Who can apply for child support services?
Custodial parents, non-custodial parents and individuals and agencies with physical custody of a child may apply for child support services.
Where do I apply for help in obtaining child support?
You can apply for help obtaining child support through your local BCSE county office. The telephone numbers for county BCSE offices can be found in telephone directories, usually under the State or county social services agency, or on this website by visiting the 'Find Local Office' tab on the homepage and selecting the county in which you live. The WV BCSE offers a variety of services to help secure support from the parent(s) of the child. Some of the services available through the WV BCSE are:
- Locating the parent(s)
- Legally establishing paternity
- Establishing child support
- Establishing medical support and/or health insurance coverage
- Collecting support payments
- Enforcing a court order
- Reviewing and modifying the court order
What does the BCSE need to know?
Whether establishing paternity, finding a non-custodial parent, establishing or enforcing a support order, the child support office must have enough information to work on your case effectively. All information you provide will be treated in confidence. The more details you provide, the easier it will be to process your case and to collect child support payments for your children.
What documents do I need to bring to the child support office?
Bring as much as you can of the following information and documents to the BCSE office. This will help the BCSE locate the parent, establish paternity, and establish and enforce your child support order.
- Information about the non-custodial parent
- Name, address and social security number
- Name and address of current or recent employer
- Names of friends and relatives, names of organizations to which he or she might belong
- Information about his or her income and assets (i.e., pay slips, tax returns, bank accounts, investments or property holdings)
- Physical description, or photograph, if possible
- Certified birth certificates of children
- If paternity is an issue, written statements (letters or notes) in which the alleged father has said or implied that he is the father of the child
- Your child support order, divorce decree, or separation agreement, if you have one
- Records of any child support received in the past
- Information about your income and assets
- Information about expenses, such as your child’s health care, daycare, or special needs
Is there an application fee?
West Virginia currently does not charge for services provided by BCSE.
What does “assignment of support rights” mean?
Assignment of support rights means that when you receive public assistance from the State of West Virginia, all support, including arrears (unpaid back support), collected for the obligee by the BCSE is kept by the State IV-A agency (TANF) that is providing you with the public assistance. The amount of your support that may be kept by the State may not exceed the total amount of public assistance (TANF) you receive. If you receive public assistance, then the child support collected by the BCSE will be kept by the State to replace the monies the State is paying you.
In other words, you will not be able to receive cash assistance and the child support payments. The child support payments go to the State to replace the monies that the State has been giving the obligee in the form of cash assistance.
What is a “mandatory referral” to the BCSE?
When a child receives WV Works (TANF), a referral to the BCSE for services is mandatory. It is the job of the BCSE to locate the non-custodial parent of the child, establish paternity and support, enforce the child support and collect the debt owed to the State. Child support services are voluntary for Medicaid and SNAP recipients.
If the BCSE cannot find the non-custodial parent, does that mean I cannot get public assistance?
No. You can get assistance from the TANF program if you are trying to help find the non-custodial parent. Your caseworker will tell you what information they will need you to provide to get assistance.
My children and I need money now. The non-custodial parent left us ten years ago. Can the child support office still take my case?
If you apply for services, the BCSE will try to find the non-custodial parent to establish or enforce a child support obligation. Be sure to give your caseworker all the information you have that might help find the parent.
I don't have any way to support my baby without help, but the father is dangerous. Is it safe to use the BCSE to get child support payments?
If you think that you or the baby (child) would not be safe if you try to establish paternity or collect child support, and you need to be in a public assistance program, you can talk to your caseworker about showing “good cause” for not naming the father. There are safeguards in place to protect you so that your personal information is not released to anyone who is not authorized to view it.
Will location and enforcement services cost more if my agency is dealing with another state or jurisdiction?
No. West Virginia does not currently charge a fee for its BCSE services.
Does the BCSE have a way to communicate with people who do not speak English?
Yes. The BCSE provides translation services for non-English speaking individuals. An interpreter is used during the conversation between staff and the individual.
