child support enforcement agency
child-support-enforcement agency. Family law. A governmental agency that helps custodial parents collect child support. • Under Title IV(D) of the Social Security Act (42 USCA § 654), states are required to establish child-support-enforcement agencies to collect support for obligee parents. Although the agencies are governed by a set of federal standards, each state has its own central registry. The CSE agency may operate through the state’s Department of Human Services, its Department of Justice, its tax agency, or its Attorney General’s office. The agency can help locate a missing parent and establish paternity. The agency works to establish support orders and to enforce those orders. — Abbr. CSE agency. — Also termed IV-D agency. See OFFICE OF CHILD-SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT.
