Cayuga County Human Services
Support Collection Unit

Teresa Nolan Director
Phone: (888) 208-4485
Fax: (315) 253-1009

          The function of the Support Collection Unit is to establish paternity for out-of-wedlock children, to pursue child support, including medical support, for the children and when needed to locate the absent parent for support purposes.

          We do not charge for our services. Clients do complete an application form for the help. The clients help facilitate their case by providing us with as much information they know about the absent parent. Yes, we do pursue mothers.

          In the past, paternity had to be established in court only. This can now also be accomplished by the completion of an acknowledgement at the hospital when the child is born. The forms can be completed at our office.

          Our clients come to us from several avenues: Family Assistance and Medicaid cases, Family Courts, other States and "off the street".

          The majority of our cases deal with our own Family Court; however, we also work with the various Courts throughout New York State and New York City. We have a sizeable caseload involving the other states.

          Several mechanisms can be used to enforce the orders, these include: income executions on wages, suspensions of licenses, attaching income tax refunds, and lottery intercepts. Liquid assets such as checking and savings accounts may also be attached.

          Our Investigators may work with Courts, attorneys, employers, financial institutions, as well as contacts in other States to enforce the orders so the children can receive the support to which they are entitled.

          There are six support investigators in the Unit covering a total caseload of over 10,000 cases. The active average caseload is 1600-1700 each.

          In April 2001 we collected approximately $590,000 in support. Of this amount, $32,000 was applied to TANF and Foster Care cases. Approximately $9,000 was applied to medical support cases for confinement costs reimbursement and blood grouping tests. Non public assistance families received the balance.

Cayuga County Human Services Home Page

Updated: 1/7/2010