Delaware County, Indiana

Family Support Division

Eric M. Hoffman

Prosecuting Attorney

46th Judicial Circuit of Indiana

Delaware County

Welcome to the Family Support division of the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office where you will find information about the office and the many public services we provide.

Mission Statement

The mission of the child support program is to enhance the well-being of children by assuring that assistance in obtaining support, including financial and medical, is available to children through locating parents, establishing paternity, establishing support obligations, and monitoring and enforcing those obligations.

Introduction

In 1975, Congress enacted legislation under the Social Security Act (Title IV-D) to require the states to establish programs to establish paternity and establish and collect child support orders for both AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) and non-AFDC cases. The State of Indiana contracts with local county prosecutor's offices to provide these services. In addition to paternity duties and establishing and enforcing child support, this office also establishes orders for health insurance where appropriate and regularly deals with other issues related to child support such as modification of support, emancipation questions, locating absent parents, review and adjustment of support orders, support in foster care cases, collection of medical reimbursement for parents and criminal felony nonsupport cases.

Child Support Enforcement Program

In association with the State of Indiana and the United States Federal Government, the Delaware County Prosecuting Attorney operates the Title IV-D Child Support Program in Delaware County to collect support for children living with only one parent or with another custodian.  The Delaware County Family Support Division is responsible for the establishment and enforcement of child support orders, for the benefit of dependent children. The services of the Delaware County Child Support Division are available to all residents of Delaware County, Indiana. These services include:

• Establishment of paternity for children born out of wedlock. After establishment, court orders will be entered, providing for child support payments of future medical expenses for children;
• Establishment of child support orders when there is no existing child support order;
• Enforcement of an existing child support order;
• Modification of an existing child support order;
• Locating non-custodial parents responsible for supporting their children; and/or
• Actions to enforce child support orders in other states and foreign countries, if applicable.

The Delaware County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, in cooperation with the Attorney General, is using more aggressive tools to obtain payment from parents not living up to their obligations.  Some of these tools include suspension of licenses, liens on property, interception of taxes, passport denial and withholding income.

Family Support services are available to anyone with legal custody of the minor child(ren), regardless of socioeconomic level. The Family Support Division can establish paternity for children born out of wedlock, establish a support order where a Family Support does not currently exist, and enforce and modify existing support orders.

Our Family Support Division has been successful in enforcing and collecting current and past due Family Support. However, this office is prohibited under state and federal law from becoming involved in custody and visitation issues. You must contact a private attorney for those issues.