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CASSOPOLIS — In recognition of contributions of child support workers, employers, local prosecutors’ offices, court staff, hospitals, and community partners for their work on ensuring the well-being of children and families, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed August as Child Support Month in Michigan to encourage people throughout the state to invest in the future of our children and thank those who work every day to support Michigan children.

Child support provides a safety net for families and children as well as strengthening our communities. The Michigan Child Support Program exists to encourage and facilitate the means by which children receive the emotional and financial support they need from both parents by bringing together in partnership the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Office of Child Support, Friend of the Court offices, prosecuting attorney offices, the State Court Administrative Office, employers, hospitals, and other community agencies.

“The work of our partners in the Michigan Child Support Program has never mattered more than now,” said Erin Frisch, director of the Michigan Office of Child Support. “As many Michigan families continue to feel the impacts of the pandemic through economic instability and inflation, child support can make the difference in paying for groceries, clothing and health care.”

The Child Support Enforcement Program was established by Congress in 1975 under title IV-D of the Social Security Act to ensure that parents living apart from their children provided their children with support. Now, every state, as well as 60 tribes, operate a child support program. The Child Support Program has evolved since it was started and has gone from a focus on recovering welfare costs to a family centered program. The program helps parents, grandparents, or guardians with getting the child support needed for their children. Besides opening and managing child support cases to assist with children receiving financial support from a parent(s), the program also provides families with assistance with obtaining medical insurance coverage, helps locate parents, and establishes paternity.

Every dollar spent on the program collects $6.19 to provide support to Michigan children. Highlights for 2021 include:

• County and state child support offices in Michigan provided services for more than 828,000 children and their families.
• Nationally, the child support program collects about $32 billion every year for the wellbeing of children. More than $1.23 billion was collected and distributed to Michigan families in 2021.

According to Sarah Mathews, Director of the Cass County Friend of the Court, “The child support program helps ensure that children have the financial support they need to be healthy and successful. When a right-sized child support order is in place and consistent payments established and enforced through the child support program, children have increased opportunities to do better in school, in their health and growth, and have a reduction of being at risk for child maltreatment. The staff at the Cass County Friend of the Court are dedicated to serving children and families in Cass County every day to ensure that children who need the services of the child support program receive child support and have these increased opportunities.”

Additional information about Michigan’s Child Support Program is available in the this child support fact sheet. Child support information for parents, employers and hospitals can also be found at Michigan.gov/ChildSupport.