740.947.2171

Child Support

Smiling Girl - Pike County Child SupportChild Support is money required by law to be paid by one parent to another to help cover the costs of raising their children. The Pike County Job & Family Services Child Support Division works to ensure that support is paid and received by:

  • Establishing and enforcing child support orders
  • Establishing paternity (and administering paternity tests)
  • Modifying child support orders
  • Enforcing spousal support
  • Providing other customer services

The goal of the Pike County child support system is to ensure that all children receive financial support from both their parents. A court or administrative order determines the legal requirement to pay monthly child support and the amount of payment. Cases involving children born out-of-wedlock or to parents married but separated are handled through Juvenile Court. Divorce cases are handled through the Court of Common Pleas. The Child Support Division of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services collects and disburses child support checks.

The Child Support/Support Order Process

The first step to establishing Pike County child support is completing an application. However, clients who receive cash assistance through the Pike County Job & Family Services do not need to apply. You may obtain a Child Support Application by calling the Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) at (740) 947-2171, or by coming into the agency. To help prevent delays, please fill in all sections that apply then sign and date the signature lines.

The child support process is initiated in the following ways:
State-Mandated Cases
The CSEA receives a referral from the Department of Job and Family Services when a client receives cash assistance.
Court Orders
In these instances a court may order the CSEA to conduct genetic testing to determine paternity, establish a child support order or collect payments ordered by the court.
Foster Care Cases
The CSEA receives referrals and support orders as a result of a child being placed in a foster care home.

Child support orders are established in one of two ways:
Administrative: The CSEA hearing officer conducts a hearing at the CSEA office. Both parents must be present. For this hearing you must provide the most recent three years’ tax information, six to eight current pay stubs, health insurance costs, written statement signed by provider of service of child care costs, proof of mandatory expenses related to job performance (tools, uniforms, union dues, etc.), and documentation of other biological children in the household. Custody and visitation issues cannot be addressed or determined by the CSEA—only by a court.
Court: If child support is not established through the administrative process, a court date will be set to determine support.

Payer Responsibilities

To help ensure successful administration and enforcement of child support cases, the Child Support Enforcement Administration (CSEA) asks obligors (persons paying child support) in addition to making timely child support payments, to do the following:

  • Inform the Child Support Enforcement Administration (CSEA) of any changes in address, phone number, employment status, etc. for the obligor or obligee (person receiving support).
  • Pay child support through the CSEA—not directly to the obligee. Direct payments to the obligee are considered a gift and cannot be credited by the CSEA toward the obligor’s obligation.
  • Inform the CSEA of any of the following reasons why an order should terminate, including but not limited to: emancipation of the child, death of any party, permanent disability of the obligor, change of legal custody, or child receiving Social Security benefits or veterans benefits due to the obligor’s disability.
  • Enroll the supported child in a health insurance plan if ordered by the court to provide medical coverage. Also, the obligor must provide insurance information to the CSEA. Report to the CSEA any problems or issues that arise in the support case.

Make a Child Support or Spousal Support Payment

To ensure prompt and accurate posting to your child support case, please be sure to include the following information with your payment:

  • your name
  • your Social Security Number (optional)
  • SETS Case Number (10-digit number that begins with a 7)
  • Court Order number
  • Amount that should be applied to each case (if you have more than one case)

PAYMENT OPTIONS

For detailed information about receiving and/or making payments, please visit our website at https://jfs.ohio.gov/ocs

Receiving Payments
Payments can be deposited directly into your financial account or to a prepaid debit card. You can apply for either program online at https://oh.smartchildsupport.com. Contact your county CSEA or call 1-888-965-2676 for program or enrollment information.

Making Payments
Payments must be made through an income-withholding order and forwarded to Ohio Child Support Payment Central (CSPC) by the employer or other income source. Before an income witholding begins, or if income withholding is not possible, you can make payments by personal, check, money order, cashier’s check, credit card, or by a checking or savings account debit.

Payments by personal check, money order or cashier’s check must include your name, Social Security number (optional), case number and order number on each payment. If you have multiple cases, please include the amount that should be applied to each case. Make checks payable to Ohio CSPC and mail via standard U.S. mail to:

Ohio CSPC
PO Box 182372
Columbus, OH 43218-2372

You can make payments by credit card or by a checking or savings account debit at https://oh.smartchildsupport.com Pike County CSEA accepts check and credit card/debit card payments on site.

IF YOU DO NOT KNOW YOUR CASE NUMBER and order number or the amount you owe, please talk to a case manager prior to proceeding with alternate payment process. Phone 740.947.2171 or in person at Job & Family Services.

Recipient Responsibilities

To help ensure successful administration and enforcement of child support cases, the Child Support Enforcement Administration (CSEA) asks obligees (persons receiving child support) to do the following:

  • Inform the CSEA of any changes in address, phone number, employment status, etc. for the obligee or obligor (person paying support)
  • Inform the CSEA of any of the following reasons why an order should terminate, including but not limited to: emancipation of the child, death of any party, permanent disability of the obligor, change of legal custody, or child receiving Social Security benefits or veterans benefits due to the obligor’s disability.
  • Enroll the supported child in a health insurance plan if ordered by the court to provide medical coverage. Also, provide insurance information to the CSEA.
  • Report to the CSEA any problems or issues in receiving child support or medical coverage and any other issues that arise in the support case.

Administrative Review and Modification of Orders

Either party to a child support case can request a review of their child support and/or medical support order. The requesting party must complete a Request for an Administrative Review of the Support Order.

Circumstances that make a case eligible for review:

  • It has been 3 years or 36 months since the date of the most recent support order
  • If it has not been 3 years, certain circumstances may allow a review.

Interstate Orders

In some child support cases, the parent ordered to pay support lives in one state while the custodial parent and child live in another. In these cases, the Pike County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) works with another state’s child support agency to establish, enforce or modify a child support order. Such interstate actions operate under the authority of the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA).
Federal law mandates all states to adopt uniform rules. Child support agencies across the nation use a structured set of rules to determine which state in a particular case has jurisdiction.

For specific information, please contact your local county CSEA or the state or county that issued your support order. For information pertaining to each state’s child support system, visit the website of the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement.

Terminating Orders

Child support orders can be terminated for a variety of reasons:

• The child reaches the age of 18 and no longer attends an accredited high school full time
• The child attends an accredited high school but has reached the age of 19
• The child marries
• The child dies
• The child enlists in the armed services
• The child is deported
• Legal custody of the child changes

The procedures for terminating a child support order are as follows:

• The Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) receives notice from an obligor, obligee or agency of a possible reason or reasons for termination.
• Within 20 days of receiving notice, the CSEA completes an investigation. The CSEA also may file an order to hold funds pending resolution of the case. The obligor and obligee receive copies of the findings and their hearing rights.
• Objections to the findings must be received by the CSEA within 14 days to request an administrative termination hearing. (If no objections, the action proceeds to #7 below.)
• Notice of an administrative hearing is sent to the parties.
• After the hearing, results are sent to the parties, who have 30 days to object and file a court motion.
• The final termination order is filed with the court.
• The CSEA notifies the obligor’s employer of amended or terminated withholding.