Medical Support

Medical

DC Law 17-128, the Child Support Compliance Amendment Act of 2007, provides that every child support order must contain a provision for medical support for each child.  This could be a provision for health insurance, cash medical support, or both.  In all cases in which health insurance coverage is available at a reasonable cost, the court will order either or both parents to provide health insurance coverage.

Under the law, the court must consider, at a minimum, the cost, comprehensiveness, and accessibility of all health insurance available to the parents when selecting from among the available insurance coverage options.  If accessible health insurance coverage is not available to either parent at a reasonable cost, or if a child's medical expenses are not fully covered by health insurance, the court will order either or both parents to pay cash medical support.

Frequently Asked Questions -- Medical Support

How is medical support defined?

Cash Medical Support

An amount ordered to be paid toward the cost of health insurance provided by a public entity or by another parent, through employment or otherwise, for extraordinary medical expenses or for other medical costs not covered by insurance

Reasonable Health Insurance Coverage

Health insurance coverage costs that do not exceed five percent (5%) of the parent’s gross income

Accessible Health Insurance Coverage

Health insurance coverage that, based on the work history of the parent providing the coverage, meets both of the following criteria:

  • will be available for at least 1 year
  • is available because the child lives within the geographical area covered by the plan or within 30 minutes or 30 miles of primary care services

Comprehensive Health Insurance

Health insurance coverage that offers a broad and inclusive array of health services 

Extraordinary Medical Expenses

Uninsured or unreimbursed medical expenses in excess of $250 per year per child that include the following:

  • Co-payments
  • Deductibles
  • Contributions associated with public and private health insurance coverage

How will a parent's employer be notified about medical support?

When the support order requires a parent to provide health insurance coverage for the child(ren) and employer information is known, CSSD will send a National Medical Support Notice (“NMSN”) to the employer.  The employer will receive a NMSN unless the support order directs enrollment of the child(ren) in alternative coverage.

Also, when a parent, who is ordered to provide medical insurance, becomes a newly hired or re-hired employee, CSSD will submit a NMSN to that parent's new employer within 2 business days of the employer updating the DC Directory of New Hires (“NDNH”) with the information about that parent's hiring.

What are a parent's responsibilities?

When the court orders one parent or both parents to obtain or maintain health insurance through an employer, the ordered individual is responsible for ensuring that the employer/payroll office processes the NMSN in a timely manner.  If there is more than one health insurance plan available for a parent to select, the parent must to choose the preferred plan within 10 business days or CSSD will select a plan.

General Questions - FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions -- COVID and Post-COVID Operations

Is the Child Support Office open? How can I get services?

The Child Support Services Division has reopened on a hybrid basis. We continue to offer child support services by telephone, email, and other virtual means. However, as of April 18, 2022, CSSD also began to see customers in office by appointment. Please contact the CSSD customer service team at (202) 442-9900 to schedule an appointment.

I heard that the court is experiencing delays? When will my case go to court?

Although there has been significant progress in slowing the COVID pandemic, COVID-related case processing delays continue both at CSSD and with the DC Superior Court. Notices regarding scheduled hearing dates are mailed out from DC Superior Court. Please visit the DC Superior Court website at https://www.dccourts.gov for more information about the court. Also visit oag.dc.gov/coronavirus for additional information regarding the Office of the Attorney General on this matter.

I am a parent and lost my job. Can I get my support modified (up or down)?

It may be possible to have support adjusted because of job loss.

Note that, if your order is less than 3 years old, CSSD may not be able to proceed until the change in income has lasted for 3 months and is expected to last for another 3 months. Additionally, any change to your child support obligation must be ordered by the court. 

For more information about the DC Superior Court’s operation and COVID-19 plan, please visit the court's website  at https://www.dccourts.gov. Information also may be available by accessing the main Office of the Attorney General site at oag.dc.gov/coronavirus. To reach CSSD with questions, please contact us by telephone at (202) 442-9900 during normal business hours (8:15 am-4:45 pm Monday-Friday) and/or through the customer service email: cssdcustomerservice@dc.gov.

Federal Parent Locator Service

The Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS) is a national computer matching system operated by the Federal Office of Child Support Services (OCSS). The Child Support Services Division (CSSD) uses the FPLS to locate parents, when their whereabouts become unknown during parentage or child support service efforts.  The FLPS also can identify child support cases in other states that involve the same family/case members.

    Frequently Asked Questions -- Federal Parent Locator Service

    How is the FPLS structured?

    The FPLS contains two databases:

    1. Federal Case Registry (FCR): Created in 1998, the FCR is a national database that has information about people involved in child support cases and with child support orders.
    2. National Directory of New Hires (NDNH): Created in 1997, this is a central database that stores information regarding employment, unemployment benefits, and wage data for individuals.

    The FPLS also can access information from outside locate sources, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

      How does the FPLS help CSSD to locate parents?

      The FPLS works specifically to help CSSD and child support programs in other states.

      The FPLS performs automatic data matches between the FCR and the NDNH to determine the most up-to-date employment information for a parent involved in a case, including quarterly wage information. 

      The FPLS then transmits the data to each state in which the parent has a case. Once CSSD receives data from the FPLS regarding a parent, CSSD is able to take appropriate action to establish, modify, or enforce a child support order.  

      The FPLS also does an automatic search to determine all states that have a common interest in the same individual for child support purposes.

      CSSD can ask the FPLS to search databases of other federal agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA), to assist in locating parents ordered to pay support and any assets they have in order to establish, modify, or enforce a child support order.

        Can parents request information from the FPLS?

        No, parents involved in child support cases cannot make direct requests to the FPLS for information.  Any requests to the FPLS must come from an authorized CSSD staff member and be transmitted through CSSD’s Parent Locator Service.

          What kinds of data about a parent is stored in the FPLS?

          • Full name
          • Employer’s name and  address
          • Date of birth
          • Social security number
          • Home address
          • Salary/wage amount

          Under Federal and District law, all employers are required to provide information to CSSD and the FPLS upon request for the purpose of locating parents to establish, enforce, or modify child support orders.

          In the District of Columbia, employers must supply data to CSSD regarding all new or rehired employees within 20 days of the date the employee is hired. The information may include:

          • Employee’s name
          • Employee's address
          • Employee’s social security number
          • Employee’s date of birth
          • Employee’s hire date
          • Employee’s salary or wages amount
          • Employer’s name and address
          • Employer’s identification number from the IRS

          How is the information collected for child support purposes safeguarded ?

          Federal law requires all states to protect the confidential information maintained by state child support agencies, including CSSD.  The Federal OCSE has developed safeguards for the FPLS that meet the following requirements:

          • Ensure the security, accuracy, and completeness of information.
          • Restrict access to confidential information to authorized persons for authorized purposes.
          • Require states to implement policies and procedures to ensure the integrity, accuracy, and completeness of data in their automated systems and to prevent unauthorized use and disclosure of the data.

          Changes in Custody

          Changes in custody may have an impact on child support obligations and raise a range of questions for a child's parent(s) or caregiver(s).

          Frequently Asked Questions -- Custody Changes

          What is a natural parent and what are that person's duties?

          A natural parent is either the biological mother or father of a child.  A natural parent has the responsibility to meet the child’s basic needs and provide financial, medical, and other support for the child until the child reaches the age of twenty-one (21) unless the parent-child relationship has been severed legally.

          What happens if only one parent has custody?

          The parent without custody -- the noncustodial parent -- must financially support the minor child by paying child support, including providing health insurance coverage and/or cash medical support for the child(ren). Child support will be calculated according to the income of both parents under the District of Columbia Child Support Guidelines.

          How do the different types of custody granted by the court affect child support awards?

          There are various types of custody arrangements that can be awarded. However, for purposes of child support, the child support guideline is based on the percentage of physical overnights spent by a minor child with a parent.

          • When the child spends 35% or more physical overnights during the calendar year with each parent, the court will calculate the child support award based on the shared physical custody calculations under the guideline.
          • If the child spends less than 35% of the calendar year with one parent, then child support will be calculated based on sole physical custody.

          What do the terms "third-party legal custody" and "de facto parent" mean?

          Both terms relate to custody situations in which the court has granted custody to an individual who is not the child's natural parent. The third-party legal custodian or de facto parent has the legal responsibility to make decisions regarding the child’s health, education, and general welfare.

          Is the natural parent still responsible to pay child support when there is a third-party legal custodian or de facto parent?

          Yes. An award of custody to a third party or de facto parent does not terminate the parent-child relationship. This means the residual parental rights and responsibilities remain with the natural parents, including the responsibility for support after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the minor.

          Can child support be ordered for a child in foster care and in the legal custody of DC's Child & Family Services Agency (CFSA)?

          When a child is placed in foster care, the court transfers responsibility for the child's care and maintenance to CFSA. However, the natural parents keep both certain legal rights and responsibilities after the custody transfer to CFSA, including but not limited to the following:

          • the right to visitation
          • the right to consent to adoption
          • an obligation to provide support, if not hindering reunification
          • the right to determine the child's religious affiliation

          Accordingly, under DC law, because the natural parents keep their respective residual parental rights and responsibilities, they still may be responsible for child support. Any ordered child support would be assigned to the District of Columbia in return for the assistance provided by CFSA.

          What happens to a child support order that was entered before the child was committed to CFSA?

          Any existing child support case would be closed. Arrears that became due under that prior order would remain open and must be paid.

          However, CFSA would become the child's new custodian and a new child support case would be opened so that a new support obligation could be set or the payee changed to CFSA.

          What happens to child support if the CFSA case closes?

          If the child is returned home or CFSA closes its case otherwise, the parent(s) still would be responsible for child support.  The original pay order would be transferred to the custodial parent or new legal custodian.

          What is a permanent guardianship?

          A permanent guardianship is created when the court enters an order that gives the duty and authority to another adult to make important decisions in matters having a permanent effect on the life and development of the minor. A guardianship ends when the minor reaches age 18 or marries. However, if the court finds that it is in the child's best interest and if the child consents, the court may retain jurisdiction over the guardianship until the child reaches age 21.

          Does the appointment of a permanent guardian terminate the parent-child relationship?

          A court order establishing a permanent guardianship does not terminate the parent-child relationship. A natural parent still has a responsibility to provide child support, as ordered, and the child's guardian becomes the recipient of the payments.

          Does a person have an obligation to provide child support if parental rights have been terminated?

          By entering an order terminating a person's parental rights, the court severs the parent-child relationship. From that point forward, the natural parent, whose parental rights were terminated, is not responsible for child support.

          What is the impact on child support if a parent consents to a child's adoption?

          In order for a child to be adopted by a new parent or set of parents, the natural (or prior adoptive) parent-child relationship must be terminated. Therefore, all ongoing child support responsibilities end for the natural parents once the court orders their parental rights to be terminated.

          Will a natural parent still owe arrears after a termination of parental rights and the entry of an adoption?

          A natural parent would continue to owe support arrears that preceded the termination of parental rights or the final decree of adoption. However, that parent would not be responsible for support payments from the date of the termination order or the adoption decree and thereafter.

          May a natural parent relinquish parental rights to a child?

          Parents are free to relinquish parental rights to their children. When that occurs, the child-placing agency accepts permanent care and guardianship of the minor child and may consent to an adoption of the minor child.

          The legal effect on child support for relinquishment would be similar to a termination of parental rights and/or adoption; that is, the relinquishing parent no longer is responsible for ongoing child support payments. However, that parent still is responsible for child support that became due prior to executing the relinquishment of parental rights.

          Are a parent's rights and responsibilities the same under the District's Domestic Partnership Act?

          Parents in domestic partnerships do have the same parental rights as a natural parent. That parent also would be responsible for child support if any of the following domestic partnership scenarios apply:

          • The domestic partnership was in place at the time of the child's conception or birth.
          • The domestic partnership was entered between conception and birth and the child was born during the domestic partnership.
          • The child was born within 300 days after the domestic partnership ends.

          Services

          We're Here to Help

          CSSD provides a range of services to the parents or caregivers of children. Select from the list below to learn more about CSSD services.

          Learn more about

          Opening a Child Support Case

          All children have the right to financial support from both parents, and opening a child support case is the first step in that process with CSSD.  For more information, visit: Opening a Child Support Case.

          Managing a Case

          After a child support case is opened, the process of managing the case begins, and each step is intended to move toward the ultimate goal: getting support for the child(ren). For more information, visit: Managing a Case.

          Establishing Parentage and Paternity

          Because a child's parents have a legal obligation to provide support, a critical first step in every case is determining parentage. Learn about the ways parentage can be established. For more information, visit: Establishing Parentage and Paternity.

          Establishing a Child Support Order

          The child support order outlines the specifics of the financial and/or medical support to be provided by the child(ren)'s parents. For more information, visit: Establishing a Child Support Order.

          Enforcing a Child Support Order

          Once an order is entered, enforcement must occur so that the child(ren) can receive the intended support. For more information, visit: Enforcing an Order.

          Modifying a Child Support Order

          At times, family circumstances change, and the change may prompt a support order modification. For more information, visit: Modifying an Order.

          Working with CSSD in Interstate Cases

          When a child's parents live in different states, case processing follows unique rules. For more information, visit: Working with CSSD in Interstate Cases.

          Obtaining Information about Your Case

          Ongoing case information is important and is available from CSSD in several ways. For more information, visit: Obtaining Information about Your Case.

          Using the Child Support Tip Line

          Use the Child Support Tip Line to give information anonymously to help find noncustodial parents. For more information, visit: Using the Child Support Tip Line.

          Accessing CSSD Language Support

          CSSD is able to provide help to many customers in their native languages so that they are able to participate in the process fully. For more information, visit: Accessing CSSD Language Support.

          Additional Information

          For more information about child support generally, visit the Understanding Child Support webpage sponsored by the federal Office of Child Support Services (OCSS).

          Miscellaneous Resources

          Clothing:

          Dress for Success
          1126 16th Street, NW Suite 601, Washington, DC 20005
          (202) 269-4805

          Martha's Outfitters
          2204 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20020
          (202) 885-9613

          Suited for Change
          1023 15th Street, NW, Suite 601, Washington, DC 20005
          (202) 293-0351

          Information and Referrals:

          211 Answers Please
          64 New York Avenue, NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20002
          (202) 671-4200

          American Red Cross:

          National Capital Area Chapter -- Regional Headquarters
          8550 Arlington Boulevard, Fairfax, VA 22031
          (703) 584-8400

          Social Security Administration:

          1905 9th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018

          2041 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE, Suite 130, Washington DC 20020

          1300 D Street SW, Washington DC 20024

          (800) 772-1213

          Substance Abuse Resources

          AboutFace, Inc.

          1629 K Street NW, #300, Washington, DC 20006
          (202) 508-3893

          Al-Anon/Alateen Washington, DC Metro Area

          278 Carroll Street NW, Washington, DC 20012
          (202) 635-2023 (Contact to find meetings throughout the Metropolitan area)

          Alcoholics Anonymous (Washington Intergroup Association)

          4530 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 111, Washington, DC 20008 
          (202) 966-9115

          Clean & Sober Streets

          425 2nd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
          (202) 783-7343 or (202) 783-0101

          Samaritan Inns

          2523 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009
          (202) 328-2833

          Kolmac Outpatient Recovery

          1411 K Street, NW, Suite 703, Washington, DC 20005
          (202) 794-8900

          Salvation Army

          2626 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037
          (202) 756-3913 (National Capital Area Command)

          2100 New York Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002
          (202) 269-6333 (Harbor Lights Command)

          3335 Sherman Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20010
          (202) 829-0100 (Sherman Avenue Corps)

          2300 Martin Luther King Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20020
          (202) 678-9773 (Solomon Brown Corps)

          Shelter and Housing Resources

          Anna Cooper House

          1338 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009
          (202) 328-6644

          Coalition for the Homeless

          1234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite C-1015, Washington, DC 20005
          (202) 347-8870

          DC Housing Authority

          1133 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
          (202) 535-1000

          La Casa Transitional Rehabilitation Program

          1131 Spring Road NW, Washington, DC 20010
          (202) 882-1237

          The Webster House

          4326 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
          (202) 722-4544

          Park Road Transitional Program

          1318 Park Road NW, Washington, DC 20010
          (202) 328-9680

          Frederic Davison House Work Bed Program

          87 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
          (202) 635-8361

          Mickey Leland Work Bed Program

          455 & 457 Florida Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
          (202) 588-1375

          Job Placement and Training Resources

          Academy of Hope

          2315 18th Place NE, Washington, DC 20018
          (202) 269-6623

          421 Alabama Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20032
          (202) 373-0246

          Byte Back (Computer Training)

          899 North Capitol Street NE, Suite 850, Washington DC 20002
          (866) 692-5682

          Catholic Charities

          924 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
          (202) 772-4300

          Change, Inc. (Spanish)

          1413 Park Road NW, Washington, DC 20010
          (202) 387-3725

          Covenant House of Washington

          2001 Mississippi Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20020
          (202) 610-9600

          DC Department of Employment Services

          4058 Minnesota Avenue NE Washington, DC 20019 
          (202) 724-7000

          GED Testing Center

          441 4th Street, NW, Suite 370, Washington, DC 20001
          (202) 274-7173

          Literacy Volunteers and Advocates

          635 Edgewood Street NE, Suite 114, Washington, DC 20017
          (202) 387-1772

          Project Empowerment

          4058C Minnesota Avenue NE Washington, DC 20019 
          (202) 698-5599

          Southeast Ministry

          3111 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20032
          (202) 562-2636

          Washington Literacy Center

          1133 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005
          (202) 984-0000