The primary function of a Child Support Specialist involves establishing paternity and child support obligations and enforcing child support laws. The work performed includes processing of a broad range of paperwork and entering information into a computer-based case data management system with very time sensitive agency and legal deadlines. The Child Support Specialist maintains a caseload and locates and interviews custodial and non-custodial parents and others to gather information for locating non-custodial parents and their assets, determines financial ability to pay child and medical support, establishes paternity and child support orders, and collects court-ordered support payments. They also prepare cases for court hearings.

Within legal requirements and departmental policies and procedures, Child Support Specialists operate with considerable independence and must exercise discretion and judgment in evaluating cases and determining the level of support and the methods of enforcement. They have discretionary ability to obtain highly confidential information from a wide variety of sources, which must be used only for business purposes. Misuse of such information is subject to criminal and civil action.