Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA)
The purpose of the child support program is to provide children with the opportunity for a better life. Working with both parents to establish and enforce support orders is essential in helping children receive the financial and medical support they deserve. The program also strives to benefit tax payers by defraying the cost of public assistance by helping families become and remain self sufficient.
Next to public education, no other social service program nationally, statewide or locally, affects more children than the child support enforcement program.
Lorain County CSEA administers nearly 31,000 active support cases for over 35,000 children. Of these support cases, approximately 89% are non-public assistance cases, and 11% are public assistance cases. Currently 70% of child support obligors make regular payments to support their children. The agency collects approximately $53 million annually, utilizing a number of enforcement methods, including income withholding, interception of federal and state tax returns, suspension of professional and driver's licenses, liens on property, and seizure of bank and financial accounts.
The CSEA also offers many services including: Genetic testing, administrative establishment of paternity, establishment of and enforcement of medical and child support orders, review and modification of support orders, and locating of non-residential parents. The agency routinely works with the Sheriff's Office, the Prosecutor's Office, Domestic Relations and Juvenile Courts to enforce support orders.
OHIO'S FREE AND EASY OPTIONS FOR PARENTS TO PAY THEIR CHILD SUPPORT
Easy Child Support Payment Options - YouTube
Lorain County Child Support - Back to School - Amnesty is back! August 1st through August 30th.
Obligor must pay 1-month current child support obligation plus $1 for each case the obligor is in default. CSEA will release the license suspension.
Below are additional details about the program and making payments.
Amnesty payments must be made between August 1st - August 31st, 2024.
Modes of Payments:
Lorain County CSEA
Cash, check or money order - Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. (Check or money order ONLY (no cash) may also be placed in the drop box after hours or mailed to: Lorain County CSEA - 42485 North Ridge Road - Elyria, Ohio 44035
Payments must have your SETS /Case number and state that it is to be applied to the amnesty program.
Online
Credit card payment online through your web portal account at: https://childsupport.ohio.gov/login.jfs
You will need your participant number to access our web portal account.
By using: https://oh.smartchildsupport.com
Text **new**
Credit card payment via text. Set text message payment options by linking a credit card at https://oh.smartchildsupport.com
Telephone
Credit card payment - Call 1-888-965-2676 (select option 5)
Check or money order payable to OCSPC may be mailed to either
CSPC - P.O. Box 182372 Columbus, Ohio 43218-2372
or
Lorain County CSEA - 42485 North Ridge Road Elyria, Ohio 44035-2004
Payments must have your SETS/Case number and state that it is to be applied to the amnesty program. You must wait until the payment posts to your case for reinstatement. Upon request, we will mail you the reinstatement paperwork. Please check your WEB PORTAL account or CALL Lorain County CSEA Call Center at 440-284-4401 option 3 to check for payment posting, reinstatement paperwork, or any questions.
After we release your license suspension, you will still need to contact the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles to address any BMV reinstatement fees directly with that agency.
Child Support Customer Service Web Portal
This is an interactive web portal that provides child support customers a secure environment in which they can view their child support case information. Once registered, Obligors and Obligees are able to view and print up to two years of child support payment data as well as view address, employment, health insurance and support order information on file with the child support enforcement agency.
To register, Obligors and Obligees will need their 10-digit SETS case number and social security number. In addition, Obligees will need either the last 4 digits of their direct deposit account or, if they have an Ohio e-QuickPay Card, they will need to call Customer Inquiry Call Center (CICC) at 1-800-686-1556 to find out the last 4 digits of their account number.
Upon successful completion of the registration process, the User ID and Password allows the child support customer to access their case information through the Child Support Customer Service Portal. The portal is available twenty-three (23) hours a day, seven (7) days a week.
Making Child Support Payments
Payments can be made with cash, cashier's check, personal check, or money order at the Lorain County CSEA lobby, Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.
**Now accepting CREDIT CARD payments for child support obligations by phone at 1-888-965-2676 (option 5) or online at https://oh.smartchildsupport.com.**
Payments made online at https://oh.smartchildsupport.com accept direct debit, American Express, China UnionPay, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, Alipay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and WeChat Pay.
Payments can be made on the Ohio Child Support Mobile Application (Available on the App Store and Google Play.)
- Your Name,
- Your Social Security Number (optional),
- SETS Case Number(s) (10-digit number that begins with a 7),
- Court Order Number, and
- Amount that should be applied to each case if you have more than one case.
