Every child needs financial and emotional support. Every child has the right to this support from both parents. Devoted parents can be a loving and supporting force in a child’s life. Even when parents do not live together, they need to work together to support their child. Without the involvement of both parents, too many children don’t get the chance they need and deserve to reach their full potential.

The child support enforcement program helps parents establish a financial partnership. Minnesota’s Department of Human Services Child Support Enforcement Division supervises the child support program. County child support offices administer the program. An important goal of the child support program is to help families work toward becoming or remaining self-sufficient through improved child support collections. By working with both parents to establish and enforce support orders, Minnesota’s child support program helps children receive the financial support, medical support, and child care support they deserve.

Child support services assist in establishing paternity for children and in the collection of child support. Although recipients of MFIP and MA are required to use this service, others can apply for this service for a one-time fee of $25.

In 2003, this program’s caseload totaled over 2,468 cases. Of this total, approximately 2,070 are non-public assistance clients, 318 are public assistance clients and 80 are foster care. During a typical month, the Child Support Enforcement Unit collects more than $433,984.00 in child support payment.

In 2003, Otter Tail County Support Services Collected $5,207,814.00 in child support payments. The net cost to Otter Tail County in 2003 for these collections is $159,329.00. For every County dollar spent Otter Tail County Child Support collects about $33.