Frequently Asked Questions

Starting February 1, 2021, a person who receives Temporary Assistance for Needy Families through the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) for one or more children may receive a portion of child support paid on their case, called a pass-through payment.

The Division of Child Support (DCS) will send a pass-through payment if we receive the collection (payment) on or after February 1, 2021. Payments on your DCS case may not always arrive at the beginning of the month. Pass-through payments are only disbursed once we have received a payment from the other parent. We cannot send a pass-through in advance - only when we collect a payment from the other parent.

If you are already set up to receive child support by direct deposit through DCS, the funds will process to that bank account within three days of disbursement.  If you do not have direct deposit, DCS will set you up with a U.S. Bank ReliaCard®, and the funds will process on to the card within three days of disbursement.

Child support collections that are sent to the person who is owed support per their child support order.

A pass-through payment is only disbursed when a payment has been received.  Your pass-through will not carry over to the next month.

Effective February 1, 2021, DCS sends pass-through payments of:

i. Up to $50 per month to a custodial parent on TANF with 1 child, and

ii. Up to $100 per month to a custodial parent on TANF with 2 or more children.

You may call the DCS Electronic Funds Transfer unit at 800-468-7422. DCS is available M-F 8:00am – 5:00pm.

1. On-Line -- Now you can see the most recent payment history for your child support case online! And, you can choose to receive e-mail notification when a payment is posted or a payment is due. Register here!
   Already registered? Click on DCS Online and login to see your case payments and choose e-mail notification.
2. By Phone -- Using your DCS case number and your Social Security number, call 1-800-442-KIDS. You can find out:
   • How much DCS received.
   • When DCS received the payment.
   • Your account balance.
   • Bypass reception and transfer directly to your SEO's phone.
   • Listen to a message left for you.
   • Listen to most frequently asked questions.

Access is available most anytime of the day or night. (DCS conducts system maintenance work between Friday 6pm-3am Saturday. KIDS Line access is not available at that time.)

Learn more about the KIDS automated phone system.

When a noncustodial parent has more than one case with DCS, the law tells DCS how to split up a support payment between cases. It's based on a percent-of-total basis.

Current support is paid first. If a payment does not equal the total amount owed for all the noncustodial parent's cases, DCS divides the payment proportionately. Once current support for the month is paid, DCS applies amounts over current support to back support owed.

IRS tax refund intercept payments are an exception to this rule. DCS must apply these payments first to arrears owed to the state, then arrears owed to the family. DCS may not apply IRS tax intercept payments to current support. This process will change effective with IRS payments received by DCS on or after October 1, 2008.

Back support payments are also proportioned based on a percent of total. If you received public assistance in another state that has asked DCS to collect back support, that case will receive a percent of the back support payment. When DCS is providing payment processing services only (PSO) on one of the cases, the non-custodial parent must send payments and indicate that a payment is for the PSO case only. Otherwise, DCS will apply payments proportionately to the non-PSO cases.

When DCS initiates collection action an employer or business has twenty days to answer the Notice of Payroll Deduction or Order to Withhold and Deliver. The employer or business has seven days to send the withheld support to DCS. The law requires DCS to send you support within two working days after receipt.

For your convenience, DCS can send your payments as direct deposits to your bank account. Click here to download copy of the Direct Deposit 22-078 brochure that includes the authorization form. For more information regarding direct deposit contact our EFT Customer Service Unit at 1-800-468-7422.

When an employer refuses to cooperate with a withholding action, DCS may have to begin noncompliance action against the employer. We start the formal action by sending a Notice of Noncompliance to the employer. This additional legal process can take an additional month or more. For more information refer to the Employer and Income Withholding Information page on the DCS web site.

You assign your current support to the state while you are on TANF. The Department of Social and Health Services keeps the assigned child support it collects while your family receives TANF, except for pass-through payments. If DCS collects current support in an amount that exceeds the amount of your TANF grant for two months in a row, WAC 388-422-0030 provides that your cash benefit stops at the end of the third month. The state can only keep support collections up to the total amount of TANF funds your family receives, as provided in WAC 388-14A-2035. For more information about pass-through payments, click here.

If you have never received TANF, Tribal TANF or AFDC as the custodian of a child and you are the custodian in more than one child support case, a fee will be deducted for each case where at least $550 is collected and disbursed during the federal fiscal year, which is October 1st through September 30th.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO CUSTODIANS RECEIVING IV-D CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES:

Beginning October 1, 2019, the annual fee for services increases from $25 to $35. Washington law provides that the custodial parent pays this fee. The $35 fee will be withheld from child support payments that are made on the case, but only after $550 in child support has been disbursed to the family between October 1 and September 30 (the federal fiscal year), and only if the custodial parent has never received TANF, Tribal TANF or AFDC on behalf of a child.

If you have questions, or would like additional information about the $35 fee please refer to the following links, or call the KIDS general information line at 1-800-442-KIDS.

• 18-686A Notice of Increased Annual Fee
• Related Laws

Yes, federal law requires that the noncustodial parent receive full credit for the support payment made even though a fee may be deducted from the support that you receive. (For example, if $550 has already been sent to the custodian and the next payment made is $100, the noncustodial parent will receive credit for a payment of $100, but the custodian will receive only $75).

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO CUSTODIANS RECEIVING IV-D CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES:

Beginning October 1, 2019, the annual fee for services increases from $25 to $35. Washington law provides that the custodial parent pays this fee. The $35 fee will be withheld from child support payments that are made on the case, but only after $550 in child support has been disbursed to the family between October 1 and September 30 (the federal fiscal year), and only if the custodial parent has never received TANF, Tribal TANF or AFDC on behalf of a child.

If you have questions, or would like additional information about the $35 fee please refer to the following links, or call the KIDS general information line at 1-800-442-KIDS.

• 18-686A Notice of Increased Annual Fee
• Related Laws

If you believe that helping child support services may hurt you or your children, you can claim that you have a good reason, also known as "good cause" not to cooperate. You use this "good cause" process to explain why you fear cooperating with DCS may be dangerous. For additional information on this subject, click here.

Under federal law, everyone who gets TANF or medical assistance automatically gets child support services and must help the Division of Child Support (DCS) provide those services. DSHS calls this "cooperation."

Your cooperation is needed to:

• Establish paternity - help identify the father of your child or children.
• Establish child support orders - give DCS any information you have about where the other parent lives and works, and about their income and assets.
• Modify child support orders - complete paperwork and provide your income information so DCS can review your current order for needed changes.
• Enforce child support orders - give DCS any information you have about the other parent, including information about employment, vehicles, assets, and bank accounts.

No. DCS does not represent either parent in a child support action, whether the action takes place in a court or administrative hearing.

You have the right to have an attorney represent you in court or an administrative hearing, if you are able to get one.

For an administrative hearing, you may have anyone you choose represent you.

In either place, you can represent yourself.

If you fear for your safety if you appear for a court or administrative hearing, talk with a DCS official about participating by telephone for the hearing, or being in a separate room from your abuser.

By the time you open a case with DCS, you may already be involved in a divorce or a paternity action in court. If the court has not yet filed a child support order, DCS can usually establish an administrative child support order.

This can get child support started while you are waiting for the court case to be completed or if you believe that your abuser is using the court system to further abuse or harass you by filing lots of legal papers and prolonging the matter.

When the court enters a child support order, it replaces the administrative order. However, while the court action is pending, DCS can enforce its own administrative child support order.

If you get TANF now or received welfare (TANF, Tribal TANF, or AFDC) in the past, you can get services from DCS at no charge.

Starting in October 2007, DCS must charge a fee of $25 on cases where we collect and send out at least $500 of child support during a federal fiscal year for a custodial parent who never got TANF, Tribal TANF, or AFDC for any children (not just the ones currently in your household). The federal fiscal year runs from October first through September 30th. If you have a question about whether your case would be subject to a fee, ask DCS.

If the other parent lives in another state, the other state may charge a fee. You can contact DCS to find out if fees from another state apply in your case.

Many people who apply for TANF or medical assistance do not understand that they will automatically get child support services. This is very important to know, especially if you are a domestic violence victim.

The DSHS Division of Child Support (DCS) will open a child support case if you qualify for TANF or medical assistance and will make you help with your child support case. If you are a victim of domestic violence, and child support makes you nervous because it will put you in contact with your abuser, it is very important to read the following information.

Child support services can be a really good thing. The state of Washington can use its many tools to help your children get the money and resources they need now - and will need well into the future. You need to do very little. DCS will take over (at no cost or very low cost to you) to collect the child support owed to your children.

Child support can also be scary if you do not know how it works. We hope the answers to all the questions here will help you understand and feel more confident about using child support services.

Any information in the DCS records about people who get child support services or pay child support is confidential. DCS can only release the information in limited circumstances and only to specified persons as provided by law.

This section applies to you only if you have never legally named the father of your child or children."Establishing paternity" is the formal term for using the court system to name the legal father or for using the Acknowledgment of Paternity process to name the legal father.

There are some good reasons to establish paternity:

• If the father dies or becomes disabled, your children may be eligible for Social Security or other dependent benefits,
• The children may be able to inherit from the father or the father's family, and
• Your children may have access to a more complete medical history.

If you are a domestic violence victim, the down side of establishing paternity is that it could open you and your children up to contact with the abuser. If you fear contact would be dangerous to you and your child, then you may want to be excused from the requirement to establish paternity. To do this when you get TANF or medical assistance, you must claim "good cause not to cooperate."

Be aware that the law allows the biological father of a child to claim paternity and ask the court to order paternity testing to see if he is, in fact, the father. You may want to consult an attorney to discuss your options. You can call the Northwest Justice Center's Coordinated Legal Education and Referral (CLEAR) line at 1-888-201-1014 for information.

For online information about Washington state laws and agency regulations: https://leg.wa.gov/state-laws-and-rules/

Special Protections for Domestic Violence Victims:
What can I do if I am afraid that cooperating with the DCS will be harmful to me or to my children? 
I am worried someone will hurt my children or me. What are my options?
Good Cause Form 

Confidentiality:
Basic confidentiality rules for DCS. 
Are there special rules for asking for whereabouts information? 
Does DCS give notice to anyone before releasing information in response to a public disclosure request? 
Can the noncustodial parent ask for notice before DCS releases address information to the custodial parent?
When can DCS deny a request for address information without going through the notice and hearing process?

Cooperation:
Do I have to cooperate with DCS to establish or enforce child support? 
What happens if I do not cooperate with DCS? 

Representation at Hearings:
Who represents you during the hearing process?

Paternity:
Information for Parents - Establish paternity for your child's sake. Search FAQ for question topic "child support-information for parents."

The Division of Child Support will notify the U.S. Department of State through the federal Office of Child Support Services to release the passport of the parent who is ordered to pay child support if the parent:

1. Pays the debt in full.
2. Needs the passport for employment or military deployment.
3. Has a life-or-death family emergency requiring travel.

NOTE: Reasons 2 and 3 are not automatic releases.

To request a release of your passport for employment or military deployment, you must:

• Have a firm job offer and have completed all pre-screening steps.
• Submit a letter on your employer’s or commanding officer's letterhead stating:
  • A passport is required for employment.
  • A contact phone number.
  • Agreement to comply with income-withholding order.

To request a release of your passport for a family emergency requiring travel, you must:

• Provide verification in the form of a letter on letterhead from either a doctor or hospital, or
• Provide verification from the American Red Cross. A family emergency is defined as a life or death situation involving an immediate family member.
• The federal government defines an immediate family member as:
  • Parent, guardian, or stepparent.
  • Child or stepchild.
  • Grandparent.
  • Sibling or stepsibling.
  • Aunt or uncle.
  • Spouse.

If you have questions or need to discuss your options, please call your assigned case manager at 800-442-KIDS (5437).

Your passport can be denied or revoked if you reach a past-due child support amount of $2,500 or more. The denial remains in effect until your past-due balance is paid in full. The Division of Child Support reports your debt on a weekly basis to the federal Office of Child Support Services, which reports your debt to the U.S. Department of State, the federal agency overseeing passports.

Most U.S. passports are valid for 10 years. If you owe $2,500 or more in past-due support and your passport is still valid, you may still travel. However, if you lose your passport, need to update your name or photo, request additional pages or attempt to register a foreign birth, any passport agency, embassy or consulate may revoke your passport.

You will receive a notice from the federal Department of Treasury when your case qualifies for passport revocation. This notice includes the amount of past-due support and information on how to dispute the debt or request a review. If you apply for a passport after receiving the notice, the U.S. Department of State will notify you that your application is on hold for 90 days, during which time you must resolve the debt with DCS.

If you are out of the country and find out that your passport could be denied or revoked, you can return to the U.S. using a limited-validity passport. If you plan to travel elsewhere, you must either pay your child support debt in full or qualify for an exception.

If you’re unsure whether DCS has reported your past-due balance to the federal Office of Child Support Services, contact your case manager at DCS.

The length of time depends on several things. Sometimes you can receive a child support payment within the first month after DCS takes collection action. The process can take longer if there is no child support order, the paying parent is on public assistance, has no assets, or lives in another state.

Physical abuse by one person against another is a crime. It also can force a parent to make difficult decisions about child support. Although the Division of Child Support (DCS) would like to collect the money owed to every family, the safety of the family must come first. The list below offers some options to consider when making decisions about child support in light of family violence.

You can tell the police

Harming another person is against the law. You can call your local police department and file a report. If you have left home and have to go back to retrieve clothes or belongings, you may ask the police to accompany you.

You can apply to participate in the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP)

The ACP assists victims of family violence who are relocating to avoid further abuse. It helps participants keep their home, work and/or school address secret by providing a substitute mailing address. ACP will:

• Give you a substitute mailing address and help you use it.
• Forward your first class mail from the substitute address to your home.
• Assist you in getting many state and local agency services without revealing your address.
• Help you vote or marry without having those records available to the public.

Find out about the ACP by calling 360-753-2972 or 1-800-822-1065, or go to https://www.sos.wa.gov/statewide-programs/address-confidentiality-program-acp.

If you receive public assistance, you can get permission not to help collect child support

Generally, when you receive public assistance (either a cash grant or medical), the Division of Child Support opens a child support enforcement case and you are expected to help us establish and/or collect support. However, if you believe that establishing or enforcing child support will put you or the child in danger, you may claim "good cause" not to cooperate. The Community Services Office (CSO) will evaluate your claim and may decide that it is too dangerous even to open a child support case. You may claim Good Cause when you apply for assistance, or any time afterward. The public assistance office may decide that DCS should stop all establishment and enforcement action on your case, or they may decide that it is safe to continue. You have the right to a hearing on this decision. If good cause is granted, your case will be reviewed by the CSO on a regular basis to see if the danger continues.

If you do not receive public assistance, you can stop enforcement of the child support order

Nonassistance custodians can ask DCS to stop working their case. At your request, we will take no action to collect support owed to you. However, if the noncustodial parent owes any back support to Washington State, DCS will continue to collect these arrears. The custodian may request a Conference Board if the collection of arrears by DCS endangers the family. To stop enforcement of your case, contact your Support Enforcement Officer.

Does stopping enforcement mean the debt goes away?

If a child support order exists, the child support debt continues to accrue, even when DCS does not collect. In both public assistance and non assistance cases, asking DCS to stop collecting does not end the other parent's responsibility to pay child support. If a child support order exists, the noncustodial parent still owes that amount each month. Unpaid support is a debt that you may be able to collect later.

You can ask a court to grant a civil order of protection.

A court can order an offender to stay away from you or the children. A person violating a court order is subject to punishment by the court. Some county courts have a Domestic Violence Unit to help you through this process. Some can help you with filing the necessary documents to obtain an order of protection. Others have advocates to help you in court. Learn more about domestic violence from the Washington Violence Against Women Network.

Read the Frequently Asked Questions page.

DSHS has a domestic violence resource web page - Domestic Violence Services

If the answer is Yes then download the Child Support Referral Form (DSHS 14-057) and the Application for Non Assistance Support Enforcement Services Form (DSHS 18-078).

If the answer is No, then download both the Child Support Worksheets, the Child Support Referral Form (DSHS 14-057) and the Application for Non Assistance Support Enforcement Services Form (DSHS 18-078).

For instructions on how to complete the Child Support Worksheets, Click Here.

In some cases, you have the right to ask for an administrative hearing (adjudicative proceeding) if you disagree with an action taken by DCS. The papers you get will tell you if you can ask for a hearing. You should ask for a hearing right away, since there is a limited time to do so.

You may ask to speak with a lead worker or supervisor if you are unable to resolve things with the worker handling your case.

Conference Board

You may ask for a Conference Board if you disagree with any action taken by DCS. You must first try to resolve the disagreement with staff at the DCS office nearest you. A Conference Board is an informal way to resolve disputes related to how DCS works your case. Sometimes a Conference Board can also provide relief from the effects of collection action or from a support debt. A Conference Board may review the records on your case or may hold a meeting in person or by phone if more information is needed. A Conference Board decision is issued in writing.

A Brochure about Conference Boards is available.

Child Support is money which an absent parent is ordered to pay on a regular basis to help support the cost of raising his or her child.

Administrative Support Order Establishment

DCS will establish support administratively using the Washington State Child Support Schedule when any of the following are true:

1. New! July 2012 - Notice and Finding of Financial Responsibility
2. There is no court order or administrative support order in any jurisdiction.
3. The court order is silent about the non-custodial parent paying support.
4. The court order does not set support as a fixed amount, but the amount is determinable.
5. The non-custodial father has a valid acknowledgement of paternity on file with a state.

Learn more about how DCS establishes administrative orders. If you think that current child support on your administrative order should change because circumstances have changed, contact DCS. A modification may be appropriate.

Learn more about administrative order modification.

Full Enforcement or Collection Services

DCS enforces all current and back support accrued under a valid child support order.

DCS includes support ordered spousal support and child-care costs only in conjunction with current support.

DCS only collects interest on back support when reduced to a judgment.

Enforcement includes wage withholding, other income withholding, medical enforcement, IRS tax refund attachment, or interstate referral. Services may include license revocation, personal property seizure, or referral for contempt or federal criminal non-support.

Families who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Children or Medicaid automatically receive full-collection services.

Locate Services

DCS provides services to custodial parents who are unable to locate the non-custodial responsible parent for the purposes of collecting child support. DCS will ask other states for help in locating the non-custodial parent. When the non-custodial parent is located, you will be sent an application for services. The non-custodial parent's address may not be released to you without consent.

Medical Enforcement

In addition to current child support, DCS may enforce medical support requirements for an obligated parent to provide insurance available through the obligated parent's employer or union. Only a person receiving Medicaid can ask DCS to enforce medical support only. If you have medical coverage (not Medicaid) for the child, you may ask DCS to enforce only child support. Learn more about medical enforcement.

Paternity Establishment

DCS provides services to determine the father of a child. The child must be under the age of eighteen. 
Read more about parentage establishment.

Payment Processing Services Only (PSO)

If your support order states that payments must be made to the Washington State Support Registry, DCS processes and disburses payments to the payee on the order. When payments are late or past due, DCS takes no enforcement action on your case. When you move, you must give the State Registry your new address.

Post-secondary Educational Support

DCS will provide services for children with court orders for post-secondary educational support. The student must be enrolled in an accredited academic or vocational school, be in a regular course of study, and be in good academic standing. DCS will enforce educational support only if payable to the parent or to the child.

DCS will provide current support services until the child emancipates, leaves the custodian's household, or goes to live with the non-custodial parent. DCS will continue to collect support arrears unless the parties reconcile.

If you want DCS to stop non-assistance services when support is still payable, you must send DCS a letter. DCS must provide payment processing services if the support order makes support payable through the Washington State Support Registry.

When DCS is unable to locate the non-custodial parent or the non-custodial parent's assets for three consecutive years, DCS may close your case. You will be notified if DCS intends to close your case. You have the right to appeal the closure.

Families who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Children or Medicaid automatically receive DCS services. You qualify to receive DCS non-assistance services if you are not currently receiving services from another state and any one of the following statements applies to you:

1. I am a parent who has custody of a minor child.
2. I am a lawful custodian of a minor child.
3. I am a former custodian who is owed child support that accrued under a support order.
4. I am the father of the child and want to establish the paternity of my child.
5. I am the non-custodial parent of a child and want to pay support.
6. I am due court ordered post-secondary educational support for a child in school.

If both the custodial parent and the noncustodial parent live outside Washington, the non-custodial parent must have some tie to Washington State, such as, a Washington support order, a Washington-based employer, or assets located in Washington. If there is no tie to Washington, apply for services in the state where where one of the parents live.

DCS sends the obligated parent's employer or union a National Medical Support Notice. The Notice tells the employer:

To enroll the child in a health plan available to the obligated parent.

The maximum amount the obligated parent can pay for the children's medical insurance under the provisions of the support order.

If the cost of the medical premium exceeds the amount on the Notice, the employer cannot enroll the child. The employer has 20 business days to respond to DCS and forward Part B of the Notice to the Plan Administrator. When DCS receives information about the medical plan, DCS notifies the other parent.

If medical insurance is available, it may require the obligated parent to enroll in the plan in addition to enrolling the child. Under certain circumstances, DCS can require the obligated parent to enroll in the plan.

When DCS establishes a support order, DCS always includes a medical support provision requiring the non-custodial parent and custodial parent to provide medical insurance when available through an employer or union.

• If you have a support order with a medical support provision, DCS may enforce medical support along with child support. You must apply for DCS services if you want DCS to enforce the other parent's medical support obligation.
• If your support order does not require medical support, DCS may be able to help you get that order modified to include an insurance requirement. Please note: A request to add a requirement for the custodial parent to provide health insurance coverage, or to add a provision in the order to include the custodial parent's share of medical expenses, is not by itself a sufficient basis for modification of the order.

DCS may collect unreimbursed medical expenses that meet certain threshold and time limit requirements. DCS does not collect unreimbursed medical expenses owed to a third party.

If you have a case with Washington's Division of Child Support, and your support order contains no medical support provision, you may request DCS modify the order to include medical.

To ask DCS to review your order:

1. Print the following forms:
   • Request for Review of Child Support Order
   • Washington State Child Support Worksheets
   • Instructions (if needed)
   • Financial Declaration
   • Confidential Information Form (INFO)
2. Complete the forms as required, and mail them to your child support office.
3. DCS will request worksheets from the other party. (This process may take more than 30 days from the time DCS receives your information.)

If you are modifying your child support and do not have the income of the other party, you may send DCS a Request for Income Information for Purposes of Entering a Child Support Order, DSHS 18-701.

For more information to help in modifying your order, see the brochure How to obtain or modify a Child Support Order on your own, DSHS 22-021.

If you don't already have a case with us, you may apply for our services.

After the children are enrolled, the plan administrator will notify you to withhold the premium from the employee's earnings.

Refer to "Cover Letter for the National Medical Support Notice - Part A-", Section #2:

• Shows how much the employee has to pay for the children on that Notice.
• Add the amount on each Notice together to get a total. This is the most the employee has to pay to cover only the children listed on the Notices.
• If one NMSN has a set amount and another has no limit, the total is "no limit".
• If the cost to enroll the children is more than the total premium limit, mark box 5 on the Employer Response and tell DCS the cost of the children's premium. (Example: Premium cost is $ ________.)

NO. The premium limit shown on the Notice applies only to the additional cost the employee has to pay for the children's coverage.

EXAMPLE: If the cost for the employee only coverage is $33 per month and the cost for the employee plus children is $85 per month then the cost for the children only is $52 per month. ($85 -$33 =$52). If the premium limit on the notice is $52 or more, you would have to enroll both the employee and the children.

NO. The premium limit shown on the Notice applies only to the additional cost the employee has to pay for the children's coverage.

EXAMPLE: If the cost for the employee only coverage is $33 per month and the cost for the employee plus children is $85 per month then the cost for the children only is $52 per month. ($85 -$33 =$52). If the premium limit on the notice is $52 or more, you would have to enroll both the employee and the children.

Send Part B Medical Support Notice to Plan Administrator (including the Cover Letter and Washington State Addendum to Box 2) to the union's third party administrator. Check box 7 on the Employer Response form, enter the date Part B was sent, and send the Employer Response to DCS.

Yes. The employer must promptly notify DCS when the employee is no longer employed.

The employee is required to provide insurance coverage that is accessible to the child. Under the Revised Code of Washington and the Washington Administrative Code, "Accessible coverage" means health insurance coverage which provides primary care services to the children with reasonable effort by the custodian.

Do not enroll the child if the coverage is not accessible to the child. Notify DCS that the child cannot be enrolled and tell DCS why.

DCS does not require that the employee be moved to another plan because DCS has no way of knowing if the employee has a spouse and/or other children already covered on his/her current plan. Some plan administrators will make the employee change plans to one that will cover the child where the child lives when the employee is the only one on the plan. However, this decision is up to the individual plan administrator.

YES. As long as the cost of the children's premium does not exceed the limit in the Notice and the current child support amount plus the cost of the premium for the employee and children does not exceed 50% of the employee's net disposable income.

If you offer insurance for which the children are eligible, enroll the children, and complete the Washington State Addendum to Box2 of Plan Administrator Response form and the Plan Administrator response form. Return both forms to DCS within 40 business days after the date of the Notice.

• When the employee is already enrolled, enroll the children in the same plan as the employee.
• When the employee is not enrolled and there are multiple plans within the premium limit shown on the Notice that would cover the children, DCS will select the plan. Provide DCS the following information about each plan: description of the coverage, additional cost the employee would have to pay to cover the children and whether there is a limited service area for the plan.

Under Washington State law, an employer who fails or refuses to comply with the Notice can be fined up to $1,000 per occurrence.

Check box 5 on the Employer Response form and send the form to DCS and indicate the cost the employee would have to pay for the dependent coverage.

The employee may contest the withholding under the Notice, based on a mistake of fact, by contacting DCS. The employer must continue to withhold the premiums until notified by DCS to discontinue withholding.

The employer has an obligation to comply with the Notice until they receive a Release terminating the medical withholding. The employee should contact DCS immediately and provide proof of coverage.

The plan administrator or employer may complete the Washington State Addendum to Box 2 of Part B - Plan Administrator Response or provide any preprinted information that provides the insurance information. DCS needs the insurance company name, address, telephone number, and the employee's policy or member number, and group number. For federal audit purposes, DCS must have the employee's insurance information in the DCS case files.

When the employee's principal place of employment is Washington State, the priority of withholding is current support first, the health insurance premium second, and past-due support last. When the employee's principal place of employment is not Washington State, the employer will have to contact the child support agency in that state for priority information.

Check box 7 on the Employer Response form, enter the date Part B was sent, and send the Employer Response to DCS.

Assuming the cost of the children's premium does not exceed the limit shown on the Notice, the answer depends on whether or not the employer has to enroll just the children or enroll both the employee and the children.

When the employer has to enroll only the children, the cost of the children's premium plus the cash support amount cannot exceed the 50% limit. For example: The employee is already enrolled and paying a premium of $28. The additional cost to enroll the children is $46. The employer should enroll the children if the cash support amount plus the children's premium cost ($46) does not exceed 50% of the employee's net disposable income.

When the employer has to enroll both the employee and children, the cost of both the employee's and children's premium plus the cash support amount cannot exceed the 50% limit. For example: The employee is not enrolled. The cost to enroll the employee is $20.50. The additional cost to enroll the children is $39.50. The total for both is $60. The employer should enroll the employee and children if the cash support amount plus the employee's and children's premium cost ($60) does not exceed 50% of the employee's net disposable income.

When the children or the employee and children cannot be enrolled because the premium plus the cash support amount exceeds the 50% limit, check box 5 on the Employer Response form and send the form to DCS. DCS may call you when you mark box 5. To avoid a call, you are welcome to note on the form that the cash support plus the premium would exceed the 50% withholding limit. If the plan administrator has already added the children to the plan, contact the plan administrator to tell them the children cannot be added.

The plan administrator is the person designated to enroll employees and their dependents in insurance plans. Employers can:

• Contract with a private company to handle enrollments
• Have a benefits office within their company that handles enrollments. OR
• Handle the enrollments themselves.

When the employees have health insurance benefits through a union, the union's third party administrator is the plan administrator. The third party administrator generally handles premium Payments.

No. For security reasons you cannot change your FEIN in this program. If you get a new FEIN simply use your new number to log in to the system. The program will prompt you to create a new Company Profile using your new number.

DCSOnline Services processes new hire reports at 6:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) each day. You can edit or cancel an online report until the system has processed it.

1. Select View, Change, or Cancel Pending New Hire Report from the menu..
2. To change one report, click Edit or Cancel.
3. To cancel all reports for one company, or all fixed width reports, click Cancel All Pending.

If the report has already been processed, you will need to re-submit the new hire with the correct information.

Select Manually Enter Single New Hire Report and complete the data entry form.
Click Report This New Hire when you are done.

Employer Data

• If you do not have a company on file the data entry form will ask you to enter the Employer Data.
• If you have one company on file the system will automatically add the Employer Data to the form.
• If you have more than one company on file the system will ask you to select the company for which you want to report.
• If you have one or more companies on file and you want to add a new company follow the Add a Company link.

What happens after I submit the report?

• If the report has errors you must correct the errors and click Report This New Hire when you are done.
• If the report has no errors the page will display a message that we successfully received the report.
• The system will email you a receipt of your report after 6pm (Pacific Time) when it processes all reports for the day.

Some historical information is available to DCSOnline Services users who submit new hire reports on the Internet. View Summary of Previous New Hire Reports provides limited information about reports you submitted online, or that were submitted online for your company. It does not include employee specific information or reports not submitted using DCSOnline Services. The summary report includes:

• the date and time reported,
• the reporting method used (Single Report, CSV, or Fixed Width), and
• the number of new hire records reported, modified, or deleted.

New users can begin formatting and testing your CSV file:

1. View the File Specification.
2. Format your file using the specific requirements.
3. Add your new hire information to the file.
4. Use the online CSV File Format Validation tool to check that the file is correctly formatted.

When you are ready to submit your new hire report:

1. Select Upload Comma Separated Values (CSV) New Hire Report File from the menu.
2. Use the Browse button to select the file and then click Upload New Hire File.

What happens after I upload the file?

1. If the file has errors you must correct the errors and upload the file again.
2. If the file has no errors the page will display a message that we successfully received the report.
3. The system will email you a receipt of your report after 6 pm (Pacific Time) when it processes all reports for the day.

New users can begin formatting and testing your Fixed Width file:

1. View the File Specification.
2. Format your file using the specific requirements.
3. Add your new hire information to the file.
4. Use the online Fixed Width File Format Validation Tool to check that the file is correctly formatted.

When you are ready to submit your new hire report:

1. Select Upload Fixed Width New Hire Report File from the menu.
2. Use the Browse button to select the file and then click Upload New Hire File.

What happens after I upload the file?

1. If the file has errors you must correct the errors and upload the file again.
2. If the file has no errors the page will display a message that we successfully received the report.
3. The system will email you a receipt of your report after 6 pm (Pacific Time) when it processes all reports for the day.

No. The address you enter on this site is to identify your company for New Hire Reporting. To change your mailing address with the Employment Security Department call 360-902-9360.

Yes. The data fields are limited in size based on other databases. If you find an address field is too short use additional lines when available. For other fields abbreviate when possible.

When DCS initiates collection action an employer or business has twenty days to answer the Notice of Payroll Deduction or Order to Withhold and Deliver. The employer or business has seven days to send the withheld support to DCS. The law requires DCS to send the Custodial Parent support within two working days after receipt.

When an employer refuses to cooperate with a withholding action, DCS may have to begin noncompliance action against the employer. We start the formal action by sending a Notice of Noncompliance to the employer. This additional legal process can take an additional month or more. For more information refer to the Employer and Income Withholding Information page on the DCS web site.

Also please see Notice and Finding of Financial Responsibility in FAQ question topics.

The Notice and Finding of Financial Responsibility (NFFR) is a notice that the Division of Child Support (DCS) uses to establish an administrative child support obligation. This page provides information about the Notice and Finding of Financial Responsibility. If you received a NFFR and still have questions after reading the information below, contact the Division of Child Support (DCS) at the phone numbers listed on the last page of the notice you received. If you are not sure which DCS office handles your case, call the KIDS line at 1-800-442-KIDS (5437).

No, a modification review will only be done on a full enforcement case.

A PSO case will automatically close if no payments are received for 6 months.

No, since these are voluntary payments it is up to the parties to know when payments should cease.

No, we simply process voluntary payments. We do not perform debt calculations nor do we determine if there is past due support on a PSO case.

Based on current policy we cannot accept the signature of an attorney for full enforcement services. The request for full enforcement services must be made by one of the parties to the case.

Complete and return an application for Full Enforcement services. Once your completed application is received the case will be assigned to a Support Enforcement Officer (SEO) who will monitor the case , take collection actions as appropriate, track the debt owed, and assist with modification.

A Payment Services Only (PSO) case is a case which is set up when a child support order is entered that requires all child support payments be made to the Washington State Support Registry (WSSR). No collection actions will be taken to enforce the order. A PSO case is only set up to process voluntary payments and provide a permanent record of payments made through our system.

No collection action will be taken on a PSO case. Collection actions, including payroll deductions, license suspensions, bank freezes, liens, credit bureau reporting, IRS intercepts and contempt proceedings will only be taken on full enforcement cases.

Click here to download the PDF.

If you want to authorize another person or representative to receive records from your child support case, you may print a copy of the Authorization to Disclose Information (DSHS 17-063), fill it out, and send it to your DCS field office. If you want the other person or representative to only be able to discuss your case with DCS (and not ask for copies of records), you may print the Consent (DSHS 14-012), fill it out. And send it to your DCS field office.

The Division of Child Support (DCS) may give you the last-known home address of your dependent children or the home or work address of the other party to your child support case if you meet the following conditions:

1. You must give us a written statement telling us why you want the address. The reason must be to enforce custody, visitation, parenting time, or contact rights, or to establish, enforce, or modify your child support order.
2. If your reason for wanting the address is to enforce custody, visitation, parenting time, or contact rights, and you have not already done so, you must give us a certified copy of the court order that grants you the rights.
   1. The court order must name your children.
   2. You must give us a statement that a court has not changed your order to deny custody, or restrict your visitation, parenting time, or contact rights.
3. You or your attorney must return an Address Disclosure Request to our field office listed below.
   1. You must appear at our field office listed below and show us suitable identification. If your attorney sends us the request, you do not have to appear.
   2. If you live outside Washington State or submit the request by mail, you must have the form notarized. If your attorney sends us the form, your attorney does not have to get the form notarized.

Before we give you the address, we will tell the other party to your child support case about your request. The other party has 30 days to:

• Get a court order that stops us from giving you the address.
• Get a court order that limits your right to visit or contact the other party or your children.
• Request an adjudicative proceeding (hearing) to contest release of the address.

If the other party to your child support case does not ask for a hearing, we will answer your request within 45 days.

We will tell you if the other party asks for a hearing. You may attend and take part in the hearing. If we have reason to believe that release of the address will result in physical or emotional harm to the other party to your child support order or your children, we will not give you the address. Even if we decide not to release the address, we will still tell the other party to your child support order about your request.

You may print the Address Disclosure Request to request the address. Complete the form, sign it before a notary public, and mail it to:

Division of Child SupportP.O. Box 11520Tacoma, WA 98411-5520

DCS will let you know if someone requests the address of your child. You have the right to request a hearing if you do not want the child's address released. You must take the following action to prevent DCS from releasing the address:

• Get a court or tribal order preventing release of the address, or provide a copy of an existing order.
• Request an administrative hearing to show why DCS should not release the address. DCS must follow the instructions of a final administrative order resulting from the hearing. DCS will not release the address until all appeal rights are exhausted.
• If you receive a TANF grant, contact your public assistance caseworker and ask about claiming "Good Cause".
• DCS will not release the residential address of a person enrolled in the Address Confidentiality Program through the
  Secretary of State's Office.

Read about your child support case and Domestic Violence issues.

Learn more about Domestic Violence and Victim Services Programs.

DCS may release information from your DCS case for purposes of establishment, modification, or enforcement of a support order.

• First contact your Support Enforcement Officer. Many records, such as a payment history, are immediately releasable.
• To make a written request, print a Request for Disclosure of DSHS Records, fill it out, and send it to DCS.
• You must indicate on the form exactly what information you seek and the reason for your request. DCS will respond to your request within 5 working days. When copies exceed 20 pages, DCS may ask you to pay for the cost of the copies.

If DCS cannot release the information we will send you a denial. You have the right to petition a review of the denial.

• You can contact DCS by email
• Call a Field Office
• Call DCS's Employer Relations Team at 1-800-562-0479
• Print and fill out a copy of this form and mail it to: DCS, PO Box 11520, Tacoma WA 98411-552

DCS offers several different payment options, so pick the one that works the best for you. Please note, effective Jan. 1, most employers or other businesses that receive an Income Withholding Order from the Division of Child Support must send payments electronically. For more information, please visit our employer page.

• You can send in a check to the Washington State Support Registry (WSSR). If you are withholding child support for more than one employee, you can combine all the Payments into one check, as long as you let us know how much you withheld from each employee.
• You can make Payments over the Internet using the DCS Online. Go to that web site for a demonstration.
• You can sign up for Electronic Funds Transfer/Electronic Data Interchange. By using Electronic Funds Transfer/Electronic Data Interchange (EFT/EDI), you can reduce your paperwork, handling costs, and bank charges when sending child support withholding Payments to the Division of Child Support (DCS). EFT/EDI can also reduce the amount of time your staff spends responding to inquiries from DCS about Payments. DCS offers a variety of EFT/EDI options:
• Repetitive Automated Clearing House (ACH) debit
• ACH Credit with addenda
• (NOTE: DCS will accept records in CCD+ or CTX format. Your bank can inform you if these options are available for your business.)

Medicaid funding and services are administered by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Health and Recovery Services Administration, except for the nursing home program, which is administered by the Aging and Disability Services Administration.

Medicaid covered services include hospital care, skilled nursing home care, residential adult family care services, and professional services provided by physicians and laboratories. Washington Medicaid also includes hospice, mental health, dental services, and eyeglasses.

Providers include doctors, nurses, dentists, clinics, ambulance and transportation, companies, hospitals, nursing homes, adult family homes, boarding homes, laboratories, pharmacies, home health care providers, and medical equipment suppliers. For more information: Medicaid Fraud Control Division.

There are two types of Medicaid fraud: Medicaid Provider fraud and Medicaid Client fraud.

• The Office of the Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Division investigates Provider Fraud.

To report Medicaid Provider Fraud: Fighting and Reporting Medicaid Fraud

No. Both refugees and asylees are legally admitted to the U.S. because of the fear of persecution in their home country. The difference is that refugees are given admission before entry in to the U.S., whereas asylees arrive in the U.S. before they claim asylum and are given legal permission to stay.

If you are limited in your ability to read, write, or speak in English, DSHS will provide information about available services to you in your primary language by authorized bilingual workers or by using licensed interpreters and translators. Interpreter services may be conducted in person or over the telephone. Translation of DSHS forms, letters and other printed materials may be given or sent to you.

If you are a current DSHS client, your primary language is the language you have indicated on your application or your eligibility review as the language you wish to communicate in with DSHS.

If you think you have come in contact with a victim of human trafficking, call the Trafficking Information and Referral Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. This hotline will help you determine if you have encountered a victim of human trafficking and will identify local resources in your community to help victims.

Anyone can apply to the Department of Social and Health Services. Your eligibility for services will need to be determined before you can receive DSHS services. You can apply on-line through the Washington Connection Portal or through your local DSHS Community Service Office.

When you visit a DSHS Community Service Office, please bring the following documented information to help with your eligibility determination:

• Your immigration status documentation
• Proof of Washington residency
• Information on your income
• Name of your voluntary resettlement agency (VOLAG)

Once a refugee is granted permission to come to the U.S. and granted a legal immigration status, voluntary resettlement agencies called "VOLAG's" are contracted for initial resettlement. The VOLAG is responsible for meeting and picking up the refugee at the airport; finding a place to live; and helping with basic necessities and cultural orientation within the first 90 days of the refugee being in the U.S. Click here for a list of the VOLAG's that resettle refugees in Washington State.

Human Trafficking is a form of modern day slavery. It includes the recruitment, transportation, or sales of persons for labor. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 defines severe forms of trafficking as:

• Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or
• The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

Anyone can be a victim of human trafficking. Traffickers use force, fraud and coercion to compel women, men, and children to engage in commercial sex or forced labor. Many victims trafficked into the U.S. do not speak and understand English and are therefore isolated and unable to communicate with service providers, law enforcement, and others who might be able to help them.

The Refugee Act of 1980 created The Federal Refugee Resettlement Program to provide for the effective resettlement of refugees and to assist them to achieve economic self-sufficiency as quickly as possible after arrival in the U.S. Title IV, Chapter 2 of the Immigration and Nationality Act contains the provisions of the Refugee Act.

The U.S. government allows a certain number of refugees to come to the U.S. each year. Individuals granted refugee status overseas by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are brought to the U.S. for resettlement by the U.S. Department of State. Voluntary agencies - VOLAG's and the Office of Refugee Resettlement - ORR  assist refugees with resettlement and integration into the U.S. Refugees are eligible to receive ORR benefits and services for up to five years beginning the first day they arrive in the U.S.

A refugee is a person who is unable to return to their home country because of persecution, or a well-founded fear of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Other individuals who are eligible for services on the same basis as refugees include: persons granted asylum; certain Amerasians from Vietnam; Cuban/Haitian entrants; Iraqi and Afghani special immigrants; and victims of human trafficking.

People have many different pathways to enter the United States, including as a visitor, with refugee status, employment-based visas, as a family member of a permanent resident or U.S. citizen, or as someone seeking asylum. Someone might be considered an undocumented immigrant if they do not possess immigration documentation allowing them to be in the United States.