Child Support Services

Visit us in person at 515 Coffman St. in Longmont, Colorado. Our hours are 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

You can also call 303-441-1000 or email childsupport@bouldercounty.gov.

What does “parentage” mean?

Parentage is the legal process that identifies who a child’s parent is. Before a child support order can be made, parentage must be confirmed.

Sometimes when children are born, certain documents are not signed by both parents. When that’s the case, parentage may need to be established through a legal process.

You can learn more on the State of Colorado’s Child Support Parentage website.

How parentage is established

Acknowledgment of Parentage

Parentage can be established when both parents agree who the father is. They can sign an official form saying the man is the child’s father. This form can be signed at the hospital when the baby is born or later. When a father signs this form, the courts don’t need to be involved.

Legal Establishment of Parentage

If the parents do not agree on who the father is, the county can request genetic testing. The court reviews the test results and decides if the man is the legal father. Once parentage is established, the court can issue a child support order.

For more information, visit the State of Colorado’s Child Support Parentage website.

You can ask for a review of your child support order at any time. This process is called a “modification.” During a modification, Child Support Services reviews the income, expenses, and needs of both parents and the children. If needed, a court hearing may be scheduled.

Reasons to Request a Modification

Your reason must be ongoing (not temporary). Common reasons include:

• You or the other parent have had a significant change in income that may change your support order by 10 percent or more.
• The costs of raising the child have changed, such as health care, child care, or other significant medical expenses.
• One of the children has emancipated, but your support order is a single amount covering all children.

What You’ll Need to Include

When you request a modification:

• Your request must be in writing.
• Explain how and why your situation has changed.
• Sign the request and return it to the Child Support Services office handling your case.
• Include an income and expense form and any documents that support your request.

If Your Support Order Is from Another State

Colorado cannot always change an order created in another state. In these cases, Child Support Services may ask the other state to review and modify the order.

How to Request Materials

You can request modification materials from your technician at the Child Support Services office.

For more information, visit the State of Colorado’s “Changing an Order” website.

Question: What does “parentage” mean and why is it important?

Answer: Parentage is the legal process that identifies who a child’s parent is. For more information, visit the “Establishing Parentage and Support” section.

Question: Can you help me locate a parent?

Answer: Yes. If you need help enforcing your child support order but do not know where the other parent lives, we can try to help find them. Our office uses several tools to try to locate a non-custodial parent.

Question: How long does it take to get a Support Order?

Answer: Filling out the application takes about 30 minutes. You will also need to gather documents such as birth certificates, Social Security cards, court orders, and proof of income. Once we receive a complete application, we open your case within 20 business days.

Legal processes — such as establishing parentage or creating a support order — can take several months. If you already have a support order, enforcement usually starts sooner.

Providing complete and accurate information helps us move your case forward more quickly.

Question: Can I still get child support if I’m fearful for my safety?

Answer: Yes. If you have concerns about sharing your contact information, we can help keep it private. We can also connect you to local shelters and support services for survivors of abuse. For more information, please refer to our flyer on “How to Get Child Support When Safety is a Concern.”

Question: How is a Support Order created?

Answer:

A support order can be created in two ways:

• Administrative Process Action (APA):
  A legal procedure where our office would hold a meeting with both parents. If parents agree on the order, it becomes legally binding without going to court.
• Judicial Action:
  A judge or magistrate holds a court hearing and decides whether to issue a support order. Both parents must appear and provide proof of income and expenses.

All support orders must follow Colorado’s Child Support Guidelines.

Question: Can a Support Order change?

Answer: Yes. Child support orders can be reviewed and changed at any time. Visit the “How and When to Change a Support Order” section for details on the modification process.

Question: How are Child Support Orders enforced and collected?

Answer:

We use several tools to enforce child support orders, including:

Enforcement actions:

• Suspending a driver’s license
• Suspending a professional license
• Suspending a hunting or fishing license
• Filing a legal contempt of court action

Payment collection methods:

• Wage withholding
• Intercepting state or federal tax refunds
• Garnishing unemployment or workers’ compensation payments
• Intercepting lottery winnings
• Automatic monthly payments from a bank account

Question: What is a “custodial parent”?

Answer: A custodial parent is the parent the child lives with most of the time. This parent provides the child’s main home and daily care.

A non-custodial parent is the parent the child does not live with most of the time. This parent may still have parenting time and responsibilities, but the child’s main home is with the custodial parent.

Question: What happens if a parent lives out of state?

Answer:

Child support can still be enforced.

If the non-custodial parent lives in another state:

• We can ask that state to help enforce the order if wage withholding is not possible.

If the non-custodial parent lives in Colorado and the custodial parent lives in another state:

• We can enforce the order at the request of the other state.
• We can also enforce a Colorado order if the custodial parent applies for services.

Interstate cases can take longer because two states must work together. More information is available on the State of Colorado’s Child Support Interstate Cases website.

Question: How do I make Payments?

Answer:

You can pay child support in several ways.

By mail:
Family Support Registry
P.O. Box 2171
Denver, CO 80201-2171

Make checks or money orders payable to “Family Support Registry and include your Family Support Registry (FSR) account number. If you do not know your number, call 1-800-374-6558.

Automatic payments:
You can set up recurring automatic withdrawals by calling 1-800-374-6558.

Through your employer:
Your payments can be taken directly from your paycheck. Call your technician or Boulder County Child Support Services at 303-441-1000 to provide employer information.

In person:
You may pay at the kiosk in the west lobby of the Boulder County Longmont HUB (515 Coffman St.) using cash, card, or e-check. There is no fee for paying with cash or check.

More information is available on the State of Colorado’s “Make a Child Support Payment” website.

Question: How do I receive Payments?

Answer: All child support payments are processed by the Family Support Registry (FSR). FSR tracks payments and sends them to the custodial parent.

Payments are sent by direct deposit or placed on an FSR debit card.

More information is available on the State of Colorado’s “Receiving Child Support Payments” website.