Office of Child Support Services
Raising children without full financial support can mean hardship for both the custodial parent and the child. New York State law requires both parents to financially support their children to age 21. This responsibility exists even if a parent leaves the home or has never lived with the child.
The Westchester County Department of Social Services, under the auspices of New York State, has operated an Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) program since 1978. The aim of the program is to get support for all children not being supported by their legally responsible parents. If you are a custodial parent or guardian of a child who is not getting full financial support, the OCSS program can help you to collect all the support provided by law.
- Any custodial parent, guardian or caretaker of a child.
Any parent or nonparent caregiver acting as guardian of at least one child under the age of 21 is eligible to apply for child support services.
- Any non-custodial parent of a child who lives with the custodial parent, guardian or caretaker.
A noncustodial parent or putative (alleged) father may apply or be eligible for child support services.
NOTE: If you are currently receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid or Title IV-E Foster Care for children in your custody, you do not have to apply for child support services as they are provided automatically upon application for these benefits. However, you will need to cooperate by completing the Child Support Enrollment Form and complying with OCSS requirements.
Online: Child Support Online Enrollment Wizard *
In Person: Office of Child Support Services, 100 East First Street, 5th Floor, Mt. Vernon, N.Y. 10550-3488.
*You can apply for services online using the Child Support Online Enrollment Wizard if you are NOT receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid or Title IV-E Foster Care.
- Your full name
- Your date of birth
- Your Social Security Number
- Your address and telephone number
- Child(ren)'s name(s)
- Copy of child(ren)'s birth certificate(s)
- Child(ren)'s Social Security Number(s)
- Copies of any child support orders
- Copy of your most recent paycheck stub
- Information regarding marital status at the time of the child(ren)'s birth
- Information regarding any government assistance you have received for you or the child
- Information regarding family health insurance coverage which may be available
- Information regarding childcare expenses
- Information regarding educational expenses
Also include non-custodial parent information such as:
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Security Number
- Present and past addresses and telephone numbers
- Present and past employer names, addresses and telephone numbers
- Copy of most recent paycheck stub and tax return
- List of assets
- Drivers, professional, business, or occupational license number(s)
- Information on friends/relatives
You will be asked to come in for an interview. At that time, a child support worker will review the application and gather information to determine what action(s) should be taken next.
Possible actions include locating an absent parent, establishing paternity and obtaining a court order for child support.
Information from the application will be used to set up a computerized case record to process and keep track of the status of your case.
Once the family court has established an Order of Support payable through the WC OCSS, it may take two to four weeks before you begin receiving money.
The family court will prepare a court order, showing the amount and frequency of the child support to be paid, and forward the order to the OCSS.
The OCSS will issue an Income Execution to the non-custodial parent's employer, if one is known. The money due will be deducted from that parent's salary.
By law, the employer must deduct the specified amount beginning with the first pay period that occurs within fourteen days after it receives notice and mail payments to the NYS Child Support Processing Center in Albany.
The employer must forward the payments no later than seven days after the non-custodial parent's wages are deducted, according to the frequency of its payment.
It takes an average five to seven days for the processing center to forward the money received.
If the sum is $1,000 or more, the processing center must wait until the check clears at the bank before child support payments are disbursed.
A non-custodial parent is obligated to keep payments current, making them directly until they come out of the paychecks.
Custodial parents can receive child support payments through:
- Direct deposit into an authorized checking or savings account
- The New York Child Support Debit Card
If either type of electronic payment presents a hardship, the custodial parent can write a letter requesting that payments be made by paper check.
Direct Deposit: Direct deposit setup is available by calling the Child Support Helpline at 888-208-4485 or by downloading, completing, signing and returning the NYS Child Support Direct Deposit Enrollment form to the address shown on the form.
Debit Card: New York State has begun to issue the Way2Go MasterCard debit card to custodial parents.
Customers can set up an online account to check their payment information
More information is available online from the New York State Department of Child Support Services.