How do I get CSEA services?
Applications for CSEA IV-D services can be picked up at the local child support office. You may also request an application over the telephone, and the CSEA will send it to you in the mail. Erie County CSEA waives the $1.00 application fee. Once the completed application is received the CSEA will determine if you are eligible for services and let you know the action being taken.
Why should I go to the CSEA when I know the non-residential parent can't pay, or if we've already worked out an arrangement between us?
Even if a non-residential parent can’t pay now, that could change in the future. If the non-residential parent isn’t working now, the CSEA may be able to get a court order requiring that parent to find a job. Also, the CSEA can help your child’s access to other sources of income like inheritances or lottery winnings.
A mutual agreement for support between the two parents could change at either parents deciding since it is not binding from the CSEA or the Court. You want to make sure all future child support is paid in full. And, if the non-residential parent should die, you want to make sure your child has a legal right to support from any estate or is eligible for any social security benefits.
Has my payment been sent?
Payment and account information can be accessed 24 hours a day through the State of Ohio’s toll free support enforcement Voice Response Unit (VRU) at (800) 860-2555. Payments are processed each business day through the Ohio Child Support Payment Central (OCSPC) office in Columbus, and checks or electronic fund transfers are issued the following morning. The VRU will state the date that the employer sent their check to OCSPC, not the date OCSPC processed it.
Do I have to keep paying child support if the residential parent won't let me visit my child?
Yes. Child support and visitation are two separate issues. If you stop paying support because you don’t get to visit your child, you will build up an arrearage. You will also be in violation of a support order and could be prosecuted. For help with your visitation rights, contact a private attorney.
Can CSEA help me with visitation or other problems?
Your CSEA cannot get involved in matters of visitation or custody. The CSEA also cannot collect divorce property settlements, collect on medical bills, locate missing children, act as your private attorney, or represent you in any way outside its authority.