Parents in Custody

Child Support and Parents in Custody

The Oregon Child Support Program provides child support services to parents who pay support and parents who receive support. We can help:

  • Establish paternity
  • Establish a child support order or make changes to an existing support order
  • Collect and process child support payments

The info below applies if your child support order is from Oregon. (If your child support order is from another state or Tribe, you need to contact them directly as Oregon’s process does not apply).

 If you will be in custody for at least 180 days

We will issue a notice to you and the other parent to suspend (stop) your child support order if you are unable to pay while you’re in custody.

  • If neither parent objects, your child support order suspends, and you will not have to pay while you are in custody.
  • If you or the other parent object, a phone hearing with an administrative law judge will be held about your ability to pay support while you are in custody.
    • At the hearing, your income and assets will be reviewed. This includes sources such as bank accounts, trust funds, rental income, and retirement or investment income.

If you owe past-due support

  • The Oregon Department of Corrections may send payments from your trust account to us to reduce the amount you owe.
  • If you are in the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program, we may send an income withholding order for past-due support.

If you will be in custody for fewer than 180 days

  • Your child support order is not automatically suspended.
  • You may ask for your child support order to be reviewed.

If you will be in custody for life

  • The Oregon Child Support Program will review your case for closure.
  • The Oregon Department of Corrections may collect money for child support from funds put into your trust account.

What happens after you are released from custody

If your child support order was suspended after January 1, 2018:

  • Your monthly child support amount does not start until the first full month after you have been released for 120 days. (Example: If you are released on June 17, your child support would start on November 1. October 15 is 120 days after June 17, and the first full month after October is November.)
  • Your monthly support will be 50% of what it was before you went into custody. (Example: Your order was $200 per month before you went into custody. On November 1, it will be $100 per month.)
  • We will review your case to see if the order amount should be changed.
  • Our review will begin within 60 days from when your monthly child support amount starts. (Using the example above with a release date of June 17, we will review before December 31.)
  • During the time we are reviewing your case, it is important for you to respond to contact by phone, email, mail, or your online account to help us decide the right child support amount.

If your child support order was modified to $0 prior to January 1, 2018, the process is different.

  • Your child support order will restart 61 days after you are released.
  • The order amount will be what you were paying before entering custody.
  • Ask us to review your case to see if the order amount should be changed.

Credit against past-due support during a period of incarceration

If your child support order was not suspended while you were in custody for at least 180 days, you can request a credit for the past-due child support amounts. This process allows the other parent to object to a change in the amount owed.

Contact information

Please keep us informed of any changes in your contact or employment information.

For questions, contact us at:

Oregon Child Support Program
PO Box 14680
Salem, OR 97309
ChildSupportIncarceratedParents@doj.oregon.gov
503-986-2565
Customer Service: 800-850-0228