3005 Child Support

As part of the TANF eligibility process, all applicants must assign to the State of Delaware their rights to receive spousal support for themselves and child support for the dependent children in their care. As part of this process, applicants and recipients must cooperate, unless good cause is established, in: 1. Identifying and locating absent parents; 2. Establishing paternity for dependent children born out of wedlock; and 3. Establishing support payments and/or other properties for the dependent child. The Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) is the single State agency that is empowered to: Establish paternity of and secure support for children born out of wedlock; Secure support from parents who have abandoned or deserted their children; and Enter cooperative arrangements with appropriate courts and law enforcement officials in order to establish support. Before approving a TANF grant, DSS will refer applicants to the DCSE to begin the process of securing support payments. While assistance is received, any spousal or child support payments made on behalf of a recipient will be paid to DCSE. The first $50 of support that is collected by DCSE each month will be returned to the TANF recipient. These payments will be sent to the recipient the month following the month the support is collected. All remaining support payments will be retained by the State while the TANF case is active. The assignment of support rights covers all TANF recipients, including pregnant women who receive a check in their ninth month of pregnancy, and persons who are eligible for a grant but do not receive a check because the need for assistance is less than $10. In the latter case, DCSE will not retain support payments. Even though support payments are retained by the State while an individual is a TANF recipient, these payments are considered in determining initial and continuing financial eligibility. Refer to DSSM 4005.1 for a complete discussion of support payments and financial eligibility. See Administrative Notices: A-23-98; A-07-2001; A-10-2001; A-12-2001