Child support: Program overviews

Child support is money parents pay to their child's other parent or caregiver to support their children. The Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Child Support Division and county child support agencies work with parents, employers, government agencies, other states and community partners to help children receive the financial, medical and child care support they deserve.

Together, partners play a pivotal role in Minnesota's child support efforts making valuable contributions to children. Cooperation between the department's partners and child support agencies encourages parents to actively participate in their cases resulting in help for families to provide for their children.

Community partners, employers, and hospital staff, review the Policies and procedures webpage for more information.

Helping children receive the support they deserve
Child support is money parents pay to their child's or other parent or caregiver to support their children. Courts order the support. The support may be part of an interim, temporary, permanent or modified court order in a:
- Divorce or legal separation
- Paternity action
- Order for protection
- Child custody action
- Separate child support action
The Child Support Division of the Minnesota Department of Human Services works with county child support agencies and with parents, employers, government agencies, other states and community partners to help children receive the financial, medical and child care support they deserve. Cooperation between our partners and child support agencies encourages clients to actively participate in their cases and that results in helping families provide for their children.
Child Support Guidelines Calculator
Minnesota Child Support Online
Recognition of Parentage process for establishing paternity
The following web pages address various topics and specific situations related to establishing paternity.
- Legal fathers
- The Recognition of Parentage process
  - Advantages and disadvantages of signing the Recognition of Parentage
  - Undoing a Recognition of Parentage
  - The Establishing Parentage - What Every Mother and Father Need to Know video explains your rights and responsibilities before signing the Recognition of Parentage form.
- Court orders to establish parentage
- When a mother is married to someone other than the biological father
  - Spouse's Non-parentage Statement
  - Undoing a Spouse's Non-parentage Statement
- Genetic testing to determine the biological father
- Your rights as a parent
  - Naming your child
  - Living arrangements for your child
  - Parenting time
  - Decisions about how your child is raised
  - What to do if your child may be adopted
The brochure Being a Legal Father: Parentage information for mothers and fathers (PDF) also answers questions about establishing paternity for unmarried parents.
New hire reporting

Employers play a pivotal role in Minnesota's child support efforts and make a valuable contribution to the lives of Minnesota's children. Through income withholding, employers collect more than 70 percent of all the support disbursed, and through new hire reporting they help match employees with support obligations. Cooperation between employers and child support agencies encourages parental responsibility, reduces taxpayer costs for public assistance and helps families provide for their children.For further information, visit this policies and procedures page.