Baltimore, MD, JULY 25, 2012: Mark your calendars to join your local offices of the Child Support Enforcement staff during the month of August to celebrate Child Support Awareness month. Throughout the state, child support staff will be conducting special outreach projects in their offices, providing information at county fairs, and participating in other community events including a 5k run to raise awareness about child support services.
The Child Support Enforcement Administration provides services to both noncustodial and custodial parents, which include the establishment of paternity and child support orders, the collection of support payments, and the distribution of such funds. CSEA distributes funds to custodial parents and helps custodial parents enforce the legal child support obligations of noncustodial parents.
“Child support provides the financial stability that children need to grow in a stable environment,” said Department of Human Resources Secretary Theodore Dallas. “Parents who consistently pay child support are making an investment in their children’s future.”
Child Support Awareness month is nationally recognized each year during the month of August to focus on the importance of providing financial support for children. Child Support Awareness month also recognizes child support professionals and parents who are committed to making a difference in the lives of children emotionally and financially.
Each year millions of children nationwide are affected financially due to parental separations. To help combat those statistics, the local child support offices are aggressively pursuing unfulfilled child support obligations.
During the state fiscal year, July 2011 to June 2012, the child support offices collected and distributed more than $412,975, 525 in child support; had established paternity for more than 156,730 children and managed child support orders for more than 197,988 families. Maryland continues its efforts to improve and exceed previous accomplishments and to become one of the top 10 states in the nation in child support collections.
To reach that goal, the Child Support Enforcement Administration will:
- increase collections by better leveraging targeted enforcement tools, such as the garnishment of wages and bank accounts and the suspension of professional licenses;
- streamline operations by adopting best practices to increase the amount of support collected and expedite the distribution of child support payments to families;
- improve accountability by moving the Audit Unit to the Office of the Inspector General; and
- establish a Child Support Advisory Committee comprised of parents, child advocates and public and private sector stakeholders to help implement improvements and make Maryland’s child support system more responsive.
The Child Support Enforcement Administration (CSEA) is responsible for operating a statewide child support program and provides services to both noncustodial and custodial parents, which include the establishment of paternity and child support orders, the collection of support payments, and the distribution of such funds. CSEA distributes funds to custodial parents and helps custodial parents enforce the legal child support obligations of noncustodial parents.
For additional information about child support, or assistance with child support services, call 1.800.332.6347 or visit the Maryland Department of Human Resources, http://www.dhr.state.md.us.
# # #
