Connecticut's Official Overview
Welcome to the Connecticut Office of Child Support Services
Mission Statement
The mission of the Office of Child Support Services within the Connecticut Department of Social Services is to improve the well-being of children, promote the self-sufficiency of families, and deliver quality child support services, with recognition that to grow and thrive children require the financial, medical, and emotional support of both parents, regardless of their living situation or relationship.
What does OCSS do?
The goal of the Office of Child Support Services is to improve the circumstances of children and their families by providing a path to self-sufficiency. This is done by providing the following services:
- Establish legal paternity of children
- Locate non-custodial parents
- Establish monetary and medical support orders obligating parents to support their children
- Assist parents in addressing any needs or issues they may have via referrals to other agencies and / or community resources
- Collect and distribute child support payments
- Modify child support orders if appropriate.
What is the Child Support / Title IV-D Program?
Title IV-D of the Federal Social Security Act requires every state to provide child support services. This is called the Child Support / IV-D Program. In Connecticut, the Child Support / IV-D Program is administrated by the Department of Social Services, Office of Child Support Services. The Office of Child Support Services has cooperative agreements with other agencies under the Child Support Program’s ‘umbrella:’
- The Office of the Attorney General (OAG), which is the legal counsel for the Child Support Program.
- Support Enforcement Services, Judicial Branch, responsible for court based enforcement and most modification processes.
- Family Support Magistrates, Judicial Branch, responsible for adjudicating court cases in the Child Support / IV-D Program.
- Court Operations, Judicial Branch.
Services unavailable through The Connecticut Child Support program
OCSS cannot provide help with court civil matters such as divorce and custody actions; parenting and visitation actions; nor can the program provide any legal advice. The program does not ‘represent’ either the custodial party or noncustodial parent.