About Child Support for Women
Child support is administered state-by-state under the federal Title IV-D program, with every state required to operate a Child Support Enforcement (CSE) agency. For custodial mothers, these agencies establish paternity, locate non-custodial parents, calculate orders under state guidelines, and enforce payments through wage garnishment, tax refund intercept, license suspension, and contempt actions. Services are free of charge. Mothers can also pursue retroactive support and modifications when income changes. The federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) oversees the program. This directory includes each state's CSE agency, online support calculators, local enforcement offices, and modification resources.
12 Resources
Arkansas OCSE sits within the Department of Finance and Administration, separate from the DHS structure most states use. The Little Rock office on East Capitol oversees paternity establishment, order entry, wage withholding, and tax-refund intercepts across all 75 counties. Mothers can open a case for free even without TANF or Medicaid. Application packets are downloadable and accepted by mail, in person, or through the online portal.
800-264-2445 · 400 E Capitol Ave, Little Rock, AR 72201 · Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm
Arkansas OCSE's online portal lets custodial parents review payment history, current arrears, employer information on file, and license-suspension status without calling the office. Setting up an account requires your case number and personal verification. Useful for mothers who need to print recent payment ledgers for housing applications or court hearings without waiting on a clerk to mail records.
800-264-2445 · Online Service · Online 24/7
The Pulaski County child support unit is the busiest in the state, handling cases for Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood, Jacksonville, and surrounding communities. They process new applications, conduct paternity interviews, and forward enforcement actions to the OCSE attorney section. Walk-ins are accepted in the morning but expect a wait; afternoons are reserved for scheduled appointments and case-manager calls.
501-682-6169 · Little Rock, AR 72201 · Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm
Washington County's child support office serves Fayetteville, Springdale, Elkins, and surrounding northwest Arkansas. Their caseworkers handle paternity establishment through genetic testing referrals, locate noncustodial parents through new-hire reporting data, and represent the state in support hearings before Washington County circuit judges. Bring photo ID and the other parent's last known address and employer when you apply.
479-521-5530 · Fayetteville, AR 72701 · Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm
Sebastian County's OCSE office covers Fort Smith, Greenwood, and surrounding River Valley communities including parts that border Oklahoma. Staff coordinate with the Oklahoma DHS child support office on interstate cases under UIFSA. Mothers should bring birth certificates, any private agreements, and recent income information for both parents to the first appointment to speed order entry.
479-783-5163 · Fort Smith, AR 72901 · Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm
Craighead County's child support office in Jonesboro handles cases for the northeast Arkansas region including Jonesboro, Brookland, and Bay. Staff work closely with the Craighead County Circuit Court family division on order entries and reviews. Mothers receiving TANF have child support cases opened automatically; private applicants can request the same services for a small one-time fee that is often waived.
870-935-7425 · Jonesboro, AR 72401 · Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm
Garland County's OCSE office in Hot Springs serves the Spa City plus Hot Springs Village and surrounding communities. The caseworkers can request modifications when a paying parent's income changes by more than 20% or 100 dollars per month, the threshold Arkansas Administrative Order 10 uses. Bring documentation of any job loss, new employment, or change in custody arrangement that supports the modification request.
501-624-7257 · Hot Springs, AR 71901 · Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm
NCSEA is the professional association for child-support workers, attorneys, and administrators including Arkansas OCSE staff. Their public-facing resources include policy briefs on guideline reform, license-suspension reform, and arrears management. Helpful for mothers researching why a specific Arkansas policy works the way it does or who want to understand the system from the practitioner perspective.
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The federal OCSS directory links to every state IV-D agency. For mothers whose ex moved out of Arkansas, this is the fastest way to find the right point of contact in the other state. The directory includes phone, mailing address, and online application links for all 50 states plus territories and tribal IV-D programs.
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Single Mother Guide writes plain-language explainers on how state child support agencies actually work, including walkthroughs of the application, enforcement, and modification process. The Arkansas-specific content covers the Administrative Order 10 guidelines and the OCSE income-share worksheet. Helpful for first-time applicants who want to know what to expect at intake.
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HealthyChildren.org is the American Academy of Pediatrics' consumer site. Their family-support content explains how child support fits into a child's overall wellbeing including medical-support orders that often require the noncustodial parent to carry health insurance. Useful when an Arkansas judge asks how the proposed order will cover medical and dental costs.
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NFSN coordinates statewide family support networks and publishes standards for two-generation programming. Their resources are useful for mothers researching whether wraparound services in their area meet quality benchmarks. The site links to evidence-based programs that pair child support enforcement with employment services for noncustodial parents who genuinely cannot pay.
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