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Paternity & Support Establishment

1. If you Received an Appointment Letter 
   You may have received an appointment letter if you have recently applied for cash and/or medical assistance through the County’s Employment & Family Services Agency.
   
   Please bring photo identification, social security cards and birth certificates and/or birth letter from the hospital for the child(ren), custody or guardianship papers (if applicable), and all information regarding the other parties to the initial appointment.
   
   If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, please call prior to the appointment date to reschedule. If you fail to appear, your cash assistance case may be sanctioned, which may result in a delay of your cash benefits.
   
   If you are under the age of 18 your parent or legal guardian must accompany you.
2. What you Need to Know About Establishing Paternity 
   There are two (2) ways to establish paternity:
   1. Acknowledging paternity through the brown colored paper affidavit. An unwed mother and father may sign a legal document to establish paternity. Both parties must provide photo identification and sign the document before a notary.
   2. The second method of establishing paternity is through DNA genetic testing. A swab of their mouth check is performed on all parties. You must have photo identification at the time of testing. The results will be mailed to the parties within six to eight weeks. If one or more parties do not appear for two (2) genetic test appointments, your case MAY be filed in Juvenile Court. It could take up to 12 weeks to be filed at Juvenile Court. If you have any questions, please contact your Support Officer.
3. What you Need to Know About Establishing an Order for Support 
   Once paternity has been established and you wish to pursue an order for support come in to our main office at 1640 Superior Avenue in Cleveland or one of our Neighborhood Family Service Center office locations between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m (you do not need an appointment). You will need to bring photo identification, social security cards and birth certificates for the child(ren) on the case, any custody or guardianship papers (if applicable), and any information pertaining to the other party (including mailing address).
4. Change of Address or Employment 
   Please contact our customer service department at 216-443-5100 to provide new information on the other party or yourself. Please have your case number or social security number available.
5. If you Received a Case Closure Letter 
   If you have received a Case Closure Letter and have current information on the other party, please contact our customer service department at 216-443-5100 to speak to a Customer Service Agent. Please have your case number or social security number ready.
6. If you are a Caretaker or Guardian 
   If you are a caretaker interested in establishing a support order or receiving cash or medical benefits, please bring your custody/guardianship papers, photo identification, social security cards, and any information regarding the non-custodial parents to your appointment or you may walk-in to one of our office locations between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m or to our main office at 1640 Superior Avenue in Cleveland.
7. Outreach Offices 
   The following is a list of child support phone numbers for the Neighborhood Child Support Offices.
   
   For our Westshore office call 216-939-2476.
   For our Old Brooklyn office call 216-635-2934
   For our Mt. Pleasant office call 216-561-5619
   For our Southgate office call 216-518-4938
   For our Quincy office call 216-391-5874
   The main number for Child Support in Cuyahoga County is 216-443-5100.
8. DNA Genetic Testing 
   Parties can be tested on the same day, if the mother, child, and alleged father come into the Agency at 1641 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44114 before 12:00 noon.
   
   In order to be tested, the mother and alleged father must provide photo identification and the birth certificate and/or the social security card for the child(ren).In order to keep your waiting time at a minimum, please be on time for your scheduled appointment. If you have missed your testing date or have not received your test results, please contact the Genetic Testing Unit at (216) 443-5116.