Louisiana handles public child support services through the Department of Children and Family Services, known as DCFS. Its Child Support Enforcement program helps parents locate the other parent, establish paternity, obtain a court order, collect payments, and ask for a review when circumstances change. Our directory lists 11 DCFS Child Support & Social Service offices, from Shreveport in the northwest to Thibodaux in bayou country. Every listing shares one statewide number, 888-524-3578. Your first call therefore usually reaches a central line rather than a local front desk.

This page explains how those offices fit together, how metro and rural parishes differ, and what to prepare before you go.

How Louisiana Organizes Its Child Support Program

The state, not the parish, runs the program. Federal law calls it the Title IV-D program, after the section of the Social Security Act that funds state child support agencies. DCFS staff open cases, search for absent parents, schedule genetic tests, and send income withholding notices to employers. Court action is filed in the district court where the case belongs. A judge signs the order, and some districts use hearing officers for routine support matters.

Louisiana is divided into parishes instead of counties. The names come from the colonial church districts of the Spanish and French periods. Our site uses the word county in its web addresses for consistency, so you will see labels such as Caddo Parish County and Ouachita Parish County. They refer to the same places you know as parishes.

Support amounts follow guidelines in Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 9, beginning at R.S. 9:315. The guidelines use an income shares model. The court combines both parents' incomes, finds the basic obligation for the number of children, and divides it in proportion to each parent's share. Health insurance and work-related child care costs are added to the calculation.

Two points surprise many parents. First, you do not need a private lawyer to apply. Second, the DCFS attorney represents the state's interest in the case, not you personally. If you need advice about custody or a dispute over visitation, a private attorney or a legal aid office is the right place to ask.

Metro and Rural Offices: Regional Differences Across Louisiana

The 11 listed offices are spread across the state's main population centers. What you experience depends heavily on where you live.

Many parishes have no office of their own. A parent in a small parish may need to use the nearest listed office, or skip the trip and handle most steps by phone, mail, or an online account. Rural cases often move at the same pace as metro ones, because the work is mostly paperwork, employer notices, and court dates. The main difference is travel time to appointments and hearings.

Weather matters here too. Hurricane Laura in 2020 and Hurricane Ida in 2021 disrupted offices and mail in Lake Charles and the Thibodaux area. During storm season, call 888-524-3578 before you travel.

Louisiana Rules That Shape Your Child Support Case

Several state rules affect what the office can do for you.

Paternity. When parents are not married, the father is not legally established until he acknowledges the child or a court rules on paternity. Hospitals offer acknowledgment forms at birth. If there is a dispute, DCFS can arrange genetic testing and ask the court to rule.

Enforcement. When payments stop, DCFS can use several tools. These include income withholding from wages, interception of state and federal tax refunds, credit bureau reporting, liens, and suspension of driver's or professional licenses. Most cases begin with wage withholding, which is the most reliable method.

Length of support. Support generally runs until a child turns 18. State law can extend it to age 19 if the child is still in high school and on track to graduate. Ask the office how this applies to your order.

Changes to an order. Either parent can request a review when income, custody, or insurance changes. A modification usually takes effect only from the date a request is filed with the court, so delay can cost you money. Past-due support generally cannot be erased after the fact.

What to Bring to a Louisiana Child Support Office and When to Go

Preparation saves you a second trip. Gather as much of the following as you can:

Missing information does not stop you from applying. Staff can search for the other parent using wage, motor vehicle, and other records, but a recent address or employer speeds things up.

Call 888-524-3578 first to confirm whether your office takes walk-ins or works by appointment. Mid-week mornings are usually quieter than Mondays or the days after holidays. Keep copies of everything you hand over, write down your case number, and note the date and name of each staff member you speak with.

The child support program in Louisiana 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 11 cities across Louisiana. They are spread across 11 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Lake Charles, Alexandria, Thibodaux, 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana to find the nearest location.

Louisiana Child Support Payments, Contacts and Timing

Every office in our Louisiana list answers to the same statewide number, 888-524-3578, which is easy to remember because it spells a help line on the keypad. Whether your case sits in Baton Rouge, Monroe, or Ville Platte, the central line is the quickest way to ask about your status, a missed payment, or an upcoming hearing.

Payments in cases handled by DCFS normally move through a state disbursement unit. The employer sends withheld wages there, and the money is then forwarded to the custodial parent by direct deposit or debit card. This creates a clear record of what was paid and when. That record can matter if a dispute reaches court.

Timing varies. A simple case with a cooperative parent and a known employer can move faster than one that requires locating someone or testing for paternity. Serving court papers, scheduling a hearing, and waiting for an order all take time, and no one can promise a date. The best way to keep a case moving is to respond quickly to letters, keep your address and phone number current, and report any new information about the other parent's job.

The offices are grouped under DCFS, so a visit may also involve other benefit programs run from the same building. Tell the staff member at the door that you are there for child support so you are directed to the right desk.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services runs the state's child support program through its Child Support Enforcement staff. You do not need a lawyer to apply. DCFS can locate the other parent, establish paternity, request a court order, and enforce payment. Keep in mind that the DCFS attorney works for the state, not for you personally. If your situation also involves custody, visitation, or a protective order, you may want a private attorney or a legal aid organization in your area to advise you on those separate questions.

Our directory shows 11 offices, and Evangeline Parish has one in Ville Platte at 116 Southwest Railroad Street. You can read more on the Evangeline County page. Many other parishes, such as those around Natchitoches or Amite City, rely on the nearest regional office. If you are unsure which one handles your case, call 888-524-3578 and give your parish and the court that issued any existing order. Staff can tell you where your case is assigned and whether you can complete your business by phone or mail.

Louisiana follows the guidelines in Revised Statutes Title 9, beginning at R.S. 9:315, which use an income shares model. The court adds both parents' gross incomes, finds the basic support obligation from a schedule based on the combined figure and the number of children, and splits it according to each parent's share. Health insurance premiums for the child and work-related child care costs are added. A judge can depart from the guideline amount when it would be unfair, but the judge must explain the reasons in the record.

If your case is handled by DCFS, payments normally go through the state disbursement unit rather than directly to the other parent. Your order or the withholding notice sent to your employer will say how to pay. Paying a parent directly can cause trouble, because the state may not credit those payments and your account could show arrears. Use the method listed on your paperwork, keep receipts, and call 888-524-3578 if you think a payment was missed or posted incorrectly.

Every state has adopted the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which lets states cooperate on support cases. If the other parent lives outside Louisiana, DCFS can send the case to the child support agency in that state, which can locate the parent, establish an order, and withhold wages from an out-of-state employer. A Louisiana order stays valid when the parent moves. Interstate cases often take longer, so give staff every detail you have about the parent's job, address, and relatives.

Your case record is held by the state, not by one building, so a closure in Lake Charles, Thibodaux, or New Orleans does not erase it. Wage withholding usually continues through employers and the state disbursement unit, though delays can occur if an employer is also shut down. If you evacuate, update your mailing address and phone number with DCFS so you do not miss a hearing notice. Call 888-524-3578 before traveling to any office after a storm to confirm whether it has reopened.