Federal Partners

Current as of:

The child support program partners with several federal agencies, each with its own unique laws and procedures, to help states locate noncustodial parents, enforce and establish child support orders, and collect child support.

State child support agencies also work with SNAP, TANF, Child Welfare and other partners. Search our library for additional information.

Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS)

BFS is a bureau of the Department of Treasury and operates the Treasury Offset Program, which maintains a centralized list of taxpayers who owe debts to various agencies, including child support debts. On behalf of OCSS, BFS sends any funds offset through the program to the appropriate state to pay the noncustodial parent’s debt.

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Department of Defense (DOD)

The DOD helps child support agencies get income and healthcare coverage information on active, reserve, and retired military and Coast Guard members. DOD also indicates when a child is receiving, is eligible to receive, or previously received military medical coverage. Child support agencies can request this information through the Child Support Portal.

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Department of Labor (DOL)

OCSS and DOL work together to improve the integrity of new hire, quarterly wage and unemployment insurance data reported to the NDNH.  Through training and outreach to State Workforce Agencies and employers, child support agencies can get locate information on noncustodial parents to establish and enforce income withholding.  Timely and accurate reporting of new hires also helps DOL prevent unemployment compensation fraud.

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Department of State (State Department)

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

The IRS works with the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, OCSS and states to collect past-due support payments from parents ordered to pay child support. The IRS can identify those who owe past-due support and intercept all or part of a tax refund. The IRS Safeguards Program works with OCSS and states to ensure that federal, state and local agencies protect federal tax information according to Internal Revenue Code.

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Social Security Administration (SSA)

When requested through the OCSS by an authorized user, the information SSA discloses to OCSS helps carry out the purposes of the child support program.  The information we receive from SSA allows us to provide data to child support agencies to help locate individuals and their assets to collect support or to establish a child support case.  We may also provide the data to authorized users to help find individuals who may have parental rights or to help determine custody or visitation.

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Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

The VA provides an array of information to child support agencies including veteran’s compensation, education, pension, and retirement benefit amounts. They also share the veteran’s address, incarceration status, and date of death.

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