Child Support Roles & Responsibilities

Local & State Agencies

The Wisconsin Child Support Program is a combined effort of state, local, and private entities. The overlapping responsibilities of these entities may be confusing.

• Child Support Agencies: 71 Wisconsin county child support agencies provide direct case management services for more than 360,000 child support cases. Child support agencies work with local courts, sheriff’s departments and other local agencies to coordinate child support services. Each child support agency employs or contracts with a child support attorney(s) to provide legal services. Child support attorneys represent the state, not the parents. (Tribal Child Support Agencies provide similar services to their members.)
  
• Courts - Circuit Courts: The courts in Wisconsin conduct hearings and issue court orders. Courts have the sole authority for ordering child support, medical support, and changing support orders. The courts also impose civil and criminal enforcement remedies.
  
• Trust Fund - The Wisconsin Support Collections Trust Fund: The Trust Fund is a centralized operation responsible for processing all child support collections and performing activities related to posting, adjusting and issuing payments.
  
• Bureau of Child Support: The Bureau of Child Support is the state agency that oversees and manages the Wisconsin Child Support program. This agency is responsible for setting statewide policy and providing technical assistance to local child support agencies. The Bureau operates the KIDS child support computer system and the Wisconsin Support Collections Trust Fund.

Go back to More Child Support Information