Child Support Division

Child Support

The Civil Division provides legal representation for Olmsted County Community Services Child Support, including frequent appearances in the expedited child support process and district court. Child support services exist to help benefit children by establishing paternity and establishing, modifying and enforcing support orders.  Currently, there are over 5,000 open child support cases in Olmsted County.  In the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2020, $18,920.647 in child support funds was collected and sent to families.

Responsibilities of the applicant

If you are receiving county child support services, keep your child support officer informed of name or address changes for yourself, your child or the other parent.  If you find out the other parent has changed jobs, let your child support worker know. 

The success in collecting supports depends on you taking an active role in your case.  Cooperate with your child support officer by providing financial and other information necessary for your case.  Inform them of any child support related court action you are taking.  If you have retained an attorney, inform them that you have an open child support case.

Responsibilities of the County

The County is responsible for the following:

• Collecting current and past due basic support amounts.
• Collecting current and past due medical support amounts or enforce medical language that requires one or both parents to provide insurance for the child.
• Collecting court-ordered uninsured medical expenses.
• Collecting fixed dollar amounts of court ordered childcare support.
• In some situations, collecting spousal maintenance amounts.

When a non-custodial parent is not paying child support, the County may be able to use enforcement remedies to encourage the parent to pay their support.  Each enforcement remedy has criteria that must be met before an action can be taken.  Contact your assigned child support officer for possible enforcement actions on your case.  https://www.olmstedcounty.gov/residents/services-individuals-families/child-youth/child-support

Enforcement remedies

If you are not receiving court-ordered support, these are the ways the County can help enforce the order:

• Judgment entry
• Interest charging
• Civil contempt court action
• Criminal non-support court action
• Financial Institution Data Matching
• Denying a student grant
• Denying a passport
• Starting an interstate collection action
• Intercepting tax refunds and lottery winnings
• Reporting unpaid balances to credit bureaus
• Suspending driver's, recreational and occupational license

For more information on enforcement remedies, go to the Minnesota Department of Human Services website or contact your child support officer.

Note: Effect of Covid Pandemic

Due to Federal, State and Court restrictions necessitated by the ongoing Covid Pandemic, the county attorney's office currently has limited court enforcement abilities.  All court appearances are limited to remote Zoom hearings.  Contempt hearings, non-compliance warrants and the possibility of incarceration are not enforcement options until these restrictions are lifted.

Custody and parenting time (visitation)

Child support, custody and parenting time (visitation) are separate legal issues.  The County cannot provide you with advice or assistance regarding custody or parenting time.  You may wish to consult a private attorney or other legal resources for these issues.