# States Paid Grant Money to Enforce Child Support

- Link: https://thechildsupporthustle.com/states-paid-grant-money-to-enforce-child-support-2/
- Published: 2024-05-06T09:23:36+00:00
- Author: MsRockMon

Kenya N. Rahmaan 

The state and the federal government collect billions of dollars from the child 
support system. Certain states/counties can earn grant money besides the incentive
money that states collect from the federal government because it meets or exceeds
the performance measurements. Certain states/counties can collect grant money. The
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and The Administration for Children
and Families (ACF) awarded nearly $4 million to child support agencies nationally
to better understand individuals’ behavior and decision-making ability when it comes
to paying child support (ACF, 2014). The money has been distributed almost equally
amongst certain state child support agencies.

The Office of Child Support Enforcement Agency, or OCSE (2014), announced that it
awarded eight grants to state child support agencies under the Behavioral Interventions
for Child Support Services (BICS). The grants totaled 800,000, and counties in California,
Ohio, and Georgia were eight recipients. Many can argue that the grant money could
be better spent decreasing the number of children living in poverty and the unemployment
rates across the country instead of spending tax dollars exploring why parents can
not pay child support consistently and in full. The Federal government awarded Sacramento
County and San Joaquin counties in California $150,000 to fund the ‘Dedicated Daddies
Make a Difference’ program.

The platform was designed to explore ways to engage parents through fatherhood-based
programs (ACF, 2014). The program seems an unnecessary use of funds since experts
have already established that child support collections and relationships improve
when parents can actually pay support. The concept of Family-Centered Child Support
Services is not a newly implemented approach to improving the child support system.
The ACF recognized that collecting support depends on responsive child support services
and employment for non-custodial parents. There hardly seems the need to grant two
counties over $100 thousand to repeat what was discovered by the officials at least
three years ago.

The family-centered approach has recognized the need for cooperation between parents
and parents’ emotional connection with their children (ACF). Again, this revelation
is nothing new, and grant money paid by tax dollars to support agencies will not
alter the previously uncovered results.  The government could better spend the money
by offering more employment opportunities to parents included in the 7.3% of Californians
out-of-work. Using the grant money to assist low-income parents and families would
undoubtedly decrease the 23% child poverty rate. The government should not be permitted
to throw away money to fund repetitive programs and do nothing to impact barriers
of low-income families on either a short or long-term basis.

According to ACF (2014), the grantee, Attorney General for the District of Columbia
Child Support Service Division, will be receiving $150,000 as it plans to explore
ways to right-size child support orders for the recently unemployed. This topic 
has been studied and analyzed for years and hardly requires another dime wasted 
researching this issue. The OCSE (2014) reported that child support orders should
be realistic and based on the non-custodial parent’s actual ability to comply with
orders. Quite simply, if a parent is unemployed, the child support becomes unrealistic
no matter the amount.

Unfortunately, payments and late fees accumulate instead of discontinuing the child
support order while the parent searches for new employment. The ACF (2012) wrote
that increasing non-custodial parent involvement can positively affect non-custodial
parent engagement in the lives of the children. Perhaps reading previous reports
about this issue could save the government and taxpayers at least $150,000. Again,
this money could be better utilized to find gainful employment for the 7.6 unemployed
people living in D.C. The 27% child poverty rate would surely decrease because, 
as previous reports have shown, employed parents pay the most child support through
income withholdings and income tax refund offsets.

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After the government collects the money, the remaining cash should (theoretically)
trickle down to the children. Georgia received its $125,083 grant, which will be
divided between four counties. The Behavioral Interventions of Early Engagement 
for Georgia Child Support Services hopes to increase child support payments by improving
communication and engagement from the moment an order is established (ACF, 2014).
Again, experts have already discussed the necessity of realistic child support orders
and the benefits of parental participation in all cases.

Because so many child support orders are established by default, the payment amounts
are almost always imputed. The ACF (2012) shared that engaging non-custodial parents
early in the order establishment are more likely to set realistic orders and avoid
default orders. Early engagement may prevent the chances of parental alienation 
in the future. Engaging non-custodial parents early also means that they may prevent
the unnecessary build-up over arrears, increasing parental communication and involvement(
ACF, 2012). The child support agencies, both state and federal, have no problem 
collecting money to research topics that have already Ibeen studied and analyzed
time and time again.

As with California and D.C., Georgia could be spending this additional money helping
its 7.7% of unemployed people find and keep jobs. Gainfully employed parents would
surely benefit the 27% of children living in poverty, especially since most people
mandated to comply with child support laws have little or no income. It is no secret
that the local, state, and federal governments collect billions of dollars from 
citizens in the name of child support. These grants are justified and awarded to
explore situations and solutions for already resolved problems. The spending of 
unnecessary taxpayer funds is another piece of The Child Support Hustle. [https://youtu.be/EK3SThaexhM](https://thechildsupporthustle.com/states-paid-grant-money-to-enforce-child-support-2/\"https://youtu.be/EK3SThaexhM\")

As long as parents continue to suffer injustices in the name of child support while
the government agents continue to prosper, there will always be a need for reform.
The powers that be have already decided to keep parents in debt, but the government
offers weak solutions to disguise the unconstitutionality of the child support system.
Unfortunately, the officials are only repeating the same information but are not
changing any of the policies and laws that hinder the economic growth of children
and families. It is time to repair what is truly broken and not allow the government
to keep funding these programs that do not produce any positive and substantive 
results. These grant awards only give the illusion that the government is interested
in the well-being of children and families and in revamping the child support system.

_References:_

_Administration for Children & Families. (2012). Establishing realistic child support
orders: Engaging noncustodial parents (1). Retrieved from Office of Child Support
Enforcement website: _

_Administration for Children & Families. (2014, October 7). ACF grant to explore
link between psychology, behavior and child support payments | Administration for
Children and Families. Retrieved from _

_Administration for Children & Families. (2014, June 6). Grants | Administration
for Children and Families. Retrieved November 30, 2014, from _

_Administration for Children & Families. (n.d.). Family-centered innovations improve
child support outcomes (1). Retrieved from Office of Child Support Enforcement website:_

_Office of Child Support Enforcement. (2014). November/December 2014 Child Support
Report | Office of Child Support Enforcement | Administration for Children and Families(
36/11). Retrieved from Administration of Children & Families website: _