MuskogeePhoenix.com, Muskogee, OK

Editorials

Discussion

November 9, 2009

Child support collections grow

State workers can do their jobs or they can do them well, and we can be thankful that the Department of Human Services child Support Division is doing its job well.

The division increased collections by 17 percent over the past year, the highest rate increase among the 50 states. The rate is 2 1/2 times the national average.

Last year, the division collected a record $299 million. For comparison, DHS collected about $96 million in child support in 1998.

In the last decade and more, federal and state reforms have allowed child support enforcement agencies to intercept federal funds and take punitive actions against those who fall behind in child support payments. Those have been good measures, as the collections have kept many parents and their children from depending on social services for their support.

The bad news is that although DHS is breaking records in its collections, about $1.7 billion remains uncollected in Oklahoma child support.

We would hope that people who procreate would assume the responsibility of parenting those children, not just monetarily but physically, socially and psychologically.

Unfortunately, we have a large percentage of Oklahomans who shirk those duties. It’s regrettable, and this problem needs to be addressed on a broader social level.

However, collecting child support is one aspect of an overall program that we need to do well to alleviate the problems created by mothers and fathers who don’t accept their parenting responsibilities.

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