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 South Carolina, when a parent applies for and receives certain types of public assistance, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS) may refer the case to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to establish paternity and enforce child support obligations. This process is in place to ensure that the financial responsibility for supporting a child is shared by both parents. The state may also require cooperation with child support enforcement as a condition of receiving benefits from programs like child care subsidies and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This means that recipients of these benefits may be obligated to assist in establishing paternity and obtaining child support orders. Failure to cooperate with child support enforcement efforts can result in the loss of benefits. The OAG, through its Child Support Services Division, works to locate absent parents, establish paternity, set up child support orders, and enforce those orders to ensure that children receive the financial support they are entitled to from both parents.