Working together for a common goal… Child Support

Working together for a common goal… Child Support

One of the biggest challenges facing parents or guardians owed support is the feeling that they are fighting this battle alone. Well let me just say you are not alone in your fight. One of the first things we try to convey is that collecting child support or alimony is a team effort; each of us has an important part to play in reaching our common goal, the collection of the unpaid support. The first step for you is to fill out the application as completely as possible, the next step is to allow our investigators time to work the case, and then we will discuss the progress of your case. Remember any time along the way, if you uncover information you feel may be of help in collecting your support, please share the information with us! This is a team effort and some of our best leads come from little “tid-bits” of information we get from our clients.

One of the highlights of my job is calling our clients and letting them know that OUR (client’s and SCI’s) hard work has paid off. There is a feeling of satisfaction each time I call a client to let them know that we have received their first payment from the non-custodial parent and that they are going to get the support their family deserves. I particularly remember a recent call to a client that I was dreading… even though it was the first child payment in over 10 years. The payment was only $25.00 and I feared the client would be disappointed. I called the client and gingerly told the her “I have great news, we have a payment – it’s a small one but it’s a start. We received a $25.00 payment”. There was a brief silence, then a child –like chuckle followed by a huge “Thank you!! I didn’t think I’d ever see a dime. Even if I don’t get anything else you did it, you got something from him!”

While the amount was small, the rewards were great; we made a client feel like they were finally getting help. To this client and so many more just like her, payment size doesn’t matter; it’s the satisfaction of knowing that the absent parent paid something and knows that child support needs to be taken seriously.