The purpose of the Child Support Enforcement Program is to administer Florida's child support laws to help ensure that children receive the financial support that they need when it is not received from one or both of their parents.

The Department of Revenue administers Florida's Child Support Enforcement Program in 65 counties. Activities performed by the program include establishing paternity, obtaining child support orders, enforcing these orders, and receiving and distributing child support payments. The state attorney's office provides services in Miami-Dade County and the county clerk of court provides services in Manatee County.

The federal government requires each state to operate a child support enforcement program as a condition of receiving the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) federal block grant. The program collects child support for two groups of families: those who receive public assistance (temporary cash assistance, Medicaid, and food assistance) and those who do not but who ask the state to help collect child support.

The involvement of the state in establishing paternity and establishing and collecting child support helps children receive the financial and medical support they need. In addition, the program has a cost benefit to taxpayers. Congress created the federal child support enforcement program in 1975 as an attempt to reduce public expenditures on welfare by obtaining support from noncustodial parents and reducing applications for such assistance. Payments collected can also be used to reimburse the federal and state government for temporary cash assistance funds received by the family.

For federal Fiscal Year 2021-22, the program projects collecting $1.580 billion in child support, which exceeds the approved standard of $1.550 billion. Of the amount collected, the program projects distributing $1.625 billion during the fiscal year.

The program is funded by several sources. Funds to operate the program are received through grants and incentives from the federal government, local governments, fees and expenses collected from individuals served by the program, interest earned on collections, and from the state's general revenue.

Child Support Program Changes. The 2023 Legislature enacted Ch. 2023-152, Laws of Florida, which made several changes to the Child Support Program. The law

• clarifies and establishes new responsibilities of the clerk of circuit court;
• expands the circumstances when a payment agreement with a deferred start date may be used;
• authorizes the DOR to commence an administrative proceeding to determine paternity based on a declaration completed by a nonparent caregiver; and
• removes existing exceptions related to nonpayment of child support due to incarceration.

These provisions take effect July 1, 2023, with exception of section 4, related to nonpayment due to incarceration, which takes effect immediately.

Other Reports
FY 2021 Preliminary Data Report and Tables, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Support Enforcement, May 2022
FY 2019 Annual Report to Congress, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Support Enforcement, March 2022
Department of Revenue Child Support Enforcement and Prior Audit Follow-Up, Florida Auditor General Report 2021-100, January 2021

Websites of Interest
Florida Department of Revenue, Child Support Enforcement Customer Service
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Support Enforcement
National Child Support

Performance Information

Performance measures and standards for the department may be found in its Long Range Program Plan.

Chapters 61 and 409, Florida Statutes

Customer Contact Center, 850-488-5437 (all counties except Miami-Dade)
Miami-Dade County, 305-530-2600
Website