The award is more than double the amount earned for fiscal year 2008

Attorney General John Kroger today announced that the Oregon Child Support Program earned a $945,490 award from the federal government for its efforts to collect money for children.

“Despite the recession, Oregon performed well nationally, collecting badly needed money for Oregon’s families,” said Attorney General Kroger. “I am very proud of this achievement by our child support team.”

During the 2009 federal fiscal year, the Oregon Child Support Program performed well on all measures and passed a data reliability audit.  At the same time, three states failed at least one measure, creating a greater pool of money for the remaining states.  Oregon’s hard work ended up giving the state a better than expected return, approximately $573,000 more than the previous year’s award.

About half the money will be distributed to District Attorneys’ offices that collect child support.

Oregon’s Child Support Program collected a total of $336 million in child support in fiscal year 2009 for nearly 250,000 Oregon children. For every $1 it receives from the state budget, the Child Support Program collects $38 for parents who are raising their kids. National studies show that child support is a critical factor in lifting children out of poverty. Most child support payments are made voluntarily by parents.

Attorney General John Kroger leads the Oregon Department of Justice. The Department’s mission is to fight crime and fraud, protect the environment, improve child welfare, promote a positive business climate, and defend the rights of all Oregonians.

Contact:

Tony Green, (503) 378-6002 tony.green@doj.state.or.us |