You asked if Connecticut or other nearby states attempt to collect child support from the noncustodial parents of children in foster care and, if so, how successful their programs are.

Federal child support laws and regulations require all states to have procedures for collecting child support from such parents (42 USC § 654(4)). In Connecticut, each parent has the legal duty to pay it or foster care fees while the child is in foster care (CGS § 17b-223). The parent with whom the child was living when Department of Children and Families (DCF) began giving foster care services must assign her child support rights to the state (CGS § 17b-179(b)).

DCF turns the collection aspect of the case over to the Department of Social Service's Bureau of Child Support Enforcement (BCSE). From that point on, BCSE uses the same methods to recover child support payment that it uses for other support enforcement cases. These include: (1) locating the absent parent; (2) establishing paternity, if necessary; (3) placing liens on his personal property, including his car, home, bank accounts, and certain insurance and lawsuit payouts; (4) revoking his passport and occupational and sporting licenses; and (5) intercepting tax refunds and lottery winnings.

Child support payments collected on behalf of foster children are distributed first to the federal government to offset the matching funds it gave the state for Medicaid and cash assistance payments. The state can

keep the amount it paid for the services it provided, and any remainder goes to the custodial parent if the child returned home (42 USC § 657).

We could not find data to evaluate the success of Connecticut's or other states' programs. This is likely due to the federal requirement that states report combined child support collections for foster children and children receiving cash or medical assistance benefits. (All foster children qualify for cash and medical assistance, but most cash and medical assistance beneficiaries do not receive foster care services. )

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