Child Support Recovery Unit

The Child Support Recovery Unit (CSRU) provides services to ensure families receive the child support they need in order to be able to meet the financial and health needs of their children. More information, specific case information, and resources are available on the Child Support Recovery Unit website: www.childsupport.ia.gov.

What services does CSRU provide?

We help families by establishing and enforcing child and medical support orders, and processing support payments.  We do this by:

• Locating parents and their employers or other income sources
• Establishing paternity
• Establishing support orders
• Suspending and reinstating support orders
• Modifying support orders
• Registering other states’ orders for enforcement or modification in Iowa
• Sending and receiving referrals for services to and from other states
• Enforcing support orders through:
  • Income withholding
  • Offsets of federal and state tax refunds
  • Offsets of payments owed to federal and state vendors who do business with government agencies
  • Administrative levies of accounts at financial institutions
  • License sanctions
  • Reporting to credit agencies
  • Initiating contempt of court and garnishment actions
• Enforcing health insurance orders through a payor’s employer
• Receiving and disbursing child support and medical support payments
• Answering customers’ questions and concerns

How do I apply for child support services?

Complete the Application for Services form found online at www.childsupport.ia.gov.  You may also request an application from your local office.  Return the application to the Child Support Recovery Unit (CSRU) office closest to you.  There is no fee to apply for services.  

• To find the mailing address of the office closest to you visit the Offices page:
  • Enter your address
  • The office’s location displays, along with the mailing address

How can I make a child support payment?

The most common method of collecting support is through income withholding. Non-income withholding payments can be made:

• Using a debit or credit card on our website, www.childsupport.ia.gov.  Note: Debit and credit card payments are only accepted online.  
• Using a checking or savings account on our customer website, www.childsupport.ia.gov.
• By automatic withdrawal or on-demand from a checking or savings account or by phone. Forms to sign up to make these types of electronic payments (auto withdrawal or pay by web or phone) are available on our website: www.childsupport.ia.gov.
• With cash at a local retailer using PayNearMe®. The Iowa Child Support Recovery Unit partnership with electronic cash payment provider PayNearMe® allows parents to make their child support payments with cash at more than 300 Iowa and thousands of participating 7-Eleven® and Casey's General Stores® locations nationwide. The process is simple:

1. Visit childsupport.ia.gov and select the “Pay with cash using PayNearMe” option. Enter the required information on the PayNearMe website.
2. Bring the PayCode to any participating store, ask to make a bill payment, hand the PayCode to the cashier and pay with cash, up to $999. A $1.99 processing fee applies. 
3. Collect the receipt. Iowa Child Support is notified of your payment. Allow 3 to 4 business days for the payment to post.  

• Using MoneyGram. The Iowa Child Support Recovery Unit accepts MoneyGram payments for child support at over 25,000 U.S. agent locations inside retailers including Walmart, CVS Pharmacy, and Kroger. How it works:

• The Receive Code 14659
• Your Iowa Child Support Case Number
• The payment amount for you child support and fee of $3.99

• By Mail: Send a check or money order payable to the Collection Services center to:

Note: Always remember to include your CSC case number on your payment.

Whom should I contact for answers about child support?

• Visit the Child Support Recovery Unit website, www.childsupport.ia.gov.  
• Visit the Resources section of the website for information about Child Support 
• To view Frequently Asked Questions, click on the “FAQ” tab on the home page
• Call our automated information line, 1-888-229-9223.  Information is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 
• Contact your local office.  Local office contact information can be found on the Offices page of the CSRU website.  

Structure of the Child Support Recovery Unit:

The Child Support Recovery Unit has offices throughout the state, organized into 4 regions, which establish and enforce child support.

The Employers Partnering in Child Support (EPICS) unit connects the employer community to the Child Support Recovery Unit.  EPICS serves as a single point of contact for employers to get answers to questions about their responsibilities in:

• Withholding child support and medical support payments through income withholding
• Enforcing health insurance 
• Enforcing license sanctions
• Reporting new hires, rehires and terminations

The automated telephone information line (IVR) provides information about our services, including payment information.  Call 1-888-229-9223 (toll free nationwide) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The customer website, www.childsupport.ia.gov, provides case information, allows you to view payments, make updates, view information about our services. 

The Collection Services Center receives and distributes child support payments.  It operates as Iowa's State Disbursement Unit (SDU). The address for sending payments:  

Statistics for the state fiscal year 2020:

• Total caseload:  157,678 cases
• Percentage of cases with court orders: 93.4%
• Total collections:  $348 million

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