Kane County Cracks Down on the State for Child Support Funds

 Posted on May 12, 2016 in Child Support

When it comes to seeking and securing child support for divorcing families, there is a lot Illinois can do to ensure parents receive the financial assistance they need. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services can implement an Income Withholding Notice to require the non-custodial parent to pay funds consistently and in a timely manner, as well as locate the non-custodial parent and confirm paternity, if necessary. If child support payments fall behind or if the non-custodial parent fails to pay, the DHFS may even exercise its right to suspend the delinquent parent’s driver’s license, revoke their professional license(s), or place a lien on their personal property.

McMahon Cracks Down

Despite these efforts to obtain child support funds, there are still voids that need to be filled. Many single parents must rely on state funding and local social service providers to fill the gaps. Sadly, it’s been some time since there’s been a state budget to fund these collection efforts. Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon is doing everything in his power to turn this around and fight for the funds that Kane County parents so desperately need. His goal is to earn as many dollars as possible to reduce single parents’ reliance on state assistance programs.

While the county’s child support division is funded by a combination of both state and federal funds, the unit has not received money from either since last summer. With no state budget and the division operating at a deficit on a continual basis, Kane County is being forced to put new plans into place to address the problem head on.

McMahon’s strategy includes asking county officials for an emergency loan. This is by no means a long-term solution, but will potentially put some pressure on Kane County taxpayers to help fund the unit’s collection efforts. McMahon is also willing to consider suing the state in order to hold it accountable to its part of the deal. He plans to meet with county board members to talk about possible litigation against the state in the near future.

Only time will tell if and when the state decides to step in and help the county’s child support division meet its budgetary needs. In the meantime, single parents can still work with an experienced Kane County family law attorney for support. Call Shaw Sanders, P.C. at 630-584-5550 to secure the financial assistance you need to take care of yourself and your children.

Sources:

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160225/news/160229210/

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160310/news/160319777