Termination Information for Custodial Parents

When you already have a court order that specifies when support terminates and/or the emancipation of the child(ren). If there is an existing Judgment of Divorce (JOD), Property Settlement Agreement (PSA) or other support order that specifies a termination date other than the dependent's 19th birthday, that date is still valid so long as it does not exceed the child’s 23rd birthday (except in the case of a child that has a severe physical or mental incapacity). Submitting a Request for Continuation of Support is not appropriate when a court-approved order addressing support already exists. However, if you still receive a termination notice, please follow the instructions for sending in a copy of the JOD or order containing the termination date so we may update our records. If you do not respond, the obligation may terminate on the incorrect date. 

If your child is in postsecondary school and you are requesting continuation of support, your child’s school may participate in an online enrollment verification service such as EnrollmentVerify provided by the National Student Clearinghouse®. This service includes immediate online enrollment verifications that may be provided as proof of the child’s educational status. Any fees that apply are the sole responsibility of the requesting party. Remember, any proof provided for education must indicate full-time status. Click here for a list of participating schools. 

If your child is in postsecondary school and you are requesting continuation of support, it is NOT acceptable to send course transcripts, tuition bills or invoices, a college acceptance letter or financial aid documents. As mentioned on the request form, the only acceptable documents are either a letter from the school on letterhead OR an enrollment verification form (provided by the school or third-party vendor). 

If your child is in secondary or postsecondary school and you are requesting continuation of support, the future termination date must be entered in the projected graduation date line under the education section of the Request form. It is not necessary to fill in the proposed new termination date at the bottom of the form which is only to be used for children with disabilities.

If your child is disabled and you are requesting continuation of support, you may only request support until the child’s 23rd birthday with the appropriate documentation. If you believe that support should continue past the age of 23 because the child has a severe physical or mental incapacity, you must have or obtain an order from the court. The administrative continuation request process is not allowable for support beyond age 23 as it is the court, and not Probation, that must authorize order the continuation of support. Parents with a court-approved consent order that continues support past the age of 23 for a disabled child will be accepted.  

If you have compiled all your documents and are ready to send your continuation request form, make sure to send the original request form—no fax or photocopies, please! Feel free to make a copy for your records and send back the original form to the New Jersey Family Support Services Center. This will ensure more timely and accurate processing of the continuation request. Similarly, please do not send the continuation request form more than once unless instructed otherwise. Sending the form via regular mail OR certified mail is acceptable but both are not necessary! Remember, your new dependent view tab on the customer portal will indicate whether or not we have received the request form. Mailing the form multiple times may result in errors to the processing of the continuation request. 

If you believe that you should have received a termination notice for your child(ren), please ensure that your mailing address information is current and correct through the Update Address Information function on the customer web portal or by calling 1-877-NJKiDS1.

If you receive a termination related notice or Civil Action Order – Termination of Support and your child is already emancipated with no arrears owed, it is most likely because the court had ordered health insurance coverage to continue or it was indicated as such in our records and has now been terminated. Please be advised that you do not need to take any action and that our records will be updated automatically.

Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions found here for more information.