A person or entity who asked for child support services or was referred for child support services by one of the following programs: Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), Diversionary Work Program (DWP), IV-E Foster Care, Medical Assistance (MA), MinnesotaCare, and Child Care Assistance (CCAP).

The term arrears, and arrearage, mean an obligation that is overdue and unpaid.

Automatic Recurring Withdrawal (ARW) allows obligors to authorize the Child Support Enforcement Division to automatically deduct payments from a specific checking account or savings account. Once the withdrawal is set up, the bank electronically withdraws the support payments from the obligor's bank account. Then the bank automatically sends the payment to the Child Support Payment Center. The obligor must be the owner of the bank account. The obligor authorizes the Child Support Payment Center to automatically withdraw support payments once or twice per month, on the 5th or 20th of the month. Applicants for automatic recurring withdrawal must include a blank, voided check or a pre-printed savings account deposit slip with their completed authorization.

Basic Support is money a parent pays to the other parent (or another person or agency) for the child's housing, food, clothing, transportation and education expenses.

The Child Care Assistance Program helps families pay child care costs for children up to age 12, and for children with special needs up to age 14. Child care costs may be paid for qualifying families while they go to work, look for work or attend school.

Child care support is contributing to the cost of work or education related child care costs.

Child support is an amount for basic support, child care support, and medical support in accordance with an award in a legal proceeding for the care, support and education of a child of the parties to the proceeding, a contribution by parents under Minn. Stat. § 256.87, or support ordered under chapter 518B or 518C.

The Child Support Payment Center (CSPC) processes support payments in Minnesota. Federal and State laws require the state to establish a central collection unit to collect, process, and distribute payments for all cases where the state or county is a party, child support services are involved, or payments are collected through income withholding. The obligor's participant number should be included with every payment. Sending payments to a county child support office will delay the payment. Sending a payment directly to an obligee when the child support agency is handling the case may result in the obligor not getting credit for the payment.

Combined PICS is both parents individual Parental Income for Support (PICS) added together.

A law defining the maximum amount that can be withheld from an obligor’s disposable income. For the purposes of child support withholding, an employer may only withhold:• 50% of disposable income if the obligor is supporting a second family
• 55% of disposable income if the obligor is supporting a second family and there are arrearages
• 60% of disposable income if the obligor is not supporting a second family
• 65% of disposable income if the obligor is not supporting a second family and there are arrearages

A second family includes a spouse or a dependent child other than the spouse or child for who support is owed.

A person may be found in contempt of court if the person fails to do something that the court ordered that person to do, or if that person does something in court that the court orders the person no to do. The child support agency may ask the court to find an obligor in contempt of court for not making support payments. If the court finds the obligor in contempt, the court may order the obligor to serve a jail sentence unless the obligor begins to meet certain conditions, such as making regular support payments.

The one percent cost recovery fee is a fee the Child Support Enforcement Division charges applicants for child support services. The Child Support Enforcement Division uses this fee to reduce the cost of providing child support services for children. This cost recovery fee is one percent of all child support and maintenance payments an applicant receives or owes on a case up to a maximum amount. The Child Support Enforcement Division sets this limit annually. Obligors and obligees may pay one percent cost recovery fees in addition to other program fees.

A cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is an increase in basic and spousal support every two years due to inflation. Changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) determine the amount of the increase. The increase is automatic unless the obligor challenges the increase by filing a motion with the court.

A court order is a legally binding directive from a court of law that is issued by a magistrate, judge, or referee.

The child support agency reports overdue child support to credit bureaus monthly. Once the past due support has been reported to the credit bureaus, banks or other creditors that review the obligor's credit bureau report may limit or deny credit until the obligor cleans up the credit report by making partial or full payment.

Current support is an ongoing court-ordered obligation for support due each month and is either received by the Child Support Payment Center or withheld by the obligor's employer or other payor of funds.

The Custodial Parent is a person (or agency) receiving spousal maintenance or child support. Another term used for Custodial Parent is Obligee.

Dental coverage is defined as dental benefits that are provided by a dental plan. This definition does not include public coverage through medical assistance or MinnesotaCare.

Direct deposits are support payments sent electronically from the Child Support Payment Center to the obligee's financial institution for deposit into the obligee's checking account, savings account, or stored value card account.

A direct payment is money an obligor pays directly to an obligee to satisfy a support obligation. Obligees must forward any direct support payments received to the Child Support Payment Center to be credited to the case.

The Diversionary Work Program, or DWP, is a four-month program that helps low-income Minnesota families find a job.

Driver's license suspension is an enforcement procedure where the child support agency directs the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to suspend the obligor's driver's license because the obligor owes past due support and is not paying the support obligation.

Taking legal or administrative actions according to established rules and principles for the protection of a parent's rights.

For child support, emancipation occurs when a person is no longer legally a child. Before May 18, 1983, a child was a person under 18, unless the court order stated otherwise. Since May 18, 1983, a child is a person under 18 years of age, or under 20 years of age if still attending secondary school, or a person who is incapable of self-support due to a physical or mental condition, unless a court order states otherwise.

Enforcement is the application of remedies to obtain payment of a support obligation contained in a support order. Examples of remedies include:
•  Arrearage collection project
•  Credit bureau reporting
•  Contempt of court
•  Income withholding 
•  Passport denial
•  Revenue recapture
•  Student grant holds
•  Suspension of licenses (e.g. driver's, occupational, recreational)

Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM) is an enforcement tool that allows the child support agency to match obligors who owe child support arrears with financial assets they own. The account assets may be seized by a levy and applied to the obligor's child support arrears.

Gross income is income from all sources.

Plus: Social Security or Veterans' Benefits payments received on behalf of a joint child's behalf, and parent's potential income (see definition of potential income).

Minus: Spousal maintenance the parent has been order to pay, and child support the party has been ordered to pay for nonjoint child(ren).

A standard method for setting child support obligations based on the income of the parents and other factors as determined by law.

Health care coverage is defined as health care benefits that are provided by a health plan. This definition does not include public coverage through medical assistance or MinnesotaCare.

The deduction of support from an obligor's wages or other sources of income.

Child support agencies provide income withholding-only services to record and process child support and maintenance payments that an obligor's employer or payor of funds withholds from the obligor's wages. The child support agency charges the obligor $15 per month for income withholding-only services. The child support agency does not provide any other services or enforcement activities for income withholding-only cases.

A IV-D case is a case in which a party has assigned rights to the child support agency because the party is receiving public assistance or has applied for child support services.

The IV-D case number is a 12-digit number.

A joint child is the dependent child who is the child of both parents in the support proceeding. In cases in which support is sought from only one parent of a child, a joint child is the child for whom support is sought.

Joint Legal Custody means that both parents have equal rights and responsibilities, including the right to participate in major decisions about the child's upbringing, including education, health care and religious training.

Joint Physical Custody means that the routine daily care and control of the child is structured between the parents.

The legal authority that a court has over a person, certain type of case and a defined geographical area.

Legal Custody means the right to determine the child's upbringing, including education, health care and religious training.

Medical Assistance is Minnesota's Medicaid program for low-income families with children, seniors, and people with disabilities.

This is a form of public assistance and is not a form of health care coverage.

Medical support is providing or contributing to the cost of a child's health and dental insurance, or payment for a child's medical expenses, usually part of court-ordered support.

The Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) is the state's welfare reform program for low-income families with children.

MinnesotaCare is a subsidized health insurance program for Minnesota residents who do not have access to affordable health care coverage.

This is a form of public assistance and is not a form of health care coverage.

The Monthly Income Received includes any form of periodic payment to an individual including, but not limited to, salaries, wages, commissions, spousal maintenance payments received under a previous order or the current proceeding, workers' compensation, unemployment benefits, annuity payments, military and naval retirement, pension and disability payments, Social Security benefits received by a parent based on the parent's own eligibility, and income from self-employment or operation of a business.

Use gross salary and gross wage amounts before any deductions and before participation in any employer-sponsored benefit plan that allows an employee to pay for a benefit or expense using pre-tax dollars.

Multiply weekly income by 4.33 to arrive at a monthly amount.

Self-Employment Income: Income from self-employment includes operation of a business and joint ownership of a partnership or closely-held business. Income means gross receipts minus costs of goods sold minus ordinary and necessary business expenses required for self-employment or business operation. Self-employment does not include accelerated depreciation (§179), investment tax credits or other business expenses that are inappropriate or excessive. Business expenses that are allowable by the IRS are not necessarily business expenses for child support purposes.

The Non Custodial Parent is a person obligated to pay spousal maintenance or child support. Another term used for Non Custodial Parent is Obligor.

A Nonjoint child is the legal child of one, but not both of the parents in this support proceeding. A Stepchild is not considered a nonjoint child.

When determining basic support, a parent may receive a deduction for a nonjoint child living in the parent's home. The deduction is allowed for a nonjoint child who 1) primarily resides in the parent's household, and 2) for whom the parent does not have an existing court order for basic support.

The maximum number of nonjoint children allowed for a deduction to determine a child support obligation is 2.

Nonpublic Assistance (NPA) is a support case in which no public assistance is being provided to the obligee or child(ren).

An obligation is a legal duty imposed on a parent by the court to provide support.

The Obligee is a person (or agency) receiving spousal maintenance or child support.

The Obligor is a person obligated to pay spousal maintenance or child support.

Occupational license suspension is an enforcement procedure where the child support agency asks a licensing board to suspend the obligor's occupational license because the obligor owes past due support and is not paying the support obligation.

The legal mother-child relationship and/or father-child relationship as determined by the law.

PICS is a parent's gross income minus credit for nonjoint children.

Parenting time is the amount of time the child is scheduled to spend with a parent according to a court order.

Each person on a child support case in Minnesota is given a 10 digit participant number. It is also known as a participant ID or Master Client Index (MCI) number.

Passport Denial is an enforcement procedure where an obligor is denied the ability to renew a passport or get a new passport due to the amount of past due support owed by the obligor.

A payment agreement is a document signed by the obligor that states the monthly payment that must be received to avoid a specified enforcement action. For child support purposes, payment agreement and payment plan are the same terms.

Any person or entity that provides funds to an obligor.

The personal identification number (PIN) is the number that is used along with your Participant Number to identify you to the computer on the web site. The child support agency sends a notice with a unique PIN to obligees and obligors. You should not share your PIN with anyone. If you don't know, forgot, or lost your PIN, or if someone stole it, contact your county child support worker.

Physical Custody means the routine daily care and control of the child.

Potential Income is defined as a parent who is voluntarily unemployed, underemployed or employed on a less than full-time basis, or if there is no direct evidence of any income, potential income may be used. This is in addition to any monthly income received. There is a presumption that a parent can be gainfully employed on a full-time basis.

Potential income is determined by one of three methods: 1) the parent's probable earnings level; 2) if the parent is receiving unemployment or workers' compensation, income may be calculated using the actual amount of the benefit received; and, 3) the amount of income the parent could earn working full time at 150 percent of the current federal or state minimum wage, whichever is higher.

When parents represent themselves in a legal action.

Project Intercept (PI), also known as the federal tax offset program, is a way the child support agency uses to collect an obligor's support arrears by filing a claim against any federal income tax refund an obligor may be eligible to receive.

The Project Intercept fee is a fee the child support agency charges an obligee that does not receive public assistance when it collects child support from an obligor's federal tax refund. The child support agency charges obligees a $25 fee once per year per case for amounts of at least $100 that are collected from federal tax refunds. The child support agency deducts the fee before sending the payment to the obligee. The obligor receives credit for the full amount collected.

Public assistance is defined as benefits from a state or federal program, including:
•  Cash Assistance in the form of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). In Minnesota, the TANF program may take two forms:  Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) or Diversionary Work Program (DWP). These programs provide parents with job preparation, work and support services to help them become self-sufficient.
•  Child Care Assistance
•  Medical Assistance
•  MinnesotaCare
•  IV-E Foster Care

Eligibility for public assistance benefits is based on need.

Recreational license suspension is an enforcement procedure where the child support agency asks the court to suspend the obligor's current hunting or fishing license or to prevent receipt of any future hunting or fishing license because the obligor owes past due support. Licenses eligible for suspension includes deer, bear, moose, elk, small game, pheasant, turkey, fish, as well as trout, salmon and migratory waterfowl stamps.

A redirection of support means that because a child is not living with the obligee named in the court order, the child support that is ordered is temporarily paid to a person or agency other than the obligee. Support may be redirected from the obligee to a different person or agency by any of the following methods:
•  A court order; or
•  A voluntary agreement signed by the obligee to have support redirected to another caretaker or a foster care agency.

Revenue Recapture (RR) is a way the child support agency collects the obligor's child support arrears by filing a claim against the obligor's state income tax refund, lottery winnings over $600, political contribution refund, property tax refund, or renter's credit refund.

For child support, a secondary school is an accredited school or educational program that provides instruction or training towards a high school diploma or an equivalent degree such as a GED.

Spousal maintenance (also known as alimony) is the court-ordered amount one spouse pays for the support and maintenance of the other.

Spousal maintenance is included in the gross income of the party that receives it, for the purposes of determining child support.

Spousal maintenance is a deduction from gross income for the parent who is ordered to pay it, for the purposes of determining child support.

To order the production of documents or records.