1. If public assistance is provided by the department to or on behalf of a dependent child or a dependent child’s caretaker, there is an assignment by operation of law to the department of any and all right in, title to, and interest in any support obligation, payment, and arrearages owed to or for the child or caretaker up to the amount of public assistance paid for or on behalf of the child or caretaker. Unless otherwise specified in the order, an equal and proportionate share of any child support awarded is presumed to be payable on behalf of each child subject to the order or judgment for purposes of an assignment under this section. For family investment program assistance, section 239B.6 shall apply.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 252C.2

  • Administrator: means the administrator of the child support recovery unit of the department of human services, or the administrator's designee. See Iowa Code 252C.1
  • Caretaker: means a parent, relative, guardian, or another person who is responsible for paying foster care costs pursuant to chapter 234 or whose needs are included in an assistance payment made pursuant to chapter 239B. See Iowa Code 252C.1
  • Child: includes but shall not be limited to a stepchild, foster child, or legally adopted child and means a child actually or apparently under eighteen years of age, and a dependent person eighteen years of age or over who is unable to maintain the person's self and is likely to become a public charge. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • Court: shall mean and include any court upon which jurisdiction has been conferred to determine the liability of persons for the support of dependents. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • Court order: means a judgment or order requiring the payment of a set or determinable amount of monetary support. See Iowa Code 252C.1
  • Department: means the department of human services. See Iowa Code 252C.1
  • Dependent: shall mean and include a spouse, child, mother, father, grandparent, or grandchild who is in need of and entitled to support from a person who is declared to be legally liable for such support. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Dependent child: means a person who meets the eligibility criteria established in chapter 234 or 239B and whose support is required by chapter 234, 239B, 252A, 252F, 598, or 600B. See Iowa Code 252C.1
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Medical support: means medical support as defined in section 252E. See Iowa Code 252C.1
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Party: means a petitioner, a respondent, or a person who intervenes in a proceeding instituted under this chapter. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Public assistance: means foster care costs paid by the department pursuant to chapter 234 or assistance provided pursuant to chapter 239B. See Iowa Code 252C.1
  • Responsible person: means a parent, relative, guardian, or another person legally liable for the support of a child or a child's caretaker. See Iowa Code 252C.1
 2. The payment of public assistance to or for the benefit of a dependent child or a dependent child’s caretaker creates a support debt due and owing to the department by the responsible person in an amount equal to the public assistance payment, except that the support debt is limited to the amount of a support obligation established by court order or by the administrator. The administrator may establish a support debt as to amounts accrued and accruing pursuant to section 598.21B. However, when establishing a support obligation against a responsible person, no debt shall be created for the period during which the responsible person is a recipient on the person’s own behalf of public assistance for the benefit of the dependent child or the dependent child’s caretaker, if any of the following conditions exist:

 a. The parents have reconciled and are cohabiting, and the child for whom support would otherwise be sought is living in the same residence as the parents.
 b. The child is living with the parent from whom support would otherwise be sought.
 3. The provision of child support collection or paternity determination services under chapter 252B to an individual, even though the individual is ineligible for public assistance, creates a support debt due and owing to the individual or the individual’s child or ward by the responsible person in the amount of a support obligation established by court order or by the administrator. The administrator may establish a support debt in favor of the individual or the individual’s child or ward and against the responsible person, both as to amounts accrued and accruing, pursuant to section 598.21B.
 4. The payment of medical assistance pursuant to chapter 249A for the benefit of a dependent child or a dependent child’s caretaker creates a support debt due and owing to the department. The administrator may establish an order for medical support.
 5. The department is subrogated to the rights of a dependent child or a dependent child’s caretaker to bring a court action or to execute an administrative remedy for the collection of support. The administrator may petition an appropriate court for modification of a court order on the same grounds as a party to the court order can petition the court for modification.
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