The purpose of the Child Support and Paternity Program is to establish and enforce the support obligation owed by the parents. All residents of Gloucester County are entitled to receive services from the Child Support and Paternity Program. Families who receive TANF benefits are generally required to cooperate in establishing paternity and obtaining child support. Our staff is committed to improving the collection of child support and paternity obligations of the parents.

If you believe your child support is too low or you have not had an increase in a long time, you may request a review. If our review finds that your current child support order is 20% below the State standard, we will complete an upward modification for an increase on your behalf. We can also help you obtain medical coverage or assistance in paying for such coverage . By using our services, you can avoid paying many legal fees related to the establishment of child support and paternity orders.

SERVICES OFFERED BY THIS PROGRAM

• Parental location and income verification.
• Establishing paternity including advancing the cost of testing and distribution of the results.
• Establishing Child Support Orders. All states are required to use uniform, statewide child support guidelines to determine child support obligations. Guidelines for New Jersey may be found at the State of New Jersey Judiciary website http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us .
• Upward modification of existing orders.
• Expedite consent process to establish paternity and support.

CHILD SUPPORT AND WORK FIRST NEW JERSEY (WFNJ)
Both parents need to take responsibility for their children. Unless exempted for good cause, recipients of WFNJ must cooperate with the child support agency by providing identifying information about the parent(s) of children in order to secure child support.

Any Resident of Gloucester County can file an application for child support and paternity services in our office.

THINGS NEEDED TO APPLY FOR THIS PROGRAM

Call (856) 582-9200 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. to set up an appointment with a trained professional. At this time, you will be instructed on which documents to bring. Please refer to frequently requested information for additional information on application requirements. Documents that apply to your situation should be presented during the application process.

The New Jersey Department of Human Services has launched a new web page, www.njhelps.org , which allows New Jersey residents to go online and find out if they may be eligible for eight State assistance programs. By simply answering a few questions about household income and expenses, residents can screen for the following programs:

• Food Stamps
• Medicaid (Health Insurance)
• NJ FamilyCare (affordable health insurance for children)
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (heating bill assistance)
• Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (welfare services and cash assistance for families with children)
• General Assistance (welfare services and cash assistance for childless adults)
• NJ Cares for Kids (child care subsidies)
• Kinship Navigator (provides support and assistance to adults raising a relative's child)

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