Child Support Caseload
The 2023 caseload for Child Support Services (CSS) was 158,000 cases. These cases can be broken down in groups. Never Assistance cases are those cases that have never received TANF or FosterCare services. Former Assistance cases are those cases that were formerly on assistance but no longer are. Current Assistance cases are those cases that are currently receiving assistance.
Paternity Establishment
When a child is born to unmarried parents the parentage of the child must be established before the court can enter an order for child support. Services with CSS to establish paternity are available to either parent.
Parentage may be established in several ways. Both parents may sign the Acknowledgment of Paternity form (AOP) available at any Oklahoma hospital, birthing center, any child support office, or other DHS office. Parentage may be established with an order from either the Office of Administrative Hearings or District Court. Either party may also request a genetic test.
In 2023 there were 16,252 children born out of wedlock in Oklahoma. Of those children the parents voluntarily acknowledged 12,330. Court ordered paternity was done on 3,495 children.
Collection of Child Support
Child support may be collected in several ways. The most used is the Income Assignment. This allows the child support to be taken out of the Non-Custodial Parent’s (NCP) income by their employer. The employer then remits the payment to CSS. Other options include intercepting state and federal tax returns, unemployment compensation, bank levy, worker’s compensation and payments made voluntary by the NCP. In 2023 CSS collected more than $313 million for the children of Oklahoma.
