Every child needs financial and emotional support. The vision of Minnesota's child support program is that children can depend on their parents for the support they need. The child support program helps:
| • | children receive the financial support, including medical support and child care support, they deserve. |
| • | families work toward becoming and remaining self sufficient. |
| • | parents establish a financial partnership for their children. |
Child support is money some parents pay to another parent or person to support their children. The court orders child support. Child support includes:
| • | basic support (the dollar amount ordered for a child's housing, food, clothing, transportation and education expenses). |
| • | child care support. |
| • | medical support. |
Child support may be part of an interim, temporary, permanent, or modified court order in a:
| • | paternity action. |
| • | order for protection. |
| • | child custody action. |
| • | separate child support action. |
| • | divorce or legal separation. |

