Child support - and its effective collection - is a prevention tool that can be used in the battle against poverty, hunger, home-less-ness and even crime. It's also a form of tax relief, since the public burden of many assistance programs would be reduced.
That message was delivered Monday by several speakers to more than 1,000 child-support enforcement officials gathered at the Salt Palace. The annual meeting for the National Child Support Enforcement Association continues through Thursday and has attracted participants from as far away as Great Britain, Australia, Canada and Norway.Meanwhile, advocates for tougher support enforcement held a news conference outside the Salt Palace. The members of ACES - the Association for Children for Enforcement of Support - are asking officials to turn child-support collection over to the Internal Revenue Service.
Nearly 40 percent of the people being served by assistance programs like welfare "are there because of lack of paternity support," said Gov. Mike Leavitt in his opening remarks.
"The work we do in Recovery Services is prevention," said Kerry Steadman, acting director of the Department of Human Services. By collecting child support, people are able to stay off public assistance, he said, and "that prevents the need for tax dollars to be spent."
Nationwide, more than $20 billion is owed in unpaid child support, according to ACES statistics. Of that, $55 million is owed in Utah, where nine out of 10 of the children who benefit from Aid to Families With Dependent Children (welfare) are entitled to child support.
A recent study shows that 75 percent of single mothers don't receive support, said Donna Wiltse, coordinator for the local chapter.
"The current fragmented system is a dinosaur," said Lynda Benson, member of the national ACES board of directors. "It's time we slay the dinosaur."
Under a proposal being considered by Congress, courts would order the support payments, with a minimum "assurance" amount guaranteed. Collection would then be undertaken by an expanded IRS. Initial cost of the program is estimated at $2 billion. But supporters say that money will be quickly recovered by reducing welfare rolls and improving the lives of children.
States are trying different things to boost collection of child support. During a "roll-call" of the states, programs were lauded for innovations such as revoking the drivers' licenses of people who owe back support, a paternity curriculum in high schools, most-wanted posters of "deadbeat" parents, staff increases and incentive pay for employees who successfully boost their collections.