Child Support Program

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:

Child support is money some parents pay to another parent or person to support their children. The court orders child support. Child support includes:

Child support may be part of an interim, temporary, permanent, or modified court order in a:

A person can receive child support if all of these are true:

Services provided by the Washington County child support office include:

•  Divorce assistance.
•  Visitation or custody issue mediation/resolution.
•  Spousal maintenance (alimony) order establishment or modification.
•  Legal advice or counsel.

You can contact 651-430-6615 to request an application for services, or you can get an application online at www.dhs.state.mn.us Return your completed application with a nonrefundable $25 application fee made payable to "Washington County Child Support," to; Washington County Child Support Unit, P.O. Box 30, Stillwater, MN 55082-0030.

When you apply for services, you also agree to pay a 1 percent cost recovery fee on your payments, if you are the applicant and receive child support, or on your obligation if you are the applicant and pay child support.

If you or your minor child(ren) receive cash assistance from the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) or the Diversionary Work Program (DWP), Medical Assistance (MA), MinnesotaCare, or Child Care Assistance, the child support agency will automatically open a child support case for you and will expect you to provide information and cooperate in establishing paternity, establishing an order for support and collecting support. You do not have to pay an application fee or other fees.

Taking an active role in your case and cooperating with our office makes establishing a court order more efficient and makes collecting regular support payments more likely.

Any changes that may affect your case must be reported to our office. Contact your child support worker if:
•  you or the other parent moves.
•  you  or the other parent gets a new phone number .
•  you  or the other parents gets a new job.
•  your child moves or graduates from high school.
•  your child no longer receives child care.
•  you  have new information that may help locate the other parent.
•  you  apply for public assistance.
•  you are involved in other court actions regarding child support payments.

You have the right to: