 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
| Government Agencies Involved Many government agencies work together with employers and parents to ensure that children in Tennessee receive child support. The picture below shows the various groups involved in the child support process in Tennessee.
Government Agencies Involved in Tennessee Child Support Local Child Support Office - These offices provide a the full range of child support services including: location, paternity establishment, child support and medical support order establishment, child support and medical support order enforcement, and modification of child and medical support orders. Click here to identify the local child support office that serves your community. Central Collection Unit - All child support payments should be directed to the Central Collection Unit. This unit accepts payments, posts them to the correct child support accounts, and distributes the payments to the appropriate parties. Local Courts - Local courts create the orders for paternity and support based on petitions filed by the local child support office. They will determine such things as the amount of arrears due and whether a non-custodial parent is in compliance with an order. The local court has the power to put non-custodial parents who do not comply with their child support orders in jail. New Hire Reporting Center - Each employer is required to report all new employees (regardless of whether they owe child support) to the New Hire Reporting Center. This center shares this information with the child support offices so that income withholding orders can be quickly transferred and non-custodial parents can be found. Central Paternity Registry - This is a clearing house for voluntary paternity acknowledgements that are completed in birthing hospitals throughout the state. The Central Registry provides this information to the local child support offices to ensure that as many children as possible have a legal father identified. Customer Service - Tennessee has a central customer service unit. If you have customer service questions you can call this unit and they will help you with questions on their case. Department of Human Services - This state government agency oversees child support policies in the State of Tennessee. Law Enforcement - Local law enforcement, mostly the sheriff, helps the courts and local child support office enforce child support orders. In addition, they provide service of process for legal papers related to child support. Other State Child Support Offices - Each state has a child support program. When one of the parties lives across Tennessee state lines, the local child support office will work with the child support in another state to provide child support services. Other states typically have a similar number of government agencies involved in child support as Tennessee does. Federal Government - The Federal government provides a number of services to supplement the efforts of state child support programs. These include intercepting IRS tax returns for past-due support, the Federal Parent Locate Service, a directory of all new hires on a national basis, and the central registry for interstate orders.
|
