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 Idaho, when a parent applies for or receives certain types of public assistance, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Idaho Child Support Services (CSS) under the Department of Health and Welfare may automatically initiate a child support case. This action is taken to establish paternity and enforce child support obligations from the non-custodial parent. While states have the option to extend this requirement to recipients of child care subsidies and SNAP benefits, Idaho requires cooperation with child support enforcement as a condition of eligibility for TANF. This means that recipients of TANF must assist the CSS in identifying the child's other parent and in establishing paternity and child support orders. Failure to cooperate without good cause can result in the reduction or termination of benefits. The goal of these requirements is to ensure that parents who are able to contribute financially to their child's upbringing do so, thereby offsetting the cost to the public assistance programs.