Best Child Support in Washington — 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 Washington

Washington superior courts handle family matters in each of its 39 counties. The Division of Child Support operates under DSHS. Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, and Bellevue are the major metros. Northwest Justice Project, the King County Bar, and the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV) provide statewide civil legal aid and safety services for women.

7 Resources

1. Washington State DSHS Division of Child Support — Free

DCS at 712 Pear St SE in Olympia opens, modifies, and enforces support orders statewide with 11 field offices. Custodial mothers can apply online at dshs.wa.gov; non-public-assistance applicants pay a 5 federal annual fee. Call 800-457-6202 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm.

800-457-6202 · 712 Pear St SE, Olympia, WA 98504 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

2. Washington State Child Support Schedule — Free

The Washington State Child Support Schedule (RCW 26.19) and Economic Table are published at courts.wa.gov — use the official worksheets to calculate the presumptive support amount before filing. Mediators and judges follow these tables; deviations require justification.

800-457-6202 · 415 12th Ave SW, Olympia, WA 98504 · 24/7 online · Visit Website

4. Find Your State Child Support Agency — Free

ACF's federal directory locates the state IV-D agency for every co-parent's residence — essential when a Washington mother is enforcing against someone who moved across state lines under UIFSA.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

5. Single Mother Guide — Child Support — Free

SingleMotherGuide.com translates Washington's child-support guidelines into a step-by-step plan — opening a DCS case, calculating arrears interest at 12%, and what to expect at a contested support hearing.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

6. Healthy Children — Child Support Basics — Free

The American Academy of Pediatrics' HealthyChildren.org explains how to fold pediatric coverage, daycare, and extracurricular expenses into a Washington child-support order under the deviation factors.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

7. National Family Support Network — Free

NFSN locates Washington's family resource centers and home-visiting programs — Nurse-Family Partnership and Healthy Families America sites — offering free support to moms with infants and toddlers.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

Frequently Asked

How many child support resources are in Washington?
Women's Corner tracks 7 child support resources for women in Washington.
Are child support resources in Washington free?
7 of the 7 listed child support resources in Washington are explicitly free or low-cost.
Which cities in Washington have child support resources?
Listings span cities including Olympia.
What are some examples of child support resources in Washington?
Featured entries include Washington State DSHS Division of Child Support, Washington State Child Support Schedule, 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 Washington 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.