Oregon Department of Justice announces "Get Back on the Road" campaign to mark the occasion
Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum today commemorates the start of
Child Support Awareness Month and urges Oregonians to take part in
recognizing the importance and value of child support in providing for
the healthy development of future generations.
As part of Child Support Awareness Month in August, the Oregon Child
Support Program is promoting a license release program for parents whose
driver licenses are suspended for non-payment of child support. During
the "Get Back on the Road" campaign, parents with suspended licenses are
invited to call (800) 850-0228 to discuss how they can get their
license reinstated.
"Providing for our children is a serious responsibility. We want all
of our kids to grow up healthy, strong and able to achieve their
potential," said Attorney General Rosenblum. "Child support services
help ensure that a child's needs are met by both parents. Staff at our
Division of Child Support and district attorneys' offices throughout the
state are initiating campaigns like 'Get Back on the Road' to reengage
parents in supporting their children. I want to thank all the parents
who are providing child support for their children, and I hope every
Oregonian who has fallen behind in making support payments uses August
to get back on the road to providing for his or her child."
Governor John Kitzhaber also has proclaimed August 2012 Child Support
Awareness Month in Oregon. A copy of the proclamation is attached to
this release. August was first declared National Child Support Awareness
Month by President Bill Clinton in 1995.
Collecting child support and ensuring that Oregon's children can rely
on their parents to meet their basic needs is a critical function of
the Department of Justice. License suspension is one tool available to
the Child Support Program when a parent has the means to pay child
support yet falls behind on the obligation.
"Our goal is not to keep people from driving but rather to encourage
parents to be responsible for making their child support payments. By
making a payment and signing an agreement to keep paying, these parents
can get back on the road and take a positive step toward reengagement in
their children's lives, both financially and emotionally," said Child
Support Director Jean Fogarty.
The Oregon Child Support Program is a federally funded program
administered by the Department of Justice, in coordination with district
attorneys throughout the state. There are currently 12 state child
support offices that work with district attorneys in 26 counties to
provide services to both custodial and non-custodial parents, relatives
and other caretakers who are entitled to child support.
Oregon's Program administers more than 227,000 child support cases
and processes $1 million in child support payments every day. Services
include establishing paternity, locating a non-custodial parent,
establishing or modifying an order for child support, securing health
care coverage for a child, determining the amount of support past due,
enforcing support orders and providing accounting records.
Members of the public can learn more about the Child Support Program
or request services through their local support office. For a list of
Division of Child Support and District Attorney Offices in the Program,
visit http://www.oregonchildsupport.gov/.
Oregon Department of Justice: