RESIDENT CITIZEN SERVICES
Collecting Child Support in the United States
The U.S. Embassy is sometimes contacted by the parent of an American child in Colombia, requesting assistance in collecting financial support from the other parent in the United States. The Embassy is also sometimes asked to locate the absent parent for the purpose of collecting financial support.
The Embassy regrets that it is unable to assist in these matters. In the United States, each individual state or territory maintains its own agency that is responsible for the enforcement of child support. These agencies are not a part of the U.S. federal government, and for that reason they do not have representatives at the U.S. Embassy.
If you are the parent of an American child in Colombia and are seeking financial support from the other parent, please contact the child support enforcement agency in the state where the other parent lives, or in the state where you or your child previously lived. A list of state child support agencies is available from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In some cases, the state child support enforcement agency will advise that you travel to that state, or to hire an attorney in that state, to assist you in obtaining a court order for child support. You may want to contact your country's Embassy or Consulate in the United States for a list of attorneys who could represent you.
Some countries, not including Colombia, have agreements with the United States that may allow child support orders issued in those countries to be enforced in the United States without you having to travel or hire an attorney there. Please see the Department of State's website for additional information about these agreements.
Please see the Department of State's website for general information about international child support issues. Information is also available from the Embassy on suggestions for locating a missing person in the United States