|
HOW DOES THE CHILD SUPPORT PROGRAM WORK?
Your Cooperation is Essential
We strive to meet the needs of our program participants quickly and professionally.
Our office hours are Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.
Our phone line (812) 285-6261 is open on Tuesdays & Thursdays during office hours. Due to high call volume and limited voice mail box size we encourage all program participants not to leave voice mail messages but to be patient and keep trying till you speak to your caseworker in person.
All program participants are also encouraged to visit us in person at our offices located on the second floor of the west wing of the Clark County Government Building, 501 East Court Avenue, Jeffersonville, IN 47130. We can also be reached by email at: childsupport@co.clark.in.us at any time night or day. We review our email throughout the day and respond accordingly.
If you are a Custodial Party checking on the status of your payments you should contact the KIDS LINE at 1-800-840-8757. The Child Support Division is not permitted to give out payment information by telephone or without photo identification.
The Child Support Division cannot give legal advice on any matters. The Prosecuting Attorney and the Child Support Division represent the State of Indiana in all actions and do not represent the Custodial Party or any program participant. State and federal law do not allow the Child Support Division to give advice or to file papers relating to parenting time or visitation enforcement. Those matters must be handled by a private attorney. The Child Support Division also is not permitted to make a referral to any private attorney.
How long it takes to receive child support depends on the facts in your case. You can speed the process by cooperating with our child support enforcement specialists. In fact, your cooperation is essential. For Custodial Parents receiving TANF, failure to respond to our request for information or missed appointments may result in TANF sanctions being imposed and your benefits reduced. Please understand that our child support enforcement specialists will use all available resources to resolve your case. You can cooperate by allowing us the necessary time to complete our research and case actions. You should follow the established procedures in our office for making a status request. Frequent contacts with the Child Support Division that do not provide information that will benefit your case, can slow the process. However, if you have any new information about the Non-Custodial Parent's location, employment history, social security number or prior court orders, please let us know.
How Long Will It Take?
Each case is unique and the time it takes depends on your geographic location, the whereabouts and finances of the Non-Custodial Parent, local court procedures, and the action needed on your case. Cases that must be forwarded to another state can take much longer than a case handled in Indiana. Locating missing parents and scheduling court hearings also cause delays. Please bear with us. Because of limited staff and a staggering case load, delays are often unavoidable.
How Payments Are Handled.
Child support payments must be made through the Indiana State Central Collections Unit (INSCCU) where they are processed and forwarded to the Custodial Party by the State of Indiana. All payments must be made payable to and addressed to: INSCCU, P.O. Box 7130, Indianapolis, Indiana 46207-7130.
Payments must include the following information for processing:
ISETS Case #
Court Case #
Name of the Non-Custodial Party
Non-Custodial Party’s Social Security Number
Non-Custodial Party’s address and phone number
Name(s) of the child(ren)
Custodial Party’s Name
Amount of Payment
Only cash payments made IN PERSON can be accepted by the Clark County Clerk of Courts. A processing fee may be charged to the Non-Custodial Parent for each payment received by the Clerk.
If you are a Custodial Parent checking on the status of your payments you should contact the KIDS LINE at 1-800-840-8757. The Child Support Division cannot give out payment information by telephone or without photo identification.
Custodial Parties receiving TANF do not receive child support payments, but receive TANF benefits on a monthly basis. If you receive TANF and accept cash or gifts directly from the Non-Custodial Party in lieu of child support you are in violation of the TANF program and may lose your benefits.
Likewise, Non-Custodial Parties should never make direct payments to the Custodial Party while they are subject to enforcement of a support order, doing so places you at risk of contempt and possible jail time.
Establishment of Court Orders
A court order is required in order to collect child support. If there is no order of the court for the payment of child support or health and hospitalization coverage, the Child Support Division can assist you in obtaining one.
Locate Efforts
To locate absent parents, the Child Support Division uses local and state locate resources such as motor vehicle registration, driver's license, employment files, and credit bureau reporting. In some cases, we can utilize social security, income tax and military service records through the federal government to locate absent parents.
Modifications
If you have a court order but believe that the amount of child support should be increased or decreased, the Child Support Division will review your support order according to the Indiana Child Support Guidelines, and will recommend a modification of the order, if appropriate.
Monitor Payments
The Child Support Division will monitor payments in your case. We will request the use of the Court's contempt power in those cases where the paying parent is delinquent in support payments. We will also keep tabs on the paying parent by requiring that there be a report back to court on a regular basis.
|
