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 Massachusetts, when a parent applies for or receives public assistance, such as Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) or certain other benefits, the Department of Revenue's Child Support Enforcement Division (CSE) may automatically initiate a child support case. This action is taken to establish paternity and enforce child support obligations from the non-custodial parent. The state may also require cooperation with child support enforcement as a condition for receiving child care subsidies and SNAP benefits. This means that recipients of these benefits may be obligated to assist in identifying the child's other parent and in establishing, modifying, or enforcing a child support order. Failure to cooperate without good cause can result in a reduction or termination of the benefits. The goal of these requirements is to ensure that both parents are contributing to the financial support of their children, thereby reducing the public's financial responsibility for these children.