Legal disclaimer: This article provides general information only and is not legal advice. Florida laws and benefit programs change regularly. Consult a licensed Florida attorney and verify program details directly with state agencies before relying on this information.
Single Mom Resources in Florida: Child Support, Custody, and Assistance Programs
Florida made significant changes to its family law in recent years, including a 2023 update to its custody presumption — so if you’re working from older information about Florida custody law, it’s worth knowing what changed.
Florida Child Support
How child support is calculated in Florida: Florida uses an income shares model that considers both parents’ gross income, the number of overnights each parent has, and allowable adjustments including health insurance and childcare costs. The Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Program administers enforcement.
To establish child support in Florida: File through the Florida Department of Revenue (free, no attorney needed for the establishment process) or through the family court.
Florida child support enforcement tools include: income withholding orders, driver’s license and professional license suspension, tax refund interception, and credit reporting of arrears.
Source: Florida Department of Revenue Child Support — verify current guidelines at floridarevenue.com/childsupport
Florida Custody Laws (Time-Sharing)
Florida uses the term “time-sharing” rather than “custody” and “parental responsibility” rather than “legal custody.” Key Florida-specific points:
- 2023 Florida custody law change: Florida law was updated in 2023 to create a rebuttable presumption of equal (50/50) time-sharing as the starting point. Courts can deviate from this presumption based on specific factors, but equal sharing is now the default starting point rather than something either parent must argue for.
- Parenting Plan: Florida requires a detailed parenting plan in all cases involving minor children, covering daily tasks, healthcare decisions, school decisions, and the time-sharing schedule.
- Relocation: Florida requires advance notice (at minimum 60 days) before relocating more than 50 miles from the child’s principal residence, and the other parent can object, triggering a court hearing.
Florida State Assistance Programs
SNAP: Florida’s food assistance program — apply at myflorida.com/accessflorida
Florida Medicaid: Apply through the Department of Children and Families at myflorida.com/accessflorida; Florida did not expand Medicaid under the ACA, which means adult eligibility is more limited than in expansion states
Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) — Florida’s TANF program: Florida’s cash assistance has strict time limits (maximum 48 months lifetime) and work requirements — apply through ACCESS Florida
Childcare assistance: Florida has a statewide School Readiness program providing childcare subsidies for income-eligible working parents — apply through your local Early Learning Coalition (elcflorida.org to find your county)
Florida WIC: Apply at floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/wic
Florida Legal Aid Resources
- Florida Rural Legal Services: flrls.org — serves rural central and south Florida
- Legal Services of Greater Miami: lsgmi.org
- Bay Area Legal Services: bals.org — serves Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee, and Sarasota counties
- Florida Courts Self-Help: flcourts.gov/Self-Help — statewide court self-help resource
- Florida Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-500-1119 — Florida-specific DV resources
Florida Housing Assistance
- Florida Housing Finance Corporation: floridahousing.org — homebuyer assistance and rental assistance programs
- Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers through local Public Housing Authorities (most waitlists are long or closed)
- Emergency rental assistance through local community action agencies — availability varies by county
What the 2023 Custody Law Change Means in Practice
If your custody case or parenting plan was established before 2023, it was created under the prior law, which did not have a 50/50 presumption. A modification motion filed now would be evaluated under the new law, which could affect the analysis — this is a specific area worth discussing directly with a Florida family law attorney if you’re considering any modification.