Arapahoe County child support division honored for helping parents plan better payments

AURORA | Parents way behind on their child support often walk into the Arapahoe County child support office expecting to walk out in deep trouble.

Maybe they’ll lose their driver’s license, or get smacked with a monthly payment they don’t think they can make or, in the worst case-scenario, wind up in jail.

Instead, many walk out with a shocked smile on their face and a manageable child support plan in hand. The staff’s inclination is to help the parent find a way to pay, or even help them find a better job.

“The biggest thing I hear from them is, ‘I never thought I’d be treated like a human.’ That just floors me when I hear that, they’re not expecting that we can help them and we are going to be fair,” said Judy Gaddis, who works in the division’s special projects team.

That approach and some unique methods for getting parents to pay their child support last week earned the Arapahoe County Child Support Enforcement Division a top national honor. The National Child Support Enforcement Association named the county’s team the 2013 Outstanding Program of the Year, an award that recognizes a child support program that “consistently and comprehensively exemplifies the best in child support enforcement‚ through an outstanding record of performance and effective services to its community.”

That’s not to say the staff of 60 people won’t crack the whip when they have to — those jail sentences and revoked driver’s licenses do happen — but their preference is to work out a solution that sees parents willing and able to pay their child support.

Bob Prevost, the division’s manager, said the award is an honor and recognizes the unique approach Arapahoe County takes with the more than 14,000 cases it handled last year.

“We’ve been innovative, I think, in coming up with some solutions,” he said.

Top among those is the county’s Parents To Work program. The program allows parents behind on their payments and unable to catch up to enroll in job skills programs at the county’s workforce center in exchange for the county suspending enforcement. That means if parents follow the program and do 18 hours a week of job searching and working on their job skills, including resume writing workshops and other assistance, the county won’t seek to have their license revoked, or their bank account seized or have them tossed behind bars.

“We are trying to take a completely different approach and assist people up front — not just go after them to get the support — but to meet with them and let them know we are also here to help if they do have barriers,” said Maureen Alexander, supervisor for the division’s special projects team.

In a statement announcing the award, Arapahoe County Commissioner Nancy Sharpe said the award was a well-deserved honor for the county.

“Arapahoe County’s Child Support Division has been quietly innovating and improving services for years, and it is an honor that these efforts have been recognized by a national association of their peers. Despite record-high caseloads, the team has consistently met goals and delivered creative programs that help parents overcome barriers to supporting their children.”