What YOU need to know about
Delaware Child Support

• Finding the absent/non-custodial parent
• Establish the legal father of a child
• Establish a legal support order
• Collect child support payments
• Provide services to modify child support orders

Applying for Child Support

The Delaware Child Support agency will ask the Family Court of the State of Delaware to establish a child support order if none exists. Family Court will then establish a child support order that sets a monthly amount of money to be paid by a non-custodial parent to a custodial parent for the support of their child. Using the Delaware Child Support Formula Calculation Chart, family court determines the amount of support to be paid to the custodial parent.

A medical support order may also be established on behalf of the child. The amount of time it will take to establish a child support order will depend upon the Location of the non-custodial parent. If the location is unknown, the first step will be to locate the parent. The Division of Child Support's ability to successfully locate a non-custodial parent depends largely on how much information is provided by the applicant; the applicant is usually the best resource to finding the absent parent. (If the parent is in Delaware the process is much quicker.)

Family Court will then establish a child support order that sets a monthly amount of money to be paid by a non-custodial parent to a custodial parent for the support of their child. By using this Formula Calculation Chart, family court determines the amount of support to be paid to the custodial parent.

Paternity Establishment

If a child's parents were not married to each other when the child was born, the law does not recognize the father unless paternity is legally established. Establishing paternity will give your child the same rights and benefits as children born to married parents.

These rights and benefits include:

• Father's name is on the birth certificate
• Legal proof and identity of the child's parents
• Family medical history
• Financial support from both parents
• Including child support
• Social Security and/or Veteran Benefits.

Establishing paternity gives the father and mother legal rights to seek a court order for child support. Having said in certain legal decisions about the child is a very important factor in any child's life. The easiest way to establish paternity is administratively (without going to court) via the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (VAP) program where both parents sign a legal document, agreeing that the child is theirs.

A $25.00 application fee is required when complete and turn in an application for services. You can pay by check or money order. If you currently receive:

• Medicaid
• General Assistance
• Food Stamps
• Childcare Subsidy
• Received federally funded Foster Care services
• Received State Assistance

You are not required to pay the $25.00 application fee. In addition, the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 requires Delaware Child Support Enforcement to charge an annual Processing fee of $25.00 for each child support case in which the applicant has never received TANF assistance. DCSE will deduct this fee from your child support payments after collections of at least $500 in each federal fiscal year.

Contact Information

CUSTOMER SERVICE: Automated Assistance Lines - Toll Free
NCC: (302) 577-7171
KC: (302) 739-8299
SC: (302) 856-5386

OFFICE LOCATIONS:

New Castle County Kent County Sussex County

Churchman's Corporate Center
84A Christiana Road
New Castle, DE 19720

Carroll's Plaza
1114 S. DuPont Hwy.
Suite # 101
Dover, DE 19901 9 Academy Street
Georgetown, DE 19947

PAYMENT ADDRESSES:

Regularly scheduled child support payments must be made by check or money order only.

Delaware Child Support Payments - from Employers and Other State's IV-D Agencies:
P.O. Box 12287
Wilmington, DE 19850

Child Support Payments - from Non-Custodial Parent/Obligor:
P.O. Box 12831
Wilmington, DE 19850

Leave delaware child support for division of child support enforcement

Leave delaware child support for child support home

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