State's Child Support Division helps children receive the funds owed them

Attorney General Bill Schuette commemorated National Child Support Awareness Month with an update on Attorney General Child Support Division efforts to secure millions of dollars in direct support for Michigan children from non-custodial parents. "It has been a privilege to help thousands of children across the state, securing $62 million in direct support for families that are already struggling to cope with an absent parent," said Schuette. "Our message is clear: if you have the ability to pay child support and refuse to do so, we will hold you accountable." The mission of the Child Support Division is to enforce child support orders by prosecuting those individuals who have a history of non-payment and have significant arrearages of at least $10,000. The Child Support Division focuses on those parents who have an ability to pay, but refuse to do so. Michigan is the only state where failure to pay child support is a four-year felony. Schuette said his office focuses on non-custodial parents resuming regular child support payments, not jail time. A total of 11,718 children have received child support funds owed to them since the Attorney General's Child Support Division was launched in 2003. In total, the Child Support Division has collected more than $144 million, according to the most recent statistics available. Since its launch, the office has averaged approximately 900 warrants and 770 arrests per year. In the last 90 days, the Division has collected lump sums child support payments for the following counties: · Calhoun $15,000 · Clinton $7,000 · Delta $26,000 · Livingston $62,000 · Monroe $17,000 · Ottawa $28,000 · Washtenaw $15,000 · Wayne $39,000 Published: Thu, Aug 8, 2013