Stage 1 - Change in care non-enforcement (CS) 277-05030000

It is not a terminating event when a child leaves a payee's care in a Stage 1 case (a court order or court-registered agreement). If the case is collect, Child Support must still collect the liability even though the child has left the payee’s care. However, the payer and payee can make a joint election for Child Support to suspend collection of the liability for the child (similar to an opt out). A payer or payee can elect for Child Support to restart collection if the child returns to the payee’s care.

Some specific terms apply in a Stage 1 change in care:

• an overall non-care period is any period in which the payee is not the main provider of the ongoing daily care for a child
• a non-care non-enforcement period means that both customers have elected that Child Support suspend collection in a period when a child is not in the payee’s care

Child Support can still collect any arrears owing during a non-care non-enforcement period – it is only the collection of an ongoing liability that is suspended.

Service Officer

• assess applications, process appropriate changes, provide advice to customers

Service Support Officer

• provide advice in the event of complex issues