IV-A
("four-a") A title of the Social Security Act relating to individuals that participate in public assistance programs administered by the county departments of job and family services.

IV-D
("four-d") A title of the Social Security Act relating to individuals that participate in child support or spousal support services that are available by application or through participation in other benefit programs which establish and enforce a child support obligation.

IV-D Application
A written, signed document required to be completed for individuals desiring child support services that are or have not, in the past, received public assistance benefits. Click here to view Ohio's IV-D application.

IV-E (Foster Care)
("four-e") A title of the Social Security Act which relates to services for legal temporary custody of children through a Public Children's Services Agency on finding of probable or of actual finding of dependency, abuse, neglect and sometimes delinquency.

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Administrative Process
Steps taken by the CSEA, to establish and enforce child support obligations as an alternative to court actions.

Administrative Subpoenas
Issued by a state or county agency, by statute, commanding an individual to appear at a certain time and place to give testimony regarding a certain matter; or, to provide information.

Advance Notice of Default
Notification to an obligor that he/she is in default, and subject to one or more enforcement remedies to satisfy the support obligation.

Age of Majority
Attained upon one's eighteenth birthday. However, a child support order will remain in effect beyond attainment of eighteen as long as the child continuously attends an accredited high school on a full time basis, the child is determined to be mentally or physically disabled by the court, or both parents have agreed to continue support after the age of 18 and it is incorporated in a divorce decree. No current obligation will remain in effect after the child attains the age of nineteen, unless a court orders otherwise.

Alleged Father
A person who has been named as the father of a child born out of wedlock, but for whom paternity has not been legally established.

Assignment of Rights
A public assistance eligibility requirement whereby the applicant/recipient must assign to the state all rights he/she may have to income, such as child support.

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Buccal Swab
A recognized form of genetic testing used to determine paternity, which involves a q-tip type instrument for collecting saliva from individuals submitting to testing.

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Caretaker
The person responsible for a dependent child's health or welfare who has temporary or legal custody of the child.

Case Transfer
To move a case in its entirety to another CSEA.

Case Closure
Federally mandated reasons for an agency to close a case. Classification of a case as closed does not terminate the court order or the legal obligation to pay any outstanding arrears.

CCPA
Consumer Credit Protection Act: Federal law that limits the amount that may be withheld from earnings to satisfy child support obligations. Regardless of the number of withholding orders that have been served, the maximum that may be withheld for child support is:
    Without arrearage:  50% with a second family
                                 60% single
         With arrearage:  55% with a second family and 12+ weeks in arrears
                                 65% single and 12+ weeks in arrears

CDJFS
County Department of Job and Family Services

CDJFS/CSEA Automated Interface
Exchange of information electronically between IV-A (public assistance), the Medicaid program, and IV-D (child support) agencies.

CEJ
In UIFSA, for interstate cases, the acronym for "continuing, exclusive jurisdiction" which is the tribunal issuing the controlling order that may modify the order.

Central Paternity Registry (CPR)
A clearinghouse of birthing information obtained as a result of the establishment of a parent/child relationship on out-of-wedlock births in Ohio.

Child Support
An amount of money under a court or administrative order that is due and owed by the non-custodial parent for the support of the parent's child(ren).

Child Support Payment Central (CSPC)
The unit within the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Office of Child Support, where all child support payments are processed.

Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Medical assistance for children up to the age of 19 with family income at or below 150% of the poverty level.

Confidentiality
All information received about a child support case is to be kept within the scope of the agency and disseminated only to authorized persons.

Contempt of Court
Any act in willful defiance of the court's authority or dignity, or, tending to impede or frustrate the administration of justice. Contempt is punishable by fines and/or jail sentences.

Cooperation
The custodial parent must provide, as a condition of receiving public assistance benefits, sufficient information to identify a child's father and/or establish, modify and enforce a support order, inclusive of submitting to genetic testing and appearing at paternity and child support proceedings.

Corrective Action Plan
A plan for achieving acceptable levels of program compliance.

Credit Reporting Agency (CRA)
Any agency which tracks financial obligations of individuals or a company and used by banks, merchants, suppliers, etc. for the purpose of evaluating credit risk.

CSEA
Child Support Enforcement Agency

Current Assistance Case
A case where the children are recipients of benefits under Ohio Works First, Medicaid or entitled to foster care maintenance payments; the support rights have been assigned to a state, and a referral to the IV-D agency for child support, spousal support or medical support has been made.

Current IV-A Assistance Collections
Child support, spousal support or medical support collections for a current IV-A assistance case. This is a case where the children are recipients of OWF ; the support rights have been assigned to the state; and a referral to the IV-D agency has been made.

Current IV-E Assistance Collections
Child support, spousal support, or medical support collections for a current IV-E assistance case. This is a case where the children are entitled to foster care maintenance payments under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act; the support rights have been assigned to the state; and a referral to the IV-D agency has been made.

Current Support
The amount of a support the noncustodial parent is ordered under an administrative or court order to pay during the current month to fulfill the current month's support obligation.

Custodial Parent
The child's legal caretaker who has custody of the children and may be entitled to receive child support payments on behalf of the children. Also referred to as residential parent or obligee.

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Default
Any failure to pay under a support order that is an amount greater than or equal to the amount of support payable under the support order for one month.

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Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
Process by which information regarding an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) transaction is transmitted electronically along with the EFT funds transfer.

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
Process by which money is transmitted electronically from one bank account to another.

Emancipation
The act of a minor child legally attaining independence. This can be obtained by age, marriage, entrance into the armed services, or decree of the court.

Enforcement
Methods to ensure payment of the obligation by the obligor.

Expedited Processes
Federal and state statutory requirement that support actions be processed within specified time parameters.

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Federal Case Registry (FCR)
A computerized Federal System in which all child support cases in all states are entered and tracked. This registry includes the Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS) and the National Directory of New Hires.

Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)
Unique nine digit number assigned to all employers by the Internal Revenue Services (IRS), which must be used in numerous transactions, including submitting data and responding to requests relevant to child support.

Former Assistance Collections
Child support, spousal support, or medical support collections for a former assistance case.

Fraudulent Transfer
Actions by an obligor to deliberately transfer assets or to enter into an obligation to avoid child support.

Full Faith and Credit
Recognizing other states' child support related actions as legal and enforceable determinations in Ohio.

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Genetic Testing
A procedure to establish a likelihood that the putative or alleged father is or is not the biological father of a child.

Good Cause
Findings by the IV-D agency that a recipient is excused from an obligation to facilitate establishment of child support and enforcement efforts.

Guidelines (Child Support)
The schedule which takes into account parents' incomes and deductions for establishment of a monthly monetary child support obligation.

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Hearing Officer
An impartial ODJFS or CSEA employee with no personal stake or involvement in a case, who listens to both the applicant/recipient and department representatives in order to rule on a determination being appealed.

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Imputing Income
The act of awarding potential income to individuals not employed or voluntarily underemployed; the CSEA or court may project utilizing the child support guidelines, an income base for purposes of establishing a support obligation.

Income Withholding
Withholding from an obligor's income for the purposes of paying a support obligation. "Income" means: any form of monetary payment, including personal earnings; workers' compensation payments; unemployment compensation benefits; pensions; annuities; allowances; private or governmental retirement benefits; disability or sick pay; insurance proceeds; lottery prize awards; federal, state or local government benefits to the extent that the benefits can be withheld or deducted under the law governing the benefits; any form of trust fund or endowment; lump-sum payments; and any other payment in money.

Interactive Voice Response Unit (IVR)
Telephone system that makes frequently requested child support information available to customers over touch-tone telephones.

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Judgment
The official decision of a court of justice upon the respective rights and claims of the parties to an action or suit.

Jurisdiction
The CSEA with responsibility over all case actions of a child support case as a result of a court or administrative action originating in that county.

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Lien
An administrative or court enforcement remedy enacted by an encumbrance on any real or personal property belonging to the obligor.

Location of Parent
The act of determining the whereabouts of a parent and/or his or her assets.

Long Arm
A tribunal in Ohio exercising personal jurisdiction over a nonresident.

Lump Sum Intercept
An amount of money to be paid to an employee, but interrupted by a CSEA to be applied to support and/or support arrears.

Lump Sum Judgment
A court may reduce a child support or spousal support arrearage to a lump-sum judgment. Once a lump-sum judgment has been obtained it may be enforced either by obtaining a lien or by using the income withholding enforcement tools.

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Medicaid-Only Case
A low income or aged applicant/recipient receiving federal or state sponsored medical and hospital insurance benefits only (no cash assistance).

Medical Support
The CSEA shall secure and enforce the requirement for medical insurance for all IV-D cases when coverage is available and reasonable or expected to become available.

Mistake of Fact Hearing
A hearing to determine if there was an error in a process (e.g., the amount of current or overdue support, medical order, or in the identity of the alleged absent parent, etc.)

Modification
See review and adjustment.

Modified Arrears
Adjustment of the support arrearage obligation.

Multistate Financial Institution Data Match (MSFIDM)
Process created by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act (PRWORA) of 1996 by which delinquent child support obligations are matched with accounts held in Financial Institutions doing business with more than one state. States undertake actions to place a lien on and seize all or part of the account.

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National Medical Support Order (NMSN)
Federally required form that all state IV-D child support agencies use to enforce medical support orders for children. It is required for all employment based insurance coverage and is generated and sent to employers in response to the New Hire Reporting process or through alternate means. It constitutes a Qualified Medical Child Support Order and meets ERISA requirements.

Non-Custodial Parent
The parent who does not have legal custody of the child and who is responsible for payment of child support. Also referred to as non-residential parent or obligor.

Non-IV-D Case
A case where the absent parent pays an administrative or court ordered support amount to the CSEA which, in turn, issues a check to the custodial parent, who has chosen not to complete a IV-D application and is not receiving OWF benefits. The CSEA only acts as a fiscal agent for disbursing those payments and provides no other services.

Non-IV-D Collections
Child Support, spousal support or medical support collections for a non IV-D case.

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Obligee
Any person, including a state or political subdivision, to whom a duty of support is owed or a person, including a state or political subdivision, that has commenced proceedings for enforcement of actual or alleged duty of support or registration of foreign support order. Also may be referred to as custodial or residential parent.

Obligor
Any person owing a duty of support or against whom proceedings for enforcement of a duty of support or a registration of support orders is commenced. Also may be referred to as non-custodial or non-residential parent.

OCS
Office of Child Support, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The Office of Child Support is the single state agency that has the responsibility for administration and supervision of the State Plan of the IV-D program in Ohio.

OCSE
Office of Child Support Enforcement, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, the federal office with the responsibility for the administration of the IV-D program.

Ohio Administrative Code (OAC)
Procedural and regulatory rules which facilitate the implementation of Ohio law by governmental agencies.

Ohio Revised Code (ORC)
Statutory and regulatory law of Ohio as opposed to court mandated common law. ORC also codifies common law.

Ohio Works First (OWF)
A benefit program of Ohio to divert IV-A clients into jobs which will promote skills as well as bring monetary benefits to the client.

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Parent Locator Service
A computerized location network operated by the Federal Office of Child Support (FPLS).

Paternity
The process by which the father of a child is definitively and legally identified.

Paternity Affidavit
A document used by both parents to establish paternity at their local hospital, local registrar or the CSEA. This is filed with the central paternity registry.

Payor
Any individual or entity making payments or distributing income to a person.

Performance Standards
There are two ways to measure CSEA performance levels: incentive-based, whereby CSEAs will be reviewed once annually for the ratio for cost-effectiveness and twice annually for other performance indicators to determine if CSEAs are meeting the standards to receive financial incentives; and county self-assessment, to ensure compliance with the state plan, measure reactions to change/adaptability, and customer satisfaction.

Postal Verification
Confirmation by the post office in determining the current address of an obligor.

Poster Program
A program which publishes and displays a series of posters with photographs of child support obligors who are delinquent in their support payments and unlocatable.

Putative Father
A person who has been named as the father of a child born out of wedlock but for whom paternity has not been established.

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Quick Administrative Enforcement
An interstate situation involving administrative enforcement action limited to financial institution data matching to locate assets, freeze assets and seize assets to satisfy child support arrears.

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Random Moment Sample for Child Support
A cost allocation methodology designed to distribute expenditures from the child support administrative fund (CSAF) among program areas and activities.

Record Retention
The requirement for all case records to be maintained over a period of time by the CSEA having jurisdiction over the case.

Residential/Non-Residential Parent
See custodial/non-custodial parent.

Review and Adjustment
The act of re-examining a support order for possible changes to that order.

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Service of Process
The delivery of a writ, summons, subpoena, or other notice to the party to whom it is directed for obtaining personal jurisdiction over and notice of proceedings to that party.

Social Security Administration
An agency of the Department of Health and Human Services which administers a national program of contributory social insurance whereby employees, employers and the self-employed pay contributions which are pooled in special trust funds.

Spousal Support (Collections)
Collections for alimony to a former spouse.

Spousal Support (Order)
An order established for the support of a former spouse that is issued by a court.

State Disbursement Unit (SDU)
The single site in each state where all child support payments are processed. In Ohio, the SDU is the Child Support Payment Central (CSPC).

State Hearing
When an action is taken by an agency and the applicant/recipient disagrees with that action, he/she may request a state hearing. The hearing officer decide whether the action is appropriate and what the outcome will be.

State Plan
A comprehensive plan submitted by ODJFS describing the nature and scope of its specific program and giving assurance that it will be administered in conformity with specific federal requirements.

Support Arrears
The arrearage accrues when a portion of or all of the current support ordered to be paid under a court or administrative support order is past-due.

Support Enforcement Tracking System (SETS)
A statewide computerized tracking management system which manages, through automation, the child support cases for the CSEAs and the program services provided.

Support Order
An administrative or court order for the payment of child, issued by a court or an administrative agency.

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TANF
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which is called OWF in Ohio.

Tax Offset
May be done by either by the Internal Revenue Service or the Ohio Department of Taxation or both, to intercept and offset the tax refunds of non-custodial parents to collect support arrearages.

Termination of Order
The point where the entire child support obligation has been fulfilled and an action has been ordered either administratively or by the court to end any further payments by the obligor.

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UIFSA
Uniform Interstate Family Support Act which replaces URESA and is a Model Act which all states were required to adopt verbatim. It is used to enforce and manage interstate child support cases.

URESA
Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act, replaced by UIFSA.

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Voluntary Payments
Payments made to a custodial parent by the non-custodial parent without a child support order established. These payments are considered as gifts to the custodial parent.

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Withholding (Income)
See income withholding.

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