Best Child Support in Colorado — 7 resources

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.

Child Support in Colorado

Colorado uses 'allocation of parental responsibilities' instead of 'custody' and hears cases in district courts. The Child Support Services division runs enforcement statewide. Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, and Fort Collins anchor the major metros. Colorado Legal Services, Project Safeguard, and the Violence Free Colorado coalition support women across the state.

7 Resources

1. Colorado Division of Child Support Services — Free

DCSS is the state agency under CDHS that establishes paternity, sets and modifies orders under Colorado's income shares model, and enforces collection by wage withholding and tax intercept. Mothers can open a case for free at any county human services office; the Denver headquarters on Sherman Street supervises operations statewide.

800-886-7689 · 1575 Sherman St, Denver, CO 80203 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

2. Colorado ACSES — Child Support Portal — Free

The Automated Child Support Enforcement System lets Colorado mothers see real-time payments, request order modifications, and report a non-custodial parent's new employer for income withholding. Login is tied to your case number and ID issued at intake by your county Child Support Services office.

800-886-7689 · Online Service · Online 24/7 · Visit Website

3. National Child Support Enforcement Association — Free

NCSEA is the professional association where Colorado county child support directors share enforcement practices and policy updates. The public site explains how state guidelines like Colorado's are reviewed every four years and how mothers can comment on proposed schedule changes affecting their orders.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

4. Find Your State Child Support Agency — Free

This federal OCSS map links Colorado mothers directly to the Colorado DCSS contact page and to neighboring state agencies in Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Essential when a non-custodial father has moved across the state line and the case must be enforced under UIFSA.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

5. Single Mother Guide — Child Support — Free

Single Mother Guide breaks down each state's process in plain English, including Colorado's income shares calculation and the threshold for a substantial and continuing change of circumstances needed to modify. Mothers can compare what they're receiving to what the guideline would suggest.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

6. Healthy Children — Child Support Basics — Free

The American Academy of Pediatrics' parent site explains how child support is meant to cover healthcare costs in addition to base expenses. Colorado mothers can use this when asking the court to add the child's health insurance premium to the order under C.R.S. 14-10-115(10).

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

7. National Family Support Network — Free

NFSN connects family support programs across the country and publishes standards Colorado family resource centers use. Useful for mothers researching whether a local family resource center can help with parenting support and informal mediation alongside their child support case.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

Frequently Asked

How many child support resources are in Colorado?
Women's Corner tracks 7 child support resources for women in Colorado.
Are child support resources in Colorado free?
7 of the 7 listed child support resources in Colorado are explicitly free or low-cost.
Which cities in Colorado have child support resources?
Listings span cities including Denver.
What are some examples of child support resources in Colorado?
Featured entries include Colorado Division of Child Support Services, Colorado ACSES — Child Support Portal, National Child Support Enforcement Association, Find Your State Child Support Agency, Single Mother Guide — Child Support.
Do these listings include phone numbers?
2 of 7 Colorado child support listings include phone numbers.
How do I open a child support case?
Apply free through your state's Child Support Services agency — online, by mail, or in person at the local office. The agency establishes paternity if needed, locates the other parent, calculates the order, and enforces collection through wage garnishment, tax intercepts, and license suspension. You don't need the father's cooperation to open a case.
What if the father isn't paying?
Report non-payment to your state Child Support Services agency — they have enforcement tools you can't access alone, including wage garnishment, federal/state tax refund intercepts, passport denial, driver's license suspension, and contempt prosecution. Keep your contact info current with the agency so payments route to you correctly.
Can I get child support if we were never married?
Yes. You first establish paternity — voluntarily through an Acknowledgment of Paternity form, or through a court-ordered DNA test if the father disputes it. Once paternity is legal, the court issues a support order based on his income. The state agency handles the whole process at no cost.
What if my support order is too low?
File a Motion to Modify with the court if there's been a substantial change — his income went up, your costs went up, custody time changed, or it's been 3+ years since the last review. Your state Child Support agency will do a free review every 3 years on request. Modifications aren't retroactive, so file as soon as circumstances change.