What does a child support specialist do?
A child support specialist is primarily in charge of monitoring child support payments, ensuring individuals with financial obligations comply with the legal settlement terms. They mainly work in the legal industry, where their responsibilities include assessing the clients' financial situations, gathering and analyzing financial statements, performing interviews and follow-up calls, and producing regular progress reports. Furthermore, as a child support specialist, it is essential to maintain records of all transactions and procedures, resolving issues and concerns should there be any.
Child support specialist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real child support specialist resumes:
- Manage project SharePoint site for the purpose of supporting ongoing collaboration
- Train in CPR and child restraint.
- Represent clients during mediation proceedings in court.
- Process summons, subpoenas, appeals and motions.
- Change diapers, clean and disinfect center to meet DHS standars.
- Used mediation skills to dissolve disputes between custodial and non custodial parents.
- Ensure the children's safety by maintaining knowledge of up to date procedures of basic life saving skills, and CPR.
- Prepare calendars by using information from subpoenas.
- Promote continuity of care by accurately and completely communicating to other caregivers the status of patients for which care is provided.
- Review and approve routine correspondence; compile and report caseload statistics on weekly basis to team supervisor using SACWIS technology.
Child support specialist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Child Support Specialists are proficient in Customer Service, Social Work, and Child Support Cases. They’re also known for soft skills such as Emotional skills, Organizational skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Child Support Specialists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 9%
Responded to client inquiries by phone or written correspondence and maintained quality customer service and confidentiality.
- Social Work, 8%
Organized seminars and presented information about the new program to area pediatricians, nurses, social workers and school guidance counselors.
- Child Support Cases, 8%
Reviewed child support cases and determined distribution of court-ordered child support payments and also administratively established certain child support obligations.
- Court Orders, 6%
Prepared and monitored petitions and/or status letters to enforce out-of-state court orders.
- Child Support Orders, 6%
Perform duties related to establishing paternity, child support orders, negotiating agreements for payments and health insurance coverage
- Child Support Enforcement, 5%
Prepared and presented testimony for judicial and administrative hearings related to child support enforcement and collection.
Most child support specialists use their skills in "customer service," "social work," and "child support cases" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential child support specialist responsibilities here:
Organizational skills. Many child support specialist duties rely on organizational skills. "social workers must help and manage multiple clients, often assisting with their paperwork or documenting their treatment.," so a child support specialist will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways child support specialist responsibilities rely on organizational skills: "created images for several different models of pc's based off of organizational needs and following hippa guidelines. "
Interpersonal skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of child support specialists is interpersonal skills. This skill is critical to many everyday child support specialist duties, as "social workers must be able to work with different groups of people." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "answered customer inquiries by telephone and walk-in meetings utilizing excellent verbal and interpersonal communication in order to overcome stressful situations. "
Problem-solving skills. child support specialist responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "social workers must analyze their clients’ complex situations and develop practical solutions." This resume example shows what child support specialists do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "call referral and resolution unit, call center knowledgeable in child support title iv-d programs and systems. "
Communication skills. Another crucial skill for a child support specialist to carry out their responsibilities is "communication skills." A big part of what child support specialists relies on this skill, since "clients talk to social workers about challenges in their lives." How this skill relates to child support specialist duties can be seen in an example from a child support specialist resume snippet: "established effective communication with clients by advising clients of legal procedures to establish paternity and obtain child support. "
The three companies that hire the most child support specialists are:
- Legacy Health3 child support specialists jobs
- Westcare Health Corporation3 child support specialists jobs
- Summit County2 child support specialists jobs
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Compare different child support specialists
Child support specialist vs. Intensive in-home counselor
An Intensive In-Home Counselor conducts individual counseling sessions for parents and deals with delicate issues like sexual addiction. They also prepare progress reports for clients.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between child support specialists and intensive in-home counselor. For instance, child support specialist responsibilities require skills such as "customer service," "social work," "child support cases," and "court orders." Whereas a intensive in-home counselor is skilled in "family therapy," "mental health issues," "intensive in-home," and "therapeutic interventions." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Intensives in-home counselor tend to make the most money working in the utilities industry, where they earn an average salary of $56,398. In contrast, child support specialists make the biggest average salary, $37,986, in the government industry.On average, intensives in-home counselor reach higher levels of education than child support specialists. Intensives in-home counselor are 14.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.9% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Child support specialist vs. Residence counselor
Residence counselors are professionals who are responsible for providing services such as one-to-one therapy and crisis support to clients who are living in group homes or assisted-living facilities. These counselors must assist adults with moderate intellectual disabilities to find employment while monitoring their work performance. They must facilitate and supervise daily personal care and activities for developmentally disabled adults. Residence counselors must also encourage clients to participate in community activities that can contribute to the development of skills necessary for independent living.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, child support specialist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "customer service," "child support cases," "court orders," and "child support orders." Meanwhile, a residence counselor has duties that require skills in areas such as "developmental disabilities," "english language," "patients," and "mental illness." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Residence counselors may earn a lower salary than child support specialists, but residence counselors earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $35,988. On the other hand, child support specialists receive higher pay in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $37,986.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Residence counselors tend to reach similar levels of education than child support specialists. In fact, they're 1.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.9% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for child support specialists in the next 3-5 years?
Lesley Casarez Ph.D.
Director, Quality Enhancement Plan Program Coordinator, M.S. Professional School Counseling Associate Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, Angelo State University
Child support specialist vs. Youth mentor
Youth mentors are adult individuals who are responsible for creating programs to improve the well-being of young people by providing role models that can support them academically and socially. These mentors must educate the community on issues related to mental health while making regular home visits to youth and young adults. They should provide direct care and assistance to adolescents who are with substance abuse issues by creating an educational curriculum on the said topic. Youth mentors are also required to collaborate with mental health professionals and social workers to coordinate counseling efforts.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a child support specialist is likely to be skilled in "customer service," "child support cases," "court orders," and "child support orders," while a typical youth mentor is skilled in "mental health," "substance abuse," "eating disorders," and "academic support."
Youth mentors earn the highest salary when working in the professional industry, where they receive an average salary of $32,145. Comparatively, child support specialists have the highest earning potential in the government industry, with an average salary of $37,986.youth mentors typically earn similar educational levels compared to child support specialists. Specifically, they're 2.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Child support specialist vs. Mental health worker
A mental health worker is an individual who provides basic care and therapy to patients who are inflicted with mental disabilities or developmental disabilities. Mental health workers assist patients with their daily activities, monitor their conditions, and administer therapeutic care. They may be directly supervised by a registered nurse and can work in facilities such as psychiatric hospitals and residential mental health facilities. They may also help develop treatment plans and strategies with other staff members to best meet patient needs.
Types of child support specialist
Updated January 8, 2025
