support payments
• Enforce and modify child support orders

It’s easy to apply for child support services. To start, find the DSS/OCSS resource center associated with the city or town where you live. Once you’ve found your local resource center, you can:

• Complete the application online and email it to the resource center.
• Request an appointment via email or telephone to meet with a child support representative.

Save time by printing all required forms and filling them out before you go to an OCSS resource center. If you can’t print ahead, applications are also available at all local child support centers.

We make paying child support simple. For payments and more information, custodial parents, non-custodial parents, and employers can:

• Visit the State Disbursement Unit (SDU) child support internet payment website
• Call us at 1-888-233-7223

Parentage is the legal relationship between a child and a parent of a child. Establishing parentage gives a child a legal parent. It also gives parents rights and responsibilities related to providing care for their child. OCSS helps to establish parentage through:

• Acknowledgment of Parentage forms
• Genetic testing
• Referals to another state where a non-custodial parent resides