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 Missouri, when a parent applies for or receives certain types of public assistance, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the state's Office of the Attorney General (OAG) may automatically initiate a child support case. This action is taken to establish paternity and enforce child support obligations from the non-custodial parent. The state may also require cooperation with child support enforcement as a condition of eligibility for other 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. The intent behind these requirements is to ensure that both parents are contributing to the financial support of their children, thereby reducing the public's financial responsibility for the child's welfare.