How Child Support Works in Connecticut

Child support in Connecticut is split between two state bodies, and knowing which one handles your problem saves time. The Department of Social Services (DSS) runs Child Support Services, the state's federally required program. The Judicial Branch handles the courtroom side through Family Support Magistrates and Support Enforcement Services.

DSS staff open cases, locate absent parents, establish paternity, and ask for orders. They also track payments and use enforcement tools such as income withholding, tax refund intercepts, and license actions. Support Enforcement Services prepares cases for court, arranges service of papers, and brings non-payment cases before a magistrate. Magistrates, not caseworkers, sign orders and decide contempt.

Anyone can apply, whether or not they receive public benefits. Custodial parents, guardians, and relatives raising a child may open a case. A parent who pays support can also ask for a case so payments are recorded properly. Families receiving certain state cash or medical assistance are generally referred automatically, and the state may keep part of the support it collects to repay that assistance.

Order amounts follow the Connecticut Child Support and Arrearage Guidelines, which the Commission for Child Support Guidelines reviews on a regular schedule. The formula weighs both parents' income, the number of children, and who covers health insurance and medical costs. A magistrate or judge can depart from the guideline figure only after finding that it would be unfair or inappropriate in your situation.

Support usually runs until a child turns 18. If the child is still in high school, it can continue until graduation or age 19, whichever comes first. Courts can also enter separate educational support orders in some cases, so read your own order closely.

Why Connecticut Offices Are Organised by Region, Not County

Connecticut abolished county government in 1960, so no county agency runs child support. DSS instead operates regional offices, and each office serves a group of towns. Our directory still sorts offices by county because that is how most people describe where they live. Your case, though, is tied to a DSS office, and the court hearing location usually depends on where the parents or child live.

Fairfield County: Bridgeport, Stamford, and Danbury

The southwestern corner has three offices in Fairfield County. The Bridgeport Child Support & Social Service Office sits at 925 Housatonic Avenue. The Stamford Child Support & Social Service Office is at 1642 Bedford Street, and the Danbury Child Support & Social Service Office is at 342 Main Street. Many parents here commute to New York, so interstate cases under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act come up often. If the other parent works across the state line, tell your caseworker early so wage withholding can be sent to the right employer.

Hartford County and the Capital Region

Hartford County has the densest cluster of offices. The Hartford Child Support & Social Service Office is at 3580 Main Street. The New Britain office is at 30 Christian Lane, and the Manchester office is at 699 Middle Turnpike East. Parents in the capital region often have more than one office within driving distance, so ask which office is handling your case before you travel.

New Haven County and Waterbury

New Haven County has offices in New Haven at 50 Humphrey Street and in Waterbury at 249 Thomaston Avenue. Waterbury anchors the Naugatuck Valley, where many families depend on one car or on bus routes. Confirm your appointment time before you leave home.

Eastern and Northwestern Connecticut

Outside the main highway corridors, offices are fewer and farther apart. The Middletown Child Support & Social Service Office at 117 Main Street Extension is the listing for Middlesex County. The Norwich office at 401 West Thames Street serves New London County. The Torrington office at 62 Commercial Boulevard is the one listing in Litchfield County. The Willimantic office at 676 Main Street, Windham, is the one in Windham County. Rural parents should plan for longer drives and call ahead. Many routine steps, such as updating an address or employer, can often be handled by phone or mail.

Connecticut Child Support & Social Service Offices: Addresses and Phone Numbers

These are the twelve offices in our database. Phone numbers come from public listings, so confirm hours and walk-in rules before you go.

Preparing for Your Visit to a Connecticut Child Support Office

These are DSS regional offices that handle several programs, so tell the front desk you are there for child support. Bring photo identification and anything that identifies the people in the case.

Useful papers include the child's birth certificate, Social Security numbers for the child and both parents if you have them, and any existing court order or paternity acknowledgment. Add the other parent's full name, last known address, and employer. Pay stubs, tax returns, and proof of health insurance help when income and medical coverage are in question.

If you are the parent paying support, bring pay records, proof of any change in income, and receipts for payments made directly. Payments made outside the system may not be credited, which is why records matter.

Ask whether you need an appointment and whether a caseworker can handle your issue by phone. Busy urban offices such as Hartford and Stamford may have longer waits, so call ahead.

Keep a notebook of every call: the date, the caseworker's name, and what was promised. If a payment goes missing, give your case number and the date and method of payment.

When a Modification or Hearing Is Needed

A caseworker cannot change an order on request. Either parent can ask for a review, and a change in income, job loss, a new child, or a change in custody can support a modification. The request goes to a Family Support Magistrate or a Superior Court judge, depending on the case. Changes generally apply only from the date the other parent is served with your motion. Until the court signs a new order, the old amount keeps accruing, so file promptly rather than simply paying less.

If you are unsure where to begin, call the office nearest you and ask for the intake unit. Give your name, your town, and whether you already have an order. That one call usually tells you whether you need DSS, the court, or both.

The child support program in Connecticut is administered by the state's child support enforcement agency, which operates through a network of county-level offices that handle case intake, order establishment, payment processing, and enforcement across the state under the authority of Title IV-D of the Social Security Act.

Child Support Offices locations are available in 12 cities across Connecticut. They are spread across 7 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Bridgeport, Hartford, Torrington, which serve as regional hubs for child support case processing and interstate enforcement coordination for cases involving parents in multiple states.

Non-custodial parents in Connecticut who are current on their support obligation and experiencing a significant change in income — such as job loss or medical disability — may be eligible to request a formal modification review through the state child support agency without having to hire an attorney.

Child Support Offices by Counties

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Custodial parents in Connecticut who receive public assistance are automatically enrolled in child support services as a condition of TANF or Medicaid eligibility. Parents not receiving public assistance can still apply for child support services voluntarily and typically receive the same level of enforcement assistance at little or no cost.

Browse Child Support Offices by county across Connecticut to find the nearest location.

Using Connecticut's Child Support System Day to Day

Most of the work in a Connecticut case happens after the first appointment. Payments usually arrive by income withholding, caseworkers monitor them, and problems surface when an employer changes or a job ends. Keep your address, phone number, and bank details current with the office that holds your case. If you move from Bridgeport to Hartford, or from Norwich to another part of the state, notify the office in writing and ask whether your case will transfer or stay where it is.

Court dates are separate from office visits. A notice from the Superior Court's Family Support Magistrate Division means a hearing is scheduled, and missing it can lead to an order being entered without your input. Read every notice the day it arrives and keep copies of everything you send.

If something goes wrong, start with your caseworker, then ask for a supervisor at the same office. Written complaints with dates and case numbers move faster than repeated general calls.

Start with the Department of Social Services Child Support Services. You can call or visit the regional office closest to you, such as the Waterbury Child Support & Social Service Office at 249 Thomaston Avenue, 203-597-4000, or the Torrington Child Support & Social Service Office at 62 Commercial Boulevard, 860-496-6900. Expect to give identifying details for yourself, the child, and the other parent, plus any existing orders. Applying is open to parents and caretakers whether or not they receive benefits. Ask what fees, if any, apply to your case, and write down your case number for future calls.

A Family Support Magistrate or Superior Court judge sets the amount, not a DSS caseworker. They apply the Connecticut Child Support and Arrearage Guidelines, which consider both parents' income, the number of children, and health insurance and medical costs. Parents can agree on a figure, but the court must approve it and check it against the guidelines. If you disagree with a proposed amount, bring income documents to the hearing, because magistrates decide based on the paperwork in front of them. Missing a hearing can result in an order based only on the other side's information.

Connecticut uses several tools. The most common is income withholding, where an employer deducts support from each paycheck and sends it to the state. If payments stop, DSS can request tax refund intercepts and place liens, and Support Enforcement Services can bring a contempt case before a Family Support Magistrate. In serious cases, a court can order a parent to appear and explain nonpayment, and penalties can include jail. Report a missed payment promptly with your case number, the date it was due, and anything you know about the paying parent's new employer.

Yes. Every state operates a child support program, and the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act lets Connecticut work with the other state. This matters at the Stamford Child Support & Social Service Office, 203-251-9300, and the Danbury Child Support & Social Service Office, 203-207-8900, which sit near New York where many parents work across state lines. Do not open cases in two states for the same order. Tell your Connecticut caseworker where the other parent lives and works, and ask which state holds the controlling order. Wage withholding can be sent to an employer in another state.

Unmarried parents can sign a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, often at the hospital when the baby is born. Connecticut generally allows a short window, about 60 days, to rescind it. After that, challenging it is difficult. If paternity is disputed or no acknowledgment exists, DSS can arrange genetic testing and ask the court to establish paternity, which then allows a support order. Establishing paternity also helps with benefits, inheritance, and family medical history. Ask your regional office, such as the New Haven Child Support & Social Service Office at 50 Humphrey Street, how to begin.

Yes, but only the court can change it. A significant change in income, loss of a job, new medical needs, or a change in custody can justify a request. Either parent can ask about a review or file a motion to modify. Changes generally apply from the date the other parent is served, not from the date your circumstances changed, so act quickly. Keep paying the current amount until a new order is signed, because unpaid amounts keep building as arrears. Bring pay stubs and tax returns to the hearing, and call the Hartford Child Support & Social Service Office at 860-723-1000 or your own office with questions.

Support generally ends when the child turns 18, or at high school graduation if that happens before age 19. Ending the order does not erase unpaid amounts. Arrears remain owed, and enforcement can continue until they are paid. If you have several children, the order may need to be recalculated as each one ages out. A court can also order educational support in some circumstances. Before assuming payments stop, check your order and confirm any change in writing. The Manchester Child Support & Social Service Office, 860-647-1441, or the Middletown Child Support & Social Service Office, 860-704-3100, can review account details.