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Who's Who in Your Case?
Who's Who in Your Case?
Click on any of the terms below to explore official definitions, legal responsibilities, and dedicated resources for your specific role in the child support and custody process.
Click on any of the terms below to explore official definitions, legal responsibilities, and dedicated resources for your specific role in the child support and custody process.
The parent who does not live with the child but shares the legal responsibility to provide financial and medical support.
The Office of Child Support Enforcement represents the State's interest in establishing paternity and enforcing orders.
While the OCSE defines these roles for the purpose of state enforcement, our goal at Mending Our Mistakes is to help you transcend these labels and focus on the partnership needed for your child's success.
Understanding the OCSE
Understanding the OCSE
Who does the OCSE represent?
It is a common misconception that the OCSE acts as a private attorney for either the Custodial Party or the Noncustodial Parent. The OCSE represents the State's interest. Their legal mandate is to ensure children receive the financial and medical support they are entitled to under Arkansas law. Because they represent the State, they cannot provide individual legal advice or attorney-client privilege to either parent.
What is their role in your case?
Establishing Paternity: Assisting in legally identifying a child’s father so that support orders can be established.
Enforcing Orders: Monitoring payments and initiating enforcement actions if a parent fails to meet their court-ordered obligations.
Mediation & Modification: While they enforce the current order, they are not the judge; if your financial situation changes, you must still petition the court for a modification.
A Note for Parents:
If you have concerns about your specific legal rights, custody disputes, or visitation denials, the OCSE is not the place to resolve them. You should consult with a private attorney, reach out to Arkansas Law Help, or seek Family Mediation to address those issues directly with the other parent.
The Income Shares Model
The Income Shares Model
In Arkansas, child support is not a random number. It is calculated using the Income Shares Model, which assumes the child should receive the same proportion of parental income as if the household had remained intact. This model combines the gross income of both parents to determine the total support obligation. Understanding this formula is the first step toward financial stability.
For further information, you can click on any of the following links to be taken to important resources:
Important Payment Note: Always pay your support through the Arkansas Child Support Clearinghouse. Payments made privately (Cash, Venmo, or Check) may be treated as "gifts" by the court and will not be credited toward your court-ordered debt.
Estimate Your Support: Use the official state calculator to understand your obligation.
Download Financial Affidavit Forms: Use these to document your income correctly before your court date.
Modification Procedures: If you experience a material change in income (a 20% or $100/mo change), you must file a motion to modify your order immediately. The court cannot retroactively change support for time that has already passed.
Noncustodial Mental Health
Noncustodial Mental Health
The Emotional Reality of Being a Noncustodial Parent
The Emotional Reality of Being a Noncustodial Parent
The system manages your case.
It doesn't manage what the experience does to you.
The system manages your case.
It doesn't manage what the experience does to you.
If you’ve felt exhausted, disconnected, or like your role as a parent has been reduced to paperwork—you are not alone, and you are not the problem.
If you’ve felt exhausted, disconnected, or like your role as a parent has been reduced to paperwork—you are not alone, and you are not the problem.
What the System Doesn't Track
What the System Doesn't Track
State systems are designed to handle logistics:
Court dates
Payments
Compliance
But they do not track:
Emotional fatigue
Identity loss
The strain of maintaining a bond through limited time
What you’re feeling is real, even if it’s not documented anywhere.
Mending Our Mistakes, Inc. aims to fill this gap in services by offering Parental Restoration.
The Hidden Impact of the “Noncustodial” Label
The Hidden Impact of the “Noncustodial” Label
Many parents experience patterns that research has consistently identified:
Parental Identity Disruption
You may still feel like a full parent—but be treated like a limited one.
Disenfranchised Grief
Losing daily time with your child is a real loss, even if no one acknowledges it.
The “Visitor” Effect
Over time, it can feel like you are performing a role instead of living a relationship.
Why Traditional Support Falls Short
Why Traditional Support Falls Short
Agencies can enforce orders and track compliance.
They are not designed to help you:
Stay emotionally connected to your child
Rebuild your confidence as a parent
Navigate the mental weight of separation
That gap is where most parents begin to struggle, not because they don’t care, but because they don’t have support.
At Mending Our Mistakes, our peer mentorship program is our most supportive departments. If you would like for one of our mentors to contact you, please click below.
Support That Focuses on the Parent Behind the Case
Support That Focuses on the Parent Behind the Case
Some organizations focus on what the system leaves out.
The National Fatherhood Initiative, for example, provides tools for staying engaged as a parent—even when circumstances are limited.
Support can also come from:
Peer communities
Mentorship programs
Therapists who understand high-conflict co-parenting
To find more information about The National Fatherhood Initiative, we invite you to explore their program and any additional resources that they have to offer.
How to Protect Your Mental and Emotional Stability
How to Protect Your Mental and Emotional Stability
When everything feels reduced to compliance, you have to actively protect your identity.
Set Boundaries Around the Case
Choose specific times to deal with legal issues so they don’t take over your entire life.
Reclaim Your Role
Find what is uniquely yours in your child’s life—something consistent, something meaningful.
Track Your Growth
Keep a personal record of your progress. Not for court—for you.
We offer a full suite of free tools and resources for you to participate in. Click below to enroll in our Google Classroom and connect with others just like you.
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