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/.
Contact:
Oregon Department of Justice: dojmedia@doj.state.or.us, 503-378-6002