Pennsylvania County Continues Program for Child Support Payors
Posted By Administrator on November 25, 2009
Published on GoErie.com
Crawford OKs continuation of jobs program for those who owe support payments
By TIM HAHN
tim.hahn@timesnews.com
MEADVILLE — Crawford County will continue a program that has generated more child- and spousal-support payments by helping those who owe them to find work.
County commissioners on Thursday approved a memorandum of understanding between the county’s Domestic Relations Office and Pennsylvania Career Link that will keep in place a 3-year-old program.
The county pays $3,190 per year for Career Link’s assistance in helping some people who are behind on their court-ordered support payments develop job skills and find work. Two-thirds of that amount is reimbursed by the state, Crawford County Court Administrator John Shuttleworth told commissioners Thursday morning.
Since the program’s inception in 2006, 344 noncustodial parents have participated in the program, Domestic Relations Director Carla Smith said.
The first phase of the program involved out-of-work people who owe support being referred to Career Link for assistance. Of the 144 clients who were court-ordered into that phase of the program between September 2006 and June 2007, 87 clients became employed or were otherwise removed from the program, and the county collected $86,000 in unpaid support.
During the second phase, in which Domestic Relations took a more active role in its clients’ involvement, Crawford County collected $144,000 in unpaid support, officials said.
The third phase, which started in February 2008, involved devoting a full-time Domestic Relations worker to the program to provide more one-on-one assistance to clients. That helped generate $32,543 in unpaid support in 2008 and $70,323 so far in 2009, Smith said.
Domestic Relations has averaged 15 to 20 clients in the program at one time during the third phase, with participation increasing because of the economy and the high unemployment rate, Smith said.
TIM HAHN can be reached at 392-7821 or by e-mail.
[Source: Florida Divorce Law Blog]
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