Louisiana DCFS Opens New Office in Southwest Louisiana for Child Support Services

Following the closure of the office due to severe damage caused by the 2020 hurricanes, DCFS is opening a new office in Southwest Louisiana.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is opening a new Child Support office in Lakes Charles. The Calcasieu Parish office, located at 3519 Patrick Street, in Lake Charles, opened on March 21, 2022.

The new office replaces the old one on Gadwall Street, which was destroyed by hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020. Since the hurricanes, DCFS Child Support staff have collaborated with the local Clerk of Court’s office as well as in remote locations. Meanwhile, the DCFS Economic Stability Office, temporarily located at 650 Petro Point Dr., and the Lake Charles Child Welfare Office, 1919 Kirkman Street, have remained open.

The new Lake Charles Child Support Office serves families in the four Lake Charles parishes of Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jefferson Davis.

“This is another huge step in the region’s rebuilding process after the devastating back-to-back storms of 2020,” said DCFS Secretary Marketa Garner Walters. “We’re excited to once again have all of our offices open in Lake Charles and to provide our full range of services to children and families in the region.”

The DCFS offices in Allen and Beauregard parishes were also damaged by the hurricanes, but they have since reopened.

The new office will serve DCFS’s Child Support Program clients, including those who require paternity determination, parent location, the establishment and enforcement of child and medical support orders, and the collection of distribution support services.