Child support in Pennsylvania is a state-supervised program that is delivered county by county. The Department of Human Services oversees it through the Bureau of Child Support Services, while the daily work of opening cases, setting orders and collecting payments happens locally. The offices on this page run from Philadelphia in the southeast to Emporium in the north-central mountains, and they do not all work the same way. Here is how the system is organised, so you can reach the right people the first time.

A call or visit to the wrong place can cost you a week, and in a support case a week of missed payments adds up. The sections below cover who is in charge, how urban and rural counties differ, what paperwork to gather, and which state rules shape your case.

Who Runs Child Support in Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is the state agency responsible for the federally required child support program. Its Bureau of Child Support Services sets policy, monitors county performance and maintains PACSES, the statewide case-management system that records orders and payments. Every county works from the same system, so your case history is visible statewide.

Counties do the hands-on work. In each of the state's 67 counties, the Domestic Relations Section of the Court of Common Pleas handles intake, locates parents, establishes paternity and enforces orders. Conference officers, hearing officers and judges make the decisions. Because these staff belong to the court system rather than DHS, hours and procedures can differ from one county to the next.

Our database lists 35 offices, each titled a Child Support & Social Service Office, and every listing carries the same statewide number: 877-727-7238. Treat that number as your first stop. Ask which county holds your case, whether the listed street address accepts walk-ins, and whether you need an appointment.

The laws behind Pennsylvania support orders

Support amounts follow statewide guidelines found in the Domestic Relations Code (Title 23 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes) and Chapter 1910 of the Rules of Civil Procedure. The guidelines use an income-shares approach. They start with both parents' net incomes and the number of children, then add costs such as child care, health insurance and unreimbursed medical expenses. A judge may depart from the formula, but must explain the reasons in writing.

Metro Offices and Rural Courthouse Towns Across Pennsylvania

Where you live changes your experience more than most people expect. In the southeast and in larger county seats, caseloads are heavy. The Philadelphia listing at 34 South 11th Street, the Media office at 201 West Front Street in Delaware County and the Reading office at 633 Court Street in Berks County serve dense populations. Plan to book ahead, allow time for building security, and use phone or mail for routine questions.

Mid-sized counties sit in between. The Lancaster office at 150 North Queen Street serves Lancaster County, and the Carlisle office at 13 North Hanover Street serves Cumberland County. Both towns are county seats, so you can often handle court dates and office business in one trip. Still, check hours before you go.

Rural counties work differently. Cameron County, whose office is at 20 East 5th Street in Emporium, and Sullivan County, whose Laporte office is at 245 Muncy Street, are among the least populous counties in the state. Offices in places like these are typically small, so you may deal with the same few people each time. That helps when your case has a long history.

Distance is the practical problem in the north and west. A parent in the Allegheny Plateau may drive a long way to a county seat such as Ridgway in Elk County, Franklin in Venango County, or Brookville in Jefferson County, where the office is at 155 Main Street. Phone, mail and online tools exist partly for that reason. Use them for payment questions, and save the trip for hearings and signing documents.

Two listings use post office boxes: Ebensburg in Cambria County (PO Box 398) and Mifflintown in Juniata County (PO Box 68). Send mail to a box, but do not assume anyone will meet you there. Call 877-727-7238 first to find where in-person service happens.

In the northeast, offices in Honesdale (Wayne County), Milford (Pike County) and Montrose (Susquehanna County) sit in small courthouse towns. In the center of the state, Lewisburg, Lock Haven, Middleburg and Danville fill the same role for Union, Clinton, Snyder and Montour counties.

What to Bring Before You Visit a Pennsylvania Child Support Office

Preparation shortens appointments and speeds up the first order. Gather as much of the following as you can:

Missing information does not stop you from applying. Staff can use state and federal locate tools to find an employer or an address. Still, the more detail you give, the faster that search goes.

If the parents were never married, paternity comes first. A father can sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, often at the hospital after the birth. Otherwise the court can order genetic testing. Once paternity is legally established, the office can seek a support order.

Pennsylvania Rules That Affect Your Case

Anyone can apply for child support services, regardless of income. Parents who receive cash assistance through TANF generally assign their support rights to the state, so the office pursues payments on their behalf. Ask the staff whether any application or service fee applies to your situation, since this can vary by case type.

Most payments move by income withholding. The employer deducts the amount from each paycheck and sends it to the Pennsylvania State Collection and Disbursement Unit, which passes it on to the receiving parent. Keeping your employer information current matters, because a job change can interrupt payments until the new employer is notified.

When payments stop, the office has several enforcement tools. These include tax refund intercepts, interception of lottery winnings, suspension of driver's and other licenses, credit bureau reporting and contempt hearings that can lead to jail. The office applies them when nonpayment becomes a pattern.

Orders do not change on their own. If your income drops, a child's needs change or custody shifts, ask the Domestic Relations Section for a review. Modifications generally take effect from the date you file, not the date your situation changed, so do not wait. Never rely on a private agreement with the other parent. Only a court order is enforceable, and unrecorded payments may not be credited.

You can reach the main line at 877-727-7238 for case questions. Keep your case number handy, and write down the name of whoever helps you. Notes from earlier calls are useful if a dispute arises later.

The child support program in Pennsylvania 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 35 cities across Pennsylvania. They are spread across 35 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include New Bloomfield, Lancaster, Media, 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania to find the nearest location.

Choosing the Right Pennsylvania Office for Your Situation

Start with the county where the child or the parent with custody lives. The court there usually holds the case file, and its Domestic Relations Section is the office that can act on it. If you have moved since the order was entered, the original county may still control the case until it is transferred, so ask before assuming your file has followed you.

County pages help you compare nearby options. In Northampton County, the Easton office is at 126 South Union Street, while Indiana County's office sits at 665 Philadelphia Street in the borough of Indiana. In central and eastern Pennsylvania, Danville serves Montour County from 114 Woodbine Lane, and Pottsville serves Schuylkill County from 401 North 2nd Street. Further south, New Bloomfield in Perry County and McConnellsburg in Fulton County cover two of the state's smaller county seats.

Watch for scams. Staff will not ask you to pay a release fee or buy gift cards to unlock your case. Legitimate payments go through the Pennsylvania State Collection and Disbursement Unit or through wage withholding. If a caller or text message demands money any other way, hang up and call 877-727-7238 yourself.

Parents who live in different states are not stuck. Pennsylvania has adopted the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which lets one state's agency establish or enforce an order for another. Your local office can start that process, though it may take longer than a single-county case. Keep copies of every document you hand in, and ask for the date the office received it.

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services oversees the program through its Bureau of Child Support Services. The bureau sets policy, runs the PACSES computer system and monitors county results. The practical work happens in each county's Domestic Relations Section, which is part of the Court of Common Pleas. Those staff open cases, schedule conferences, track payments and bring enforcement actions. For most parents this means you deal with county staff, not state headquarters. Every office in our directory lists the same statewide number, 877-727-7238, so start there if you are unsure which county holds your case or where to go in person.

Contact the Domestic Relations Section in the county where you or the child live. Ask whether it takes applications in person, by mail or through online tools, because options differ by county. Expect to provide identification, income details and whatever you know about the other parent. After the application, the office notifies the other parent and schedules a conference. A conference officer reviews both parents' incomes against the guidelines. If the parents agree, an order can be entered. If not, the case goes to a hearing before a judge or hearing officer. Bring pay stubs plus child care and insurance records to avoid delays.

Usually only the county that holds your case. A case belongs to the county where it was filed, normally based on where the child or the receiving parent lives. If you walk into an office in a different county, staff may answer general questions but may not be able to act on your file. A parent in Lancaster County should deal with the Lancaster office at 150 North Queen Street rather than the Reading office in Berks County. If you have moved, call 877-727-7238 or the original county before traveling, and ask whether the case should be transferred or can stay where it is.

Pennsylvania uses an income-shares model written into statewide guidelines. The court starts with each parent's net monthly income, combines them and applies a schedule based on the number of children. Each parent is responsible for a share in proportion to income. Extra costs such as child care, health insurance premiums and unreimbursed medical expenses are added and divided. Substantial parenting time can lower the amount owed, because that parent covers more direct expenses. A judge can depart from the formula, but must give reasons. Accurate income proof, including overtime and bonuses, is the most useful thing you can bring, because it drives the whole calculation.

Report the missed payments to your county Domestic Relations Section and pass along any news about the other parent's job, bank or address. The office can send income withholding to a new employer, intercept state and federal tax refunds, and intercept lottery winnings. It can also report arrears to credit bureaus and seek suspension of driver's, professional or recreational licenses. If nonpayment continues, the court can schedule a contempt hearing, and a judge may impose penalties that include jail. Keep your own record of payments received. The office's payment history is the official record, but your notes help resolve disputes quickly.

In Pennsylvania, support generally continues until the child turns 18, and it may continue past that age if the child is still attending high school. Adult children with serious disabilities and certain other situations may be treated differently, and the wording of your order controls. Do not stop paying, or stop expecting payments, on your own because of a birthday. Ask your county office how termination is handled and what paperwork is needed, ideally a few months ahead. Unpaid back support, known as arrears, remains owed even after current support ends, and the office can keep collecting it.