Pennsylvania is not the only state working hard to collect child support. County officials in another part of the country have exceeded goals for the past three years. They understand that there are some custodial parents who depend on a child support payment to be able to get the basic necessities for their children.
The Department of Human Services is working with the local court and sheriff’s department to help those who do not have an official court order get the money they need. The person considered to be the custodial parent will apply, naming the person who should be held accountable for financial support. After an investigation, the DHS will contact that person about making arrangements for payment.
Most of the time, money is withheld from paychecks. The amount is based on a combination of factors determined by information enter onto a worksheet. If circumstances adversely change for the person, his or her caseworker can reconfigure the data for a new payment amount. Sometimes money is taken from other sources, such as tax returns and lottery winnings.
This approach has decreased the number of child support payment cases considered delinquent. The department has set the goal for next year as the number of cases they have already settled this year. The director of the department is not worried about another year of exceeding expectations and credits his staff for its hard work.
There are times a non-custodial parent truly has financial difficulty in providing for a child he or she brought into the world. However, sacrifices should come from both parents to ensure children get what they need. Pennsylvania custodial parents having trouble getting the financial support they need have the right to seek the assistance of a knowledgeable professional.
Source: independenttribune.com, “Cabarrus cracks down on difficult child support cases“, Tim Reaves, Aug. 29, 2015
