When the relationship between a child's parents ends, it does not mean that either parent's responsibility for that child ends. Both parents remain financially and legally obligated to a child no matter whether the parents remain together or not.

The purpose of DC’s Child Support Services Division (CSSD) is to help the person caring for a child to collect child support from the child's non-custodial parent.  CSSD also helps those who are divorced to collect spousal support.

CSSD has trained professional staff that provides a variety of services to eligible persons. These services include the following:

• locating a child's parent for the purpose of establishing parentage and child support
• establishing parentage
• establishing a support order
• establishing medical support
• enforcing child support payments and medical support established by court order
• collecting child and spousal support payments
• reviewing child support orders to determine whether an adjustment is needed

CSSD’s Customer Service unit is available to answer questions and help customers with their child support needs.