Child Support Assistance/Enforcement

Programs that provide assistance which helps to ensure that parents fulfill their mutual obligation to financially support their children. Included are services for people who want to locate an absent parent; establish paternity; establish a child support order; change the amount of a child support award; dispute a child support award; or enforce payment of child support monies in cases where the supporting parent is delinquent in paying or refuses to pay or make arrangements in paying. Child support is money paid by one parent to another for the maintenance, including the education, of their children following the dissolution of their marriage or other relationship. Child support assistance/enforcement may be provided by private lawyers, legal clinics, or provincial/territorial child support enforcement programs (which may be able to draw upon additional sanctions such as the refusal to issue driving licences).