If the mother of the child is not married to the father of the child, the Agency can help legally determine the identity of the child's father. This process is called "establishing paternity." Establishing paternity guarantees a child's right to receive financial support, medical support, and inheritances from the father. It also guarantees the father's rights to visitation with the child, make decisions for the child, placement with the child, and in some circumstances, financial support for the child.

An application for establishing paternity can be found at https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/files/forms/pdf/11053.pdf

The Agency can assist in obtaining a child support order against a parent who is not living with and directly supporting his or her child. This can be in a situation where parents are married but separated and not pursuing a divorce, or a situation where paternity was established but no support order made (because the parents were living together at the time), or in a situation where a child is temporarily placed in foster care or an alternate care placement. 

An application for establishing a child support order can be found at https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/files/forms/pdf/11053.pdf

The Agency has a number of tools to enforce court orders for child support or medical support.

Enforcement tools include:

• Interception of a payer's income tax refunds (an additional small fee is charged for this service)
• Liens against real and personal property
• Denial or suspension of recreational, occupational, or driver's license
• Civil court charges of contempt
• Criminal court charges of felony nonsupport
• Passport denial
• Automatic income withholding
• Automatic National Medical Support Notice
• Financial account seizure
• Credit Bureau reporting
• Bank account matching program

An application for enforcing a child/family Medical support order can be found at https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/files/forms/pdf/11053.pdf

The Agency may review and consider whether to pursue a revision of an existing child support order upon a request by either parent. The Agency uses the State Percentage Standards (DWD40) to determine support unless there is a good reason to deviate. 

An application for reviewing a child/family support order can be found at  https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/files/forms/pdf/11053.pdf

The Agency can try to find absent parents by using the State Parent Locator Service if you provide the parent's name and social security number. If the absent parent has moved to another state, the Agency can ask the other state to find him/her. The Agency can also search throughout the United States for the absent parent by using the Federal Parent Locator Service.  There is a $25 fee for this service.

An application for locate only services can be found at https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/files/forms/pdf/11053.pdf

Children First is a program designed to encourage and enable parents to contribute to the financial support of their children.

Parents owing support who are unemployed or underemployed may be court ordered to participate in the Children First program because they do not make regular payments. Children First agencies provide case management and employment services to parents who are court ordered to participate in the program. A parent in the Children First program successfully completes the requirements of the program by making on-time child support payments for 12 weeks, or by completing 16 weeks of participation.  Contact the Outagamie County Children First Case Coordinator or your Child Support Specialist for more information.

• Legal Advice – Free Family Law Legal Advice Flyer
• Custody and Placement or Visitation issues.  You may find information on this topic at https://www.outagamie.org/government/f-through-m/family-court-program
• Assistance with serving papers on pro-se motions within Outagamie County may be found at https://www.outagamie.org/government/departments-n-z/sheriff/civil-process  If you need assistance serving papers in a different county; please contact that county’s Sheriff Department.
• Establishing or enforcing spousal support orders (maintenance).  You many find more information at https://www.wicourts.gov/forms1/circuit/ccform.jsp?FormName=&FormNumber=&beg_date=&end_date=&StatuteCite=&Category=56&SubCat=Post-judgment
• Pro-Se divorce information can be found at https://www.outagamie.org/government/f-through-m/family-court-commissioner
• Obtaining or enforcing restraining orders.  Please refer to the following site for more information.  https://www.wicourts.gov/forms1/circuit/formcategory.jsp?Category=4

• Cases come to the Child Support Agency in a variety of ways – by application, by automated referral from the family assistance program, Child welfare programs or from the court system
• If you have an existing Outagamie County court case, you may apply for our services free of charge by filling out this short application Application Link and return it to the Child Support Agency including a copy of your court order.
• If you are new to Child Support services, you are required to complete the long form application found at https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/files/forms/pdf/11053.pdf