Every child needs financial and emotional support .Child support services work with parents and guardians to ensure that children and establishing families receive court-ordered balance financial and medical support.
According to 2017 data taken from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families:
15.1 million children were served by the child support program.
$32.4 billion dollars in child support was collected by state and tribal child support programs
96 percent of child support collected went directly to questions, families, with the other 4 percent reimbursed public assistance dollars.
. Child support is one of the most cost-effective government programs; $5.15 is collected by the child support program for every $1 spent nationwide.
In Minnesota, counties are federally mandated to provide child support services to families.
What is child support?
Child support is money that parents pay to their child’s other parent or caregiver to support their children. When parents do not live together, they can go to court and ask for an order establishing a set amount for child support. Someone who has custody of a child, such as a grandparent, may also ask the court to order one or both parents to pay child support. A court may issue an order for child support when parents do not live together and the parent with custody of the child applies for public assistance.
What services are provided by child support?
. Locating parents and establishing paternity: Child support staff work with custodial parents to help locate the non-custodial or absent parent. Before establishing a court order for child support, paternity must be determined. If a child is not born as a result of a legal marriage, it may be necessary to establish paternity in a legal proceeding.
. Opening and closing child support cases: A child support order can be made through an administrative hearing or other judicial action.
. Enforcement of child support orders: Child support orders are enforced through wage withholdings, intercepting income tax returns or lottery winnings, license suspension and legal contempt of court proceedings
How are child support services provided in Cook County?
Since December 2013, Cook County has partnered with Carlton County Public Health and Human Services to provide Child Support and Collections services to the residents of Cook County. As of year-end 2018, there were 162 open child support cases in Cook County.
Nationwide, more than one in every five children receive financial assistance from non-custodial parents through the U.S. child support program, making it one of the broadest reaching federal programs in existence.
Cook County residents who have questions about establishing paternity, applying for child support or regarding modification or enforcement of an existing child support case can contact the child support office by calling 1-888-818-4511.
Learn more about Child Support Services and the PHHS department at the July 16 PHHS board meeting at 8:30 a.m. in the Cook County commissioners’ room.
County Connections is a column on timely topics and service information from your Cook County government. Cook County— Supporting Community Through Quality
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