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Last updated on Tuesday, August 30, 2016
(INDIANAPOLIS) - For 40 years Indiana’s Title IV-D Child Support program has worked to ensure every Hoosier child has the financial and emotional support of both parents, regardless of whether the parents live together or apart.
To coincide with the 40th Anniversary, the Child Support Bureau (CSB) has launched two initiatives to reduce barriers, including introducing more convenient ways for non-custodial parents to pay, and waiving the $25 fee (through June 30, 2017) to sign up for services.
"Often, child support helps lift single-parent households out of poverty. Nationally, according to information from the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement, child support payments to families living below the federal poverty level represent more than 40 percent of the household's income. In Indiana one in six Hoosier children are impacted by the Title IV-D program" said Cynthia Longest, deputy director of the Indiana Department of Child Services' Child Support Bureau.
CSB partners with the Prosecuting Attorneys and Clerks of Circuit Court in every county to carry out the federally mandated Title IV-D Child Support program. Indiana's program was the 35th ranked program in the country in 2006, but in just 10 years has become the 7th ranked overall IV-D child support program. The ranking is based on overall performance in establishing paternity, establishing support orders, collecting current support, collecting past due support, and cost-effectiveness. And for federal fiscal year 2015 (the most recent data), Hoosier children received more than $577 million in child support.
What is Title IV-D?
In 1975, Congress established Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act which required every state to establish a program to establish and enforce child support obligations, and in 1976 the Indiana General Assembly passed implementing legislation. The original focus of the program was recovery of federal and state costs of public assistance. However, as the IV-D program proved successful, Congress substantially changed it in the intervening years, with much more emphasis on serving families instead of cost recovery. Today, the majority of Indiana collections go to children and families, and only three percent of the IV-D caseload (274,239) in Indiana currently receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
What does the IV-D Program do?
Parents should contact the IV-D office of the Prosecuting Attorney. A list of contact information can be found at childsupport.in.gov/county. An Application for Title IV-D Services must be completed in order to authorize the IV-D program to take action, but as stated above, the usual $25 fee has been waived through June 30, 2017. The Application for Services can also be obtained at childsupport.in.gov/apply, but parents should contact the individual Prosecuting Attorney offices for their specific procedures.
How does someone make child support payments?
Federal law mandates employer withholding of child support (similar to tax withholdings). If this method is not applicable for a parent, multiple options are available:
Other Resources
The Indiana Child Support Bureau is a division of the Indiana Department of Child Services, and works to ensure the right of every child to the financial support of both parents.
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