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 Illinois, when a parent applies for and receives certain types of public assistance, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) may automatically initiate a child support case. This is done to establish paternity and enforce child support obligations from the non-custodial parent. The state can require parents who receive child care subsidies and SNAP benefits to cooperate with child support enforcement efforts as a condition of receiving those benefits. Cooperation typically includes providing information about the non-custodial parent, assisting in establishing paternity, and helping to obtain a child support order. Failure to cooperate without good cause can result in the loss of benefits. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in Illinois works in conjunction with HFS to ensure that child support is being enforced and that children receive the financial support they are entitled to from both parents.