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Child Support

Intro

Every child deserves financial support from both parents. Devoted parents can be loving and supportive forces in a child's life, and they need to work together to support their child.

Child support is money courts order one parent to pay their child's other parent or caregiver to support their child when the parents don't live together. The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families Child Support Division and county and Tribal child support agencies work with both parents to establish and enforce these orders.

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Directory of county child support agencies
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A diverse group of children playing together.
Sections

Child Support Topics

Mom and son
Sign Up For Services
Minnesota’s Child Support Division and county child support agencies work with both parents to provide child support services.
Dad helps child with homework
Child Support Basics
Child support is money a parent is court-ordered to pay to their child's other parent or caregiver for the support of the child. Learn more about who can receive it, the role of county child support agencies, parents' rights, and more.
Mom holds a sleeping baby
Start a Child Support Case
The links on this page can help you learn more about child support and the most common first steps county child support agencies and parents take when starting a case.
Dad reads to two young daughters
Maintain a child support case
Learn more about making or receiving payments, enforcing court orders, requesting changes to court orders for child support and other topics related to maintaining a child support case in Minnesota.
Mother and baby
Establish Parentage
Establishing parentage creates a legal relationship between a child and the child's parent when no legal relationship previously existed.
Family makes a home
Parents in Special Situations
When one parent lives in a different state, is in jail or prison, or in the military, making child support payments can be more difficult or impossible. But parents' child support obligations do not automatically stop when they are in these situations.
Mother and son
Contact Us
Find our directory of county child support offices. Also ground and email addresses. Help Desk phone number.
Children in a pyramid
Program Information For Partners and Providers
Information about child support program administration. Intended for county and Tribal Nation child support agencies, and organizational partners, including employers, hospitals, and community service agencies.
Quick Links On This Site
Child Support Online (for people with open cases)
Child Support Online - for employers
Guidelines Calculator
Parenting Time Calendar Tool
County and Tribal Child Support Directory
Recognition of Parentage
Topics - A to Z
Reports
Forms library
External Sites
Minnesota Judicial Branch
LawHelpMN.org/child support
US Office of Child Support Services
National Directory of New Hires
Minnesota Attorney General's child support resources
head-shots on a computer screen
Child Support Division Strategic Initiatives
Information about ways the Minnesota Child Support Program works with counties, Tribal Nations, organizations, employers and families to deliver an effective family-centered approach that ensures the financial stability of children.