Ward 7 meeting
Covered by Documenter Joy Butch (see her notes here)
At a recent Ward 7 meeting, Travis Johnson from the Summit County Child Services Enforcement Agency (CSEA) spoke about the organization’s current programs and services.
What is the Child Support Program in Summit County?
The Child Support Program offers various services that work with both of a child’s parents to establish and enforce child support orders.
Child support orders are payments or medical coverage that one parent (typically the non-custodial parent) makes to the child’s other parent or legal guardian (typically the custodial parent or guardian, meaning they have sole or primary custody of the child) to support the cost of raising the child.
The Child Support Program is overseen by the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services’ Office of Child Support. CSEA offices are located in each of Ohio’s 88 counties.
The Summit County SCEA is organized under the county Prosecutor’s Office.
Who can request Child Support Program services?
Anyone can request child support services, both custodial and non-custodial parents. Some grandparents or other caretakers may also apply.
In order to receive the full extent of the services mentioned below, a IV-D application must be completed.
What services are available?
The Summit County CSEA offers a range of family support resources. Other than the potential $1 fee for submitting an IV-D application, these services are offered free of charge.
They can include:
- Locating an absent parent.
- Genetic testing to determine paternity. Results can be used to establish and support child support orders.
- Establishing and modifying a child support and medical support order.
- Enforcing existing child support orders and collecting current or past-due child support.
- Case management services pertaining to child support, including connecting parents to employment opportunities.
The Summit County CSEA also offers the Safe Access Program, which reduces barriers for families seeking services offered in partnership with local partners, including Hope & Healing Survivor Resource Center, Victim Assistance Program, Community Legal Aid and Summit County CSEA’s Family Support Matters program.
Services offered include personal case supervision, victims’ rights education, resource assistance and emotional support for victims and their families.
Several videos at the Summit County CSEA website offer more information about areas of child support including:
- Employer paperwork support
- Employer payment options
- Receiving child support
- Child support payment options
How can a CSEA carry out child support orders?
A CSEA has several ways to administer child support orders when a payment is one month or more in default.
Officials can use the following enforcement tactics:
- Withholding child support payments from wages/earnings or certain benefits such as unemployment or Social Security.
- Intercepting state and federal tax refunds.
- Reporting the delinquent parent to credit bureaus.
- Suspending recreational and professional licenses.
- Featuring delinquent parents on wanted posters and billboards.
- Freezing and seizing assets held in a financial institution.
- Placing liens on certain properties.
- Issuing an order to require the payor to seek work.
A CSEA may also take judicial action through civil contempt charges or criminal non-support in addition to these administrative enforcement tools.
In 2011, Summit County CSEA created Family Support Matters (FSM), a federally funded program, to address non-payment of child support without relying on formal court proceedings.
The program works with the court and community organizations to offer education, mediation, employment assistance, fatherhood participation and other community services to help identify and overcome a number of issues and barriers that can prevent a parent from paying child support.
Both parents of a child are required to participate in the FSM program to work together to provide their child with what they need to grow and succeed.