Local child support agency recognized

  • By Sharon Haught
  • March 29, 2010
  • 564
                        
When members of the staff of the Wayne County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) head to Columbus next month for the Ohio Child Support Directors Association (OCSDA) annual spring conference, they’ll be doing more than just attending classes and seminars. They’ll be presenting them. Deborah Watkins, Wayne County CSEA director, and a number of her colleagues will be sharing strategies her office has successfully employed with their counterparts around the state as well as learning more about approaches that have worked well for other child support enforcement professionals within Ohio. “Child support as we know it is changing, and I need for my staff to be at the forefront of this change,” Watkins told the Wayne County commissioners at their March 17 meeting. “Child support is a vast and complex program. My staff is expected to know and to remain current on federal, state and local laws and procedures,” added Watkins. Attending the annual conference will help her staff do just that. According to Watkins, the CSEA “is responsible for providing core services to families in Wayne County when the mother and father are separated,” including locating parents, establishing paternity and support orders, enforcing both financial and medical support orders and modifying orders when the parents’ circumstances change. Watkins noted that by utilizing the administrative process the burden on the courts is lessened and parents avoid the expenses incurred in going through formal court proceedings. The agency also brings much-needed dollars into Wayne County’s general fund through participation in IV-D contracts. “Through our fiscally conservative practices, we have been able to fund the agency with the federal and state dollars that we earn as well as the two percent program fees we collect,” noted Watkins. Watkins’ staff of 30 child support professionals provides support services for more than 7,000 cases annually. Last year alone, the agency “collected over $16 million in support for the families of Wayne County,” Watkins said. One of the programs Watkins implemented that has made her dedicated staff so effective is the Igniting Passionate Performance program. She utilizes the techniques in the program within the agency to drive staff development and performance. As part of the OCSDA conference, Watkins will present the curriculum she developed for the program with other child support professionals from around the state. Watkins and the other attendees from Wayne County will also be watching carefully for techniques implemented in other counties that could be of benefit to the local CSEA. “The demand for our services is great. This conference will help to engage my staff as well as to equip them for the challenges ahead,” noted Watkins. Watkins’ staff is already working hard to meet the demands of the ever-changing world of child support enforcement, as evidenced by an award the agency recently received from the Ohio Office of Child Support as the most improved support order establishment for 2009 in the medium caseload division. Watkins shared the contents of a letter from Director Jeff Aldridge, of the Ohio Office of Child Support, congratulating Watkins and her team on their receipt of the award. “The Office of Child Support is honored to recognize the Wayne County Child Support Enforcement Agency for their contributions to child support enforcement, which have improved the lives of children through their efforts to promote a more effective child support program,” Watkins read.


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