Child Support
Overview
The Child Support program is not an income-based program; any parent, guardian, or caretaker of a child or children under the age of 21 can apply for child support services. You do not need to be in receipt of any assistance programs to receive child support services. However, if you apply for Temporary Assistance and there is a child or children under the age of 21 in the household, and one or both child(ren)’s parents are not living in the household, you will automatically be referred for child support services.
The Child Support Unit can also assist a child under the age of 21 or a noncustodial parent or putative (alleged) father with child support/parentage matters.
What Services does the Support Unit provide?
The Child Support Unit partners with families to provide a variety of services including:
- Further education and explanation regarding all services provided.
- Assistance with the application process.
- Establishment and maintenance of case records.
- Location of parents.
- Establishment of legal parentage.
- Establishment and/or modifications of an order of support and/or medical support.
- Collect and disburse court-ordered support: We act as a neutral go-between for the collection and disbursement of support payments.
- Maintaining records of all child support payments and disbursements.
- Enforce court orders (Family Court and Supreme Court, other county, state, and countries).
- Assist with making an existing order payable through the Child Support Unit.
How do you know if Child Support services are for you?
Just ask! All questions are welcome. Contact the Child Support Unit for further explanation or to answer any questions you may have.
How to Contact the Child Support Unit
Phone:
New York State Child Support Helpline
All calls must go through the NYS Child Support Helpline
1-888-208-4485
Email:
CSEWEBOneida@dfa.state.ny.us
Writing:
Oneida County SCU
800 Park Ave.
Utica, NY 13501
In Person:
You may also meet with an Investigator in person on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All visitors will be required to pass through a security checkpoint at:
Oneida County -1ST FL INTAKE 2
800 Park Ave.
Utica NY 13501
Please provide your name, address, phone number, e-mail, and NYS Child Support account number with any correspondence.
FOR MORE CHILD SUPPORT INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT NYS CHILD SUPPORT WEBSITE AT: www.childsupport.ny.gov
FAQs
Who can get help in obtaining child support & where do I go?
Any parent or person who has legal custody of a child can get help in locating the child's absent parent, establishing a child's parentage, establishing a child support order, modifying the order, obtaining health insurance for a child, collecting current child support, and any past due child support.
People who receive Family Assistance for a child in their care are automatically referred to child support services.
People not receiving Family Assistance or Medicaid can receive our services by simply applying for such services, without regard to income.
You may call 1-888-208-4485, write to the address below, or send an e-mail (CSEWEB) to request an application for services or you can stop in and pick one up at the following address:
Oneida County Support Collection Unit
800 Park Ave.
Utica, New York 13501
How do I get a child support order?
The Child Support Unit can assist you with obtaining a court order. A court can establish a child support order based on the filing of a petition requesting to do so. The person chargeable with support must be the child's parent through marriage, adoption, or through the establishment of parentage. Child support orders are generally payable until the child's twenty-first birthday.
What is Parentage?
The Child Support Unit can assist individuals to establish parentage. Parentage refers to the "Legal Parent(s)" of a child. The Legal Parent refers to a person recognized by law as the parent of a child. A person is considered the legal parent of a child if he/she/they were married to the child's birth mother at the time of the child's birth, or if parentage has been established through legal adoption, an Order of Filiation, or by signing an Acknowledgment of Parentage (AOP).
I'm not married to my child’s other parent. Can I still get Child Support?
Yes! Once you establish parentage for the child. There are many excellent reasons for parents to legally establish the parentage of their child.
A child is entitled to financial support, including child support, social security benefits, veteran's benefits, military allowances, and inheritance once parentage has been established.
A child may be entitled to health insurance through their parent(s) once parentage has been established. This will also allow access to medical history records.
I don't know where my child's absent parent is. Can you help with location?
Yes! The Child Support Enforcement program uses computer searches against a large number of New York State, other states, and Federal data banks to locate noncustodial parents.
The most critical piece of information you can supply to help find an absent parent is their social security number. If you do not have the social security number, you can check hospital records, bank records, insurance policies, credit card records, paystubs, or income tax returns.
Why haven’t I received a payment?
You should first contact our payment information line at 1-800-846-0773, available 24 hours a day/7 days a week. You will need to provide your Social Security Number and your PIN. If you do not have a PIN, call 1-888-208-4485 to request one. For further questions on obtaining a PIN, please visit: https://www.childsupport.ny.gov/dcse/userID_faqs.html
If no payment has been reported on our information line, you should then contact your Investigator via fax, mail, e-mail, or in person. The Investigator will advise what action should be taken next. There are administrative and judicial remedies that can be used to collect all current and past-due child support. Some of the remedies are as follows:
- Income Withholding Order – all child support orders issued in New York State which are payable through the Support Collection Unit are required to provide for immediate wage withholding.
- Income Tax Refund Offset
- Lottery Prize Offset
- Driving Privilege Suspension
- Liens
- Referral to the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance
- Credit Bureau Reporting
- Violation petition filing with the court.
Can I get health insurance for my child through the Child Support Unit?
New York State law mandates that all orders of child support must require either parent to extend health insurance if available and affordable through an employer, at the time the order is issued or at any time in the future, to cover the child. If the noncustodial parent has health insurance available but does not enroll the child, the Child Support Unit can help enforce this provision of the court order.
My child support order is too low. How can I get it increased?
The Child Support Unit can help you increase the obligation amount of your child support order depending on the situation. Further questions can be answered by the Investigator at the local office.
I have a direct pay Child Support order/Divorce order, but the other parent doesn't pay. Can you help me?
Yes, please complete an application for Child Support Services and our unit can assist you.
Can I get child support when the other parent lives in another state?
All states are required to pursue all child support enforcement programs for out-of-state cases in the same way they do for in-state cases. All states must cooperate with each other in these matters.
How do I pay my child support?
How can I safely pursue child support if I have concerns for my safety?
How do I update my information with the Child Support Unit?
Either party can update their information, (phone number, address, employer) by utilizing any of our contact options listed above.
What if I am having trouble making my child support payments?
Contact the Child Support Unit to see if you qualify for an Administrative Review. An administrative review does not change the amount you own, just the amount collected towards arrears you owe. The only way to change the amount owed is through a court order. You can file a petition in court if you feel the amount you are paying should change.
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