Addressed in Court
Child support cases involving foster children must be addressed in court

The Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) follows special procedures in cases involving children who have been removed from their homes and placed in foster care. The Family and Children Services division refers these cases to the CSEA, which through the court establishes child support or redirects payments, as follows:

• If no order for child support had been established previously, the CSEA prepares an application to establish support through the court and may, if needed, request genetic testing.
• The procedures to establish support and paternity orders in foster care cases are similar to those in other child support cases, except they must be addressed only in court and not through an administrative hearing.
• If a support order already exists, the CSEA requests that the court redirect payments to the new custodian of the child.