DHS Child Support collects nearly $1 million a day for children and families in SFY 2014

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) Child Support Services (CSS) collected $362,470,719 on behalf of children and families between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014, a new collections record. That is an average of $993,070.46 per day in State Fiscal Year 2014.

"It is impressive and we are very proud to have reached this new record," said CSS Director Gary W. Dart. "But for those for whom we have been unable to collect, we know it is not enough. We will continue our efforts until every child receives the court-ordered support he or she is entitled to."

Unpaid child support, also known as arrears, in Oklahoma now totals $2,150,652,516. Last year, 41.5 percent of all children in Oklahoma were born to out-of-wedlock parents and over half of all marriages end in divorce, leading CSS to end SFY 2014 with a record 206,776 cases. In the last ten years, CSS caseload has grown 45 percent, but collections have grown 122 percent over the same period.

"Our caseload continues to grow, but our collections are growing even faster," said Jeff Wagner, CSS spokesperson. "A lot of parents work hard to support their children, while others seemingly work hard to avoid that responsibility. We are proud of our successes, but we also know that there is much left to be done to ensure that all parents take financial responsibility for their children."

For more information about Child Support Services, call 1-800-522-2922, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or visit www.okdhs.org and select "Child Support."

CSS is a division of the Oklahoma DHS. To promote healthy families, CSS establishes, monitors and enforces reliable support while encouraging self-sufficiency and strengthening relationships. The division is responsible for more than 206,000 active child support cases, collecting more than $362 million in the last year on behalf of children and families.

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