When a parent receives certain types of public assistance, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in the state may automatically open a child support case to identify the father (or other absent parent) of the child and enforce child support obligations. States have the option to require recipients of child care subsidies and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to cooperate with child support agencies seeking to establish paternity and support orders; and to enforce child support obligations as a condition of eligibility (child support cooperation requirements).

In California, when a parent applies for or receives public assistance, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or CalWORKs, the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) is often involved to establish and enforce child support orders. This is because the state seeks to recoup some of the public assistance costs from the non-custodial parent. The state may also require cooperation with child support enforcement as a condition for receiving certain types of benefits, like child care subsidies and SNAP benefits. Cooperation typically includes identifying the other parent, assisting in establishing paternity, and helping to obtain a child support order. Failure to cooperate without good cause can result in a loss of benefits. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in California works in conjunction with the DCSS to ensure that child support obligations are met and that the process of identifying the father or absent parent is carried out effectively.