For Noncustodial parents (NCP) struggling with employment, it can be difficult to meet child support obligations. The NCP Choices program empowers you to support yourself and your children through career development.

The NCP Choices program is a collaboration between the Child Support Division of the Office of the Attorney General and Texas Workforce Commission. Eligible unemployed or “under-employed” noncustodial parents can be court-ordered into the program to get help finding a job.

How Can the NCP Choices Program Help Me?

The goal of the program is to ensure that children receive the support they need and deserve by helping noncustodial parents overcome barriers to employment and career advancement. Once ordered-in, you will be paired with a career counselor to create a personalized plan designed to move you into stable employment.

As an NCP Choices participant, you will receive the following services:

  • Personal Career Counselor
    Receive one-on-one attention and referrals to needed services. Participants meet with their career counselors in-person at least once a week to support their progress.
  • Job Leads
    Get help finding job leads that fit your skills.
  • Job Search Guidance
    Hear ideas and strategies job seekers use to get hired.
  • Career Planning
    Learn about ways to earn better wages and advance your career.
  • Support Services
    You may receive assistance with things like work-related expenses, transportation, licensing fees, job training, and GED or English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, if available. You also may be eligible for retention and career advancement assistance for up to six months after entering employment.

Get Involved with the NCP Choices Program

To receive program services, you must be court ordered into the program. You can speak with a Texas Workforce Solutions representative at the courthouse to learn more.

To be eligible for NCP Choices, you must:

  • Be ordered by a court to participate in the program
  • Be unable to meet your monthly child support payments due to lack of or limited employment
  • Live in a county with NCP Choices services available
  • Be legally able to work in the United States

How NCP Choices Has Helped Texans

The NCP Choices Program has benefited thousands of noncustodial parents across Texas. From August 2005 to July 2024, more than 56,000 noncustodial parents were enrolled in the program. In 2022, fifty percent of these parents became employed, and seventy-three percent stayed in their jobs for at least six months. Most parents who found employment did so within eight weeks of starting the program.

Resources for Noncustodial Parents

NCP Choices Testimonial Video

View a short video to find out why NCP Choices is one of the largest and most successful NCP child support/employment programs in the nation and hear from actual program participants.

NCP Choices Brochure

Read through the program participant brochure to learn more about NCP Choices services, requirements and success stories.