Child Support Services

Program Services

CSS is a full-service program that offers all services at no cost to families. Available to all families regardless of income, CSS provides resources to both custodial and noncustodial parties, helping strengthen families and promote stability for Kansas children.

All Kansans can quickly and easily apply for child support services online. Visit CSSApply.dcf.ks.gov to enroll online or call 1-888-757-2445 to speak with a child support specialist.

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Understanding the Child Support Process

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Locate Parents

Before a child support order can be established, both parents of the child must be located. CSS has access to tools which help locate parties when they move or change jobs even if they do not live in Kansas.

CSS can access a range of databases and systems to help find people and property, such as:
- Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS)
- National Directory of New Hires (NDNH)
- Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL)
- Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM)
- State Verification and Exchange System (SVES)
- State employment and tax records
- DMV records

Establish Parentage

If a child’s parents were not married at the time the child was born, it may be necessary to establish parentage through genetic testing or court order. Establishing parentage means legally determining a child’s parents, a key step for securing child support, medical support, and other benefits such as the right to inheritance or Social Security and Veteran’s benefits.

CSS assists families in determining parentage through an Acknowledgement of Paternity Form or genetic testing.

Acknowledgment of Paternity
Unmarried parents have the option of signing a form called Paternity Consent Form. This is a legal document that is typically signed in the hospital after the child’s birth. In Kansas, you are legally presumed to be the parent if you signed a Paternity Consent Form for the child.

Genetic Testing 
If there is a question about paternity and Paternity Consent Form was not signed, the court may order genetic testing. CSS will assist in scheduling the mother, child, and possible father for testing at no cost.

DNA is collected from the inside of the mouth, and the samples are sent to a laboratory for comparison. Once all parties have been tested, it typically takes six to eight weeks to receive the results.

The State of Kansas covers the cost of initial genetic testing. If one party disputes the test results, that party would then be responsible for the cost of any additional testing.

Establish Support Orders

Once parentage has been established, CSS can pursue court orders for financial and medical support. CSS completes an assessment of the case, compiles necessary documents, and schedules a court hearing.

 Determining Child Support Amounts
CSS uses the Kansas Child Support Guidelines established by the Kansas Supreme Court to consider the circumstances of those who pay and those who receive payment to calculate a fair amount for child support. A judge will review the information and order a monthly amount to be paid.

Modify Existing Support Orders

As life changes, so should the child support order. Modifications to the order ensure children are supported at every stage of life.

Every three years, parties can request CSS review their case for modification. Child and medical support orders may also be reviewed due to a change in circumstances, such as the child’s age or out-of-pocket health insurance costs.

An increase or reduction in child support amounts is not guaranteed, and this process may take several months to be completed. A modification packet can be requested by calling Kansas Child Support Services at 1-888-757-2445.

CSS provides guidance throughout the modification process to help all parties understand when to request a review and what should be expected when documents are submitted. CSS is here for every step.

Collect and Distribute Payments

Once the court order has been established, CSS monitors the order to ensure payments are made regularly and in the correct amount. CSS tracks balances and payments for you. All support payments must be submitted through our payment processing center, the Kansas Payment Center (KPC).

If the custodial party has never received public assistance such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), SNAP Food Assistance, Child Care Assistance, or medical assistance, all collections for current and past due child support will be distributed to the custodial party.

If the custodial party is receiving public assistance such as: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), SNAP Food Assistance, Child Care Assistance, or medical assistance, any child support payment processed may be assigned to the State of Kansas to repay assistance costs.

The primary method of paying child support orders is through an Income Withholding Order (IWO). An IWO is sent to the employer of the party ordered to pay support, and an automatic payroll deduction for child support is set up.

If the party ordered to pay support is unemployed or self-employed, Kansas Child Support Services uses other tools to collect child support payments.

An order for child support does not guarantee that child support will be paid each month; therefore, CSS continuously monitors and reports non-paying individuals for administrative actions. Kansas CSS has access to resources to help children receive the support they need. Visit the Enforcement page for information on the unique tools CSS can implement to enforce the support orders.

Current Support
If a child support order is in place, any payments received will be applied to the amount due for the current month’s child support. If the child(ren) is not receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and is not in the custody of the State of Kansas or the Kansas Department of Corrections, the entire amount of the current support payment collected will be sent to the custodial party. The monthly support amount is owed to the party who has custody of the child the first day of the month.

Arrears (Past Due Support)
Once a child support order is established, the support continues to accrue even if the other party is incarcerated or not making payments. This past due support is referred to as child support arrears. Parties who owe support are legally required by the court order to continue making child support payments until the arrears are paid off.

If arrears are owed to the custodial party as well as the State of Kansas, any child support payment received will be sent to the custodial party until all arrears have been paid. Any additional payments of past due support will be kept by DCF. There may be some circumstances where this does not apply. If you have questions regarding arrears support payments on your child support case, contact CSS at 1-888-757-2445.

For more information on the collection and distribution of support payments, visit our Payments page.

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Custodial parents

Noncustodial Parents

Employers

Enforcement

Payments