Legal Definitions - Federal Parent Locator Service

The Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS) is a national program established by the U.S. government to help enforce child support obligations. Its primary purpose is to assist state child support agencies in locating parents who are legally required to pay child support but have failed to do so. The FPLS achieves this by accessing a wide range of federal databases, such as those containing employment records, tax information, and other identifying data, to find an absent parent's address, employer, or other crucial information needed to ensure children receive the financial support they are due.

Here are some examples of how the Federal Parent Locator Service might be used:

• Example 1: Locating a Parent Who Has Moved Out of State
  Sarah has a child support order against her ex-husband, Michael, who recently moved from their home state to another state without providing a new address or contact information. Michael has stopped making his court-ordered child support payments. Sarah's state child support enforcement agency would utilize the Federal Parent Locator Service to search various federal databases for Michael's new address, employer, and other relevant details. This information would then be used to initiate enforcement actions in the new state, such as wage garnishment, to ensure Michael resumes his child support payments.

• Example 2: Verifying Employment for Wage Withholding
  The state child support agency has an existing order for David to pay child support, but he has been inconsistent with his payments. The agency suspects David has recently started a new job with a large national company, but they don't have the precise details needed to issue a wage withholding order. The agency would submit a request to the Federal Parent Locator Service to verify David's current employment information, including his employer's name and address. Once confirmed, the agency can then send a wage withholding order directly to David's employer, ensuring regular child support deductions from his paycheck.

• Example 3: Finding a Parent for Paternity Establishment
  Maria is seeking to establish legal paternity for her child and obtain a child support order from the alleged father, Robert. However, Robert has been difficult to locate, having moved several times and not maintaining a stable address. The state child support agency, assisting Maria, would use the Federal Parent Locator Service to search for Robert's last known address or any current employment information. Locating Robert is a critical first step to legally serve him with the necessary court documents to establish paternity and subsequently secure a child support order.