Child Support Services

Announcements

COVID-19 Resources:

• View the frequently asked questions on modifying your child support order.
• View the frequently asked questions on unemployment and child support.
• View the frequently asked questions on child support and stimulus payments. 

Pandemic Updates

If you received stimulus payments that were approved in December 2020 under the Consolidated Appropriations Act or in March 2021 under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), these payments are not subject to be intercepted for unpaid child support debt. Only the first stimulus payment approved in April 2020 under the CARES Act and missing stimulus payments claimed as a Recovery Rebate Credit when filing taxes are subject to be intercepted as required by federal law.

Due to recent federal guidance, for paying parents who filed a joint tax return, payments intercepted after March 15, 2020, may be held through June 30th, 2021. This is an extension of the federal statutory hold of 180 days. We understand the inconvenience this extension may cause and will continue to monitor and work with our federal partners to find an expedited solution.

Update:  Arizona has elected to begin processing the payments being held under this extension which expires June 30, 2021.

For more information on Stimulus Payments, Tax Offset Extension, and Recovery Rebate credit, visit the DCSS FAQs - COVID-19 Economic Impact (Stimulus) Payments and Child Support.

DCSS 2021 - Reimagining Child Support, Not Just Rebuilding

In March 2020, the Division of Child Support Services evaluated the service delivery of the program as a result of the overall impacts of the pandemic. Returning stronger for child support means updating the program with short-term and long-term changes so that our processes are more effective for the clients we serve.

In an email campaign to DCSS clients, we shared our short term and long-term improvement plans, as seen below, which will continue to evolve as changes are informed by parents, our child support workforce, and child support industry innovations that emerge in response to the pandemic. If you are not receiving communication from DCSS, please ensure to update your contact information in the child support portal to stay up to date on child support updates and case-specific information and requests. 

Summary of One-Year Improvement Plans:

• Receive recurring input from clients
• Expand virtual services
• Update business processes that have been most disrupted by the pandemic, and continue to look at the processes that have the greatest impact on our services to our clients. 
• Review of parent communication to make sure it is easy to understand, electronic (where possible), and consistent.
• We are creating visual resources that explain and simplify the child support process, timelines and options for parent education and resources.

Summary of Three-Year Improvement Plans

• A redesign of Arizona's Tracking and Location Automated System (ATLAS) that will simplify and streamline the business processes that support your child support services. 
• Parent communication, education and resources will all be updated to align with modernized processes, systems, and documents.

DCSS Virtual Offices

We are here to serve you! For the continued safety of you, our team and the community, DCSS offices will remain virtual. We are continuing to expand our capabilities to address your child support needs through virtual services. Now more than ever, it is crucial to keep your contact information up-to-date as we continue to communicate program and case updates via email, phone and text. Together, we can work to reduce the spread of COVID-19. 

Please view the ways in which you can do child support services virtually: 

• Paying child support: 
  
  • Online
  • By Phone
  • By Mail
• Documents: 
  
  • You can send all child support documents (that don’t need to be notarized) electronically to [email protected] or through mail at P.O. Box 40458, Phoenix, AZ 85067
  • Document drop-off: You can visit a DCSS office and drop off documents in a secure drop-box. 
• General Questions: 
  
  • You can submit questions directly through the AZ Child Support Portal. 
  • You can contact a DCSS Customer Service Representative Monday - Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. at 1-800-882-4151.