What is Title IV-D? Why does it matter?

What is Title IV-D?

The Social Security Act of 1975 contains Title IV-D—a federal law that, in part, requires every state to manage a child support enforcement program. To help fund these programs, the federal government provides money to each state. These funds help cover the operational costs involved in child support enforcement—including establishing orders, enforcement efforts and tracking and reporting.

The Child Support Division (of the Office of the Attorney General) is the official "Title IV-D agency" in Texas. Our purpose is to help ensure that children receive the support they need and deserve.

Why Title IV-D Matters

Despite its official-sounding name, Title IV-D simply refers to the federal law that requires states to manage a public child support program. This is important because many parents do not have an attorney to help them with child support matters or know how to establish or enforce a court order on their own. 

Title IV-D allows the state of Texas to help these families by:

  • Establishing paternity
  • Establishing child, medical and dental support orders
  • Collecting child support
  • Modifying a child support obligation

To learn more about how the Child Support Division can help your family, visit our Getting Started section.