Interstate caseworkers handle all aspects of child support enforcement, including location, paternity establishment, and establishment of support obligations. When a noncustodial parent lives outside Alaska and the custodial parent and child live in Alaska, we send information about the noncustodial parent to the other state's child support enforcement office. This is called initiating a case to the other state. The other state, called the responding state, attempts to locate the noncustodial parent and begin proceedings to establish paternity or collect support. Alaska does the same when responding to requests from other states.
Federal law requires that Alaska cooperate with other states in handling requests for assistance.
The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act includes a provision to ensure there is only one valid child support order to enforce when more than one state is involved in a case. Alaska can use interstate wage withholding to enforce a support order in another state if we know where the noncustodial parent is employed.