Child Support appeared to be a topic of discussion in the Wednesday edition of the Grayson Journal/Olive Hill Times. Heres what you need to know. Currently there are nearly 2,500 active child support cases with Carter Co. Child Support Enforcement. This in light of approximately 4,900 children enrolled in public schools in Carter County. The amount of cases that have been added to our case load has increased dramatically since I have taken office. Child Support Enforcement more often than not deals with recovering money from people when state government is footing the bill for the child’s health and welfare. While we do offer services for persons who are owed money directly, this is the minority. Each County Attorney is offered to assume the role as a “contracting official” for child support. This is a contractual duty, not a statutory or constitutional obligation. Offices are audited and we perform well. From 2011 through the end of June 2014, my office has collected $9,194,825 while receiving a contract budget amount of $1,082,816. For every dollar we received we recovered $8.49. If you count the months of July and August 2014 we have collected $9,560,855! From 2007-2010 $9,315,924 was collected for child support. However, the contract amount was $1,348,258. For every dollar received per the contract only $6.90 was recovered. It appears to me that the Carter County Child Support office is collecting more with less! We have less employees to work cases, because our contract budget has been cut so severely. For example in 2007 my predecessor’s budget was $440,458 compared to my 2013 budget of $236,028. Since I assumed office I initiated the first ever child support round-up and keep updated warrant lists for law enforcement to serve. We move to hold non-paying parents in contempt every single week in Family Court and have initiated more criminal prosecutions and grand jury presentations than ever before on child support issues. Ultimately, our economy is not so good here in Carter County. Our unemployment ranks as one of the highest in the state and is getting even worse. You cannot get a wage assignment when a person doesn’t receive a wage. When a person does receive wages, the Frankfort division of Child Support Enforcement automatically will garnish the wages for child support. They also intercept income tax returns as well. We often receive cases from other counties or even other states. These cases usually have a high arrearage amount associated with them. People that owe high amounts of back child support usually don’t show up to court. If they don’t run from the law, they are usually already in jail or stay incarcerated most of the time. We still go after these types, but we rarely receive any money because they are in and out of jail all the time for other matters. My child support employees are very experienced and have served for multiple County Attorneys not only in Carter County, but in other counties or with the regional office. They are very dedicated. That is why we are doing more with less!
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 00:56:57 +0000
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