WomensLaw serves and supports all survivors.

Legal Information: Mississippi

Child Support

Laws current as of August 8, 2025

How can I get child support if I don’t know where the other parent is?

The Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) of the Mississippi Department of Human Services offers a state parent locator service to help you find the parent who is not paying support. This service uses all appropriate local, state, federal, and interstate sources to locate the missing parent. It’s available when you need to establish, change, or enforce your child support order.

The DCSE can issue administrative subpoenas to get customer records from public utilities, cable companies, or financial institutions. These records can include names, addresses, employer information, Social Security numbers, and financial details like account numbers and balances.1

Location services are included with every full-service child support case. You also have the option to apply for “locate-only services” at no cost. If the agency successfully locates the parent, you can decide if you want to pay a $25 fee to move forward with establishing a child support order.2

1 Miss. Code § 43-19-45(1)
2 See the Mississippi Division of Child Support Enforcement website