Saratoga County Lauded for Child Support Program
We are mostly accustomed to seeing negative stories about child support in the news, but one New York county has created such a great program that it’s receiving statewide and national acclaim. Saratoga County’s Department of Social Services was recently recognized for the 14th straight year for having the state’s best-performing enforcement unit for child support.
The county ranks top in the state for meeting various federal benchmarks in establishing paternity, collecting support payments and obtaining support orders. Overall, the county has collected more than $273 million in payments since 2000. The county established paternity in more than 98 percent of cases (the state average is 85.3), obtained child support orders in about 95 percent of cases and collected support in a timely manner in 87 percent of cases. Collections on arrears were achieved in more than 74 percent of the cases.
In fact, the county has been so efficient in the way it handles child support that many state officials, including the bureau chief for the state Division of Child Support, have said they would like to see the practices used by Saratoga County implemented in other locations across the state.
Child support helps families to remain self-sufficient and off government assistance after divorces or in situations where the parents were not married. These services are made available to any parent or guardian of a child who needs support, regardless of their income.
For more information about how you can obtain a child support arrangement that works for you or modify an existing arrangement to accommodate your current situation, contact a New York child support attorney with Bryan L. Salamone & Associates right away.