Policy
OCSE proposes and implements national policy for the child support program. We provide guidance and training to help states and tribes develop and operate their individual programs according to federal law.
We issue guidance using several types of documents:
- Action Transmittal (AT) describes actions that programs must take to comply with new and amended federal laws.
- Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) conveys general information on program activities.
- Information Memorandum (IM) provides information on program practices that may be useful for program improvement.
- Policy Interpretation Question (PIQ) responds formally to policy inquiries.
Related Pages
Featured Resources
Turner v. Rogers Guidance
June 18, 2012
Alternatives to Incarceration
June 18, 2012State Plan Page on Reporting to the State Directory of New Hires
December 6, 2011
Final Rule: Safeguarding Child Support Information
December 29, 2010Requests for Locate Services, Referrals, and Electronic Interface
August 1, 2012Final Rule: Intergovernmental Child Support
July 2, 2010
Final Rule: Computerized Tribal IV-D Systems and Office Automation
February 26, 2010
A Caseworker’s Guide to Processing Cases with Canada - Updated
September 8, 2011Final Rule: Tribal Child Support Enforcement Programs
March 30, 2004
Additional Resources for Policy RSS Feed
Federal Offset and Pre-Offset Notice Program Fees
September 24, 2012Provides information on Federal Offset and Pre-Offset Notice Program fees for FY 2013Third-Party Verification of Employment Providers and Fair Credit Reporting Act Requirements
September 19, 2012Clarifies Fair Credit Reporting Act requirements applicable to employment verification requests to third-party companiesData Reliability Audit Requirements for the Fiscal Year 2012 Reporting Period
August 17, 2012Data submission requirements for the FY 2012 data reliability audits (DRAs)FPLS Safeguarding, Collections & Enforcement Certification Letters
August 16, 2012Distributes 2012 FPLS Safeguarding Certification and FCE Programs Annual Certification LettersRequests for Locate Services, Referrals, and Electronic Interface
August 1, 2012Provides information regarding the child support agency's authority to share case information with child welfare
Revised Income Withholding for Support (IWO) Form
May 16, 2011Provides the revised Income Withholding for Support (IWO) Form and instructions and highlights recent changesThird-Party Verification of Employment Providers and Fair Credit Reporting Act Requirements
September 19, 2012Clarifies Fair Credit Reporting Act requirements applicable to employment verification requests to third-party companiesFederal Offset and Pre-Offset Notice Program Fees
September 24, 2012Provides information on Federal Offset and Pre-Offset Notice Program fees for FY 2013Employment Verification from the U.S. Postal Service
May 15, 2008Provides guidance on obtaining Employment Verification for a USPS employee/non-custodial parentThe United States Office of Child Support Enforcement Intergovernmental Referral Guide
March 19, 2012Instructions for accessing child support contact and policy information on the online Intergovernmental Referral Guide
