Best Child Support in Florida — 6 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 Florida

Florida handles family law in circuit courts across its 20 judicial circuits. The Department of Revenue Child Support Program oversees enforcement statewide. Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Fort Lauderdale are the largest metros. Bay Area Legal Services, Three Rivers Legal Services, the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and statewide Planned Parenthood affiliates serve women.

6 Resources

1. Florida Department of Revenue — Child Support — Free

The DOR Child Support Program is Florida's Title IV-D agency, with storefronts in every region establishing paternity, setting support orders administratively, and collecting through income withholding. Mothers can open a case online without ever visiting an office; phone intake covers Spanish callers. Services are free regardless of income.

(850) 488-5437 · 5050 W Tennessee St, Tallahassee, FL 32399 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

2. National Child Support Enforcement Association — Free

NCSEA is the professional association for child-support caseworkers and policy staff nationwide. Its public materials explain how Title IV-D funding flows, what UIFSA actually requires, and where Florida's program sits relative to peer states — useful when a mother's case stalls administratively and she wants to escalate informed.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

3. Find Your State Child Support Agency — Free

The federal OCSS directory gives direct numbers and addresses for every state's IV-D office. Critical when a Florida mother needs to register an out-of-state order under UIFSA or coordinate enforcement against a noncustodial parent who's moved to Georgia, Texas, or anywhere else.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

4. Single Mother Guide — Child Support — Free

A peer-written, plain-English guide from mothers who've worked the system, covering application, modification, and what to do when payments dry up. Useful framing for a Florida mother before her first DOR appointment — knowing the right questions to ask sharply changes the meeting.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

5. Healthy Children — Child Support Basics — Free

The American Academy of Pediatrics frames child support as a developmental-health issue, not just a financial one. Useful citations for a Florida modification petition when a mother needs to document the impact of missed payments on a child's medical care, food, or stable housing.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

6. National Family Support Network — Free

NFSN connects local family-support and home-visiting programs that often co-intake with child-support agencies. Useful for a Florida mother who wants holistic case management combining parenting coaching, food assistance, and support enforcement under a single navigator rather than juggling agencies.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

Frequently Asked

How many child support resources are in Florida?
Women's Corner tracks 6 child support resources for women in Florida.
Are child support resources in Florida free?
6 of the 6 listed child support resources in Florida are explicitly free or low-cost.
Which cities in Florida have child support resources?
Listings span cities including Tallahassee.
What are some examples of child support resources in Florida?
Featured entries include Florida Department of Revenue — Child Support, National Child Support Enforcement Association, Find Your State Child Support Agency, Single Mother Guide — Child Support, Healthy Children — Child Support Basics.
Do these listings include phone numbers?
1 of 6 Florida 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.