Child support in Kentucky is a statewide program with a local face. If you need to open a case, locate a parent, change an order, or find out why a payment has not arrived, you will deal with the Commonwealth's child support system. In some places you will do that in person at a local office. Our directory currently lists one such location: the Hazard Child Support & Social Service Office at 481 Main Street in Hazard, Perry County, reachable at 606-436-8865. This page explains how the system is organised, so you know who you are dealing with before you call or drive to town.

Who Runs Child Support in Kentucky

Kentucky's child support program is administered by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, usually shortened to CHFS. Within the Cabinet, the child support enforcement function sits in the Department for Income Support. This is the state's "Title IV-D" agency, named for the section of the federal Social Security Act that requires every state to run a child support program. The state's authority comes from federal law and from Kentucky Revised Statutes, mainly Chapter 205 for the enforcement program and Chapter 403 for the guidelines used to set the amount of support.

The agency does not usually work alone. Kentucky has long relied on a cooperative model in which county attorneys and other local officials handle child support cases under agreements with the Cabinet. In practice this means the office that files your motion, appears in front of the family court judge, or schedules your hearing may be tied to the county attorney rather than to a state-run storefront. The Cabinet supplies the computer system, the payment processing, and the case rules. Local staff supply the court work and, in many counties, the face-to-face contact.

For you, the practical result is simple. The rules are the same in every county, but the way you reach someone differs. In one county you may walk into a dedicated office. In another you may call a regional number first and be routed to the county attorney's child support staff. If you are unsure which applies, start with the county where the child lives or where the order was entered.

The Hazard Office in Perry County

The Hazard Child Support & Social Service Office is the one location in our database for Kentucky, and it is a useful example of how services are grouped. Its name tells you something. Child support is paired with social services at the same address, 481 Main Street. That arrangement is common in smaller communities, where one building handles several family-related programs so residents do not have to travel to separate towns.

Hazard is the county seat of Perry County, in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. The surrounding region includes Leslie, Knott, Letcher, Breathitt and Clay counties, and many families there live a long drive from a larger city. If you live in Perry County, this office is the obvious first stop. If you live in a neighboring county, call 606-436-8865 first and ask whether the office can assist you or whether your county has its own point of contact. Do not assume that a listing in one county covers another.

Calling ahead is sensible for any visit. Hours, walk-in policies and appointment rules can change, and we cannot confirm them for you. A two-minute call can save a trip over mountain roads. When you call, give your case number if you have one, the names of both parents, and the county where the order was issued. The staff can then tell you whether they handle your matter locally. You can also read more on our Perry County page.

Eastern Kentucky Coalfields Compared With Louisville and Lexington

Kentucky is a state of sharp regional contrasts, and child support services reflect them. Jefferson County, which includes Louisville, and Fayette County, which includes Lexington, have the largest caseloads and the most court staff. Cases there often move through busy family court dockets, and phone lines can be crowded. The benefit of a large county is more staff and more scheduled hearing days. The drawback is that you may wait longer for a call back.

Rural eastern and southeastern Kentucky offers the reverse. Fewer people means a smaller office, and staff often know the local court well. But distances are real. A trip from a hollow in Perry or Knott County to the courthouse can take well over half an hour, and winter weather or flooding can close roads. Broadband is also uneven in the mountains, so online account tools do not always work as smoothly as they would in a city.

Here is how to adjust to where you live:

What to Bring and What to Expect at a Kentucky Child Support Office

Staff can only act on information they can verify, so arrive prepared. The most useful items are your photo identification, the child's birth certificate or Social Security number, and any existing court order. If you are the custodial parent, bring the other parent's full name, last known address, employer, and any details that help locate them. If you are the paying parent, bring recent pay stubs, proof of health insurance for the child, and records of payments you have made.

When you apply, the agency will ask about the parents, the child, and the living arrangement. If paternity has not been established, the office can help start that process, which may include genetic testing ordered through the court. Once a case is open, the agency can work to locate the parent, establish or enforce an order, and collect payments. Enforcement tools include income withholding from wages, interception of state and federal tax refunds, and, in serious cases of nonpayment, license actions or court proceedings.

Remember that staff at these offices work on the child support case itself. They are not your private attorney. They cannot give legal advice about custody, visitation or divorce, which are decided separately by the family court. If you need advice on those matters, contact a private lawyer or a legal aid organization.

Kentucky Rules That Shape Your Case

Kentucky calculates support using an income shares approach set out in KRS 403.211 to 403.213. The idea is that a child should receive roughly the share of parental income they would have had if the parents lived together. The court looks at both parents' incomes, work-related child care costs, and health insurance for the child, then applies a guideline table to set a base amount. Judges may depart from the table when there is a good reason, but they must explain it.

Two details matter to many families. First, a change of 15 percent or more in the amount of support under the guidelines creates a rebuttable presumption of a material change in circumstances. That is the usual threshold for asking a court to modify an order. Second, support does not always end on a child's eighteenth birthday. If the child is still attending high school, the obligation can continue until graduation, within the limits Kentucky law sets. Check your own order and ask the court or the office before you stop paying or expect payments to stop.

Finally, an order stays in force until a judge changes it. Informal agreements between parents do not alter what the court ordered, and unpaid support can build up as arrears. If your income or your child's needs change, ask about modification promptly rather than waiting.

The child support program in Kentucky 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 1 cities across Kentucky. They are spread across 1 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Hazard, 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky to find the nearest location.

Getting the Most From Child Support Services in Perry County and Across Kentucky

Most problems with child support come from missing information, not from bad intent. Before contacting any Kentucky office, gather your case number, the court that issued the order, and the name and Social Security number of each parent if you have them. Write down dates of any payments you made or did not receive. Short, clear records help staff find your file quickly.

If you live in or near Hazard, start with the Hazard Child Support & Social Service Office at 481 Main Street, phone 606-436-8865, and ask what documents to bring. Our Perry County listing shows the same details. Keep a note of the date, the name of the person you spoke with, and what they told you. If a promised call back does not arrive, follow up in writing.

Be careful with online searches. Some websites charge fees to "help" with child support applications or payment records, but the Kentucky program is a public service, and you should confirm any charge with the Cabinet directly. Always check that a site is an official government address before you enter personal data.

Protect your own interests as well. If you pay support, pay through the channel your order specifies so that a record exists. If you receive support, report changes such as a new address or a change in custody promptly. Both habits prevent the errors that cause the most frustration later.

Frequently Asked Questions About Child Support in Kentucky

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services runs the state's child support enforcement program through its Department for Income Support. It is the state's federally required IV-D agency, and it sets the rules, operates the case management and payment systems, and works with courts and local officials. In many counties, county attorneys handle the local court work under cooperative agreements with the Cabinet. So the name on the door may differ from place to place, but the program and the rules behind it are statewide. If you are unsure where to begin, contact the office nearest the county where the order was issued.

The Hazard Child Support & Social Service Office is listed at 481 Main Street in Hazard, the seat of Perry County. The phone number in our records is 606-436-8865. Because hours and walk-in rules can change, call before you travel, especially if you are coming from a neighboring mountain county. Have your case number, the names of both parents, and the county where your order was entered ready when you call. Staff can then tell you whether they handle your matter or whether you should contact another office.

Kentucky uses an income shares model found in KRS 403.211 to 403.213. The court considers both parents' incomes, then adds work-related child care and the cost of the child's health insurance. A guideline table converts the combined income into a base amount, which is divided between the parents in proportion to their incomes. Judges can depart from the guideline when it would be unjust or inappropriate, but they must state their reasons. An attorney or the child support staff can estimate a figure, though the final amount is always the court's decision.

Yes, but only a judge can change the order, and you must ask. Under KRS 403.213, a change of 15 percent or more in the amount due under the guidelines creates a rebuttable presumption of a material change in circumstances. That is the usual starting point for a modification. Until the court signs a new order, the old amount stays due, and unpaid sums become arrears. If you lose a job or your hours are cut, act quickly, gather pay records or proof of job loss, and contact the child support office or a lawyer about filing.

Not always. In Kentucky, support is generally owed until a child reaches eighteen, but it can continue if the child is still in high school, up to the limit set by statute. Your own order may also contain specific end dates or conditions, and those control. Ending payments on your own can create arrears even if you believe the duty has ended. Review the wording of your order, and ask the court or the child support office to confirm in writing before you stop paying or expect payments to end.

The child support program has several enforcement tools. The most common is income withholding, where the payment is taken from the parent's paycheck by the employer. The program can also intercept state and federal tax refunds, report arrears, and take action through the court, including contempt proceedings in serious cases. If the other parent lives in another state, Kentucky can ask that state to help enforce the order. To start, open or update a case with the office that handles your county, and provide any information about the parent's job, address or assets.