Parentage & Child Support

The Parentage & Child Support Branch is responsible for processing paternity and child support cases in the District of Columbia.

How do I...

Find out whether the other parent has made a payment if I haven’t received it yet?
Contact the Parentage and Support Branch office located in Room 300, on the JM level of the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Ave., NW, phone 202-879-1212 or the Office of the Attorney General at 441 4th Street, NW, phone 202-442-9900.

Obtain copies of my child support court orders?
Report to the Parentage and Support Branch office located in Room 300, on the JM level, of the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Ave., NW. Washington, DC 20001, phone 202-879-1212. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Please request your case(s) by the case number. A photo identification is required to view Paternity cases or any case that includes the establishment of paternity as an issue.

Only involved parties in the case may view the case, it cannot be removed and must be viewed in the presence of a parentage & support worker.

Find out when my court date is?
Call (202) 879-4856 or go to the Parentage & Child Support Branch in room 300 on the JM level of the Moultrie Courthouse, or call (202) 879-1212 or go to the Central Intake Center in room JM 540 and staff can tell you when your next court date is.

Pay my child support?
Mail a check or money order to: DC Child Support Clearinghouse, PO Box 37715, Washington, DC 20013-7715.

Do not bring payments to the courthouse. The check is made out to the DC Child Support Clearinghouse and must include your full name, case number, and your social security number.

Start a child support case?
If there is no child support order in place, you should file a Petition to Establish Paternity and/or for Child Support with the Central Intake Center (room 540 on the JM Level of the Moultrie Courthouse) or seek, the services of Child Support Services Division of the DC Attorney General’s office: 441 4th Street NW Washington. For a more detailed explanation of these issues, please refer to Child Support: Opening a Child Support Case.

Establish parentage?
If you have not yet filed a case, you should file a Petition to Establish Paternity and/or Child Support with the Central Intake Center (Room 540 on the JM Level of the Moultrie Courthouse) or through the DC Attorney General’s office: 441 4th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001.

For more information, you can visit the Family Court Self-Help Center. The center, which is open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., can explain the process to you, help you complete the proper legal papers, and direct you to other free legal resources.

Get a copy of my payment history?
You can obtain payment histories from the Parentage and Child Support Branch located in Room 300 on the JM level of the Moultrie Courthouse.You can also get payment histories from the Child Support Services Division of the Office of the Attorney General located at 441 4th Street, NW.

Change my child support payments because I am now unemployed?
File a Motion to Modify Child Support with the Family Court’s Central Intake Center, located in Room 540 on the JM level of the Moultrie Courthouse.

A Child Support Guideline Calculator is available, which may help you.