Virginia Child Support Office

DCSE is Virginia's IV-D agency, run statewide as a single VDSS division that delivers services through local district offices — a state-administered structure with local service delivery, rather than independently run county agencies.

The division locates noncustodial parents, establishes paternity, sets support orders, and collects and enforces payments once a case is active, with case management through the MyChildSupport portal.

A parent or caretaker of a child can apply for Virginia child support services through the MyChildSupport portal or by contacting a local DCSE district office. Families already receiving TANF or Medicaid in Virginia are typically referred for services automatically.

The application requires identifying information for both parents and the child, along with any existing custody or support paperwork. DCSE then works to establish paternity if needed and get a support order in place.

Virginia collects most support through income withholding once an order is active, disbursed to the receiving parent by direct deposit or debit card through the Treasurer of Virginia's payment system.

Payments can be scheduled and tracked through the MyChildSupport portal, which handles both case management and payments in one place.

DCSE can intercept tax refunds, suspend licenses, and report arrears to credit bureaus when a parent falls behind on payments.

As in every state, federal law allows a passport to be denied or revoked once past-due support exceeds $2,500.