In Canada, the provinces and territories are primarily responsible for child support enforcement. Each province and territory has its own maintenance enforcement program.
In order to receive help from an enforcement program, the parent wanting to enforce the child support payment must register a child support order or agreement with the program in her province or territory. If child support is not paid, the program can use a number of methods to enforce the order. For example, some provinces have introduced driver's license denial programs. If you have a concern that you will require the enforcement of your child support or order, you may want to contact the appropriate office in your province or territory to obtain a registration application see Provincial and Territorial Maintenance Enforcement Programs at Justice Canada.
The federal government also has some legislation to help provide the provinces and territories with the tools necessary to enforce child support parents for those parents registered in the respective programs: the Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Division Act and the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act.
Federal legislation allows the provinces and territories to request the screening of specified federal databanks, including those of the Canada Revenue Agency, to locate parents who are behind in their support. Also, once the provincial and territorial programs have exhausted all other remedies, federal law allows them to ask the federal government to deny specified federally regulated licenses to paying parents in "persistent arrears". These licenses includes passports and certain aviation and marine licenses.
- March, 2006
