The Fremont County Department of Human Services Child Support Unit has received a state award for its efforts in improving child support payments for Fremont County children. Fremont County's Child Support Unit received the 'Outstanding Medium County Award' at the Colorado Family Support Counsel conference in Breckenridge, CO June 5th through June 7th. The top four counties honored were Fremont, Douglas, Las Animas and Otero.
Criteria for the award is based on non-financial performance measures, financial performance measure, success in meeting state goals, and information received from the administrator on how the county achieved its success.
The Fremont County Child Support Unit staff of ten employees includes Unit Supervisor Wanda Embrey, plus Melody Boydstun, Carie Rutherford, Erin Cleveland, Donna Taylor, Regina Doil, Kristi Zimmerman, Kimberly Alarcon, Victoria Warner and Patricia Stone.
Embry said the dedication and hard work of the staff is the key to their success. She said the unit has worked at being more proactive over the past two years. Embry said they are placing phone calls to the parties to remind them of appointments or court hearings, they are setting more reasonable child support payments for those in arrears, and making contact with non-custodial parents as soon as a case has been opened, so they are aware of Human Services involvement. Embry said they also have the ability to take more cases to court for contempt actions. She says it sometimes takes the threat of having to do jail time in order to get a non-custodial party into a paying behavior. The intent is not to send a person to jail, but to be assured that the child support payments are coming in on a regular basis. Embry says the driving force is that the children are the ones who benefit from this. She says the greatest reward for the staff is getting a thank you from a custodial parent because the child now has a relationship with his/her father or mother.
Child support services are available to anyone who wants them. You do not have to be receiving Human Services assistance in order to receive the services. There are non- public assistance cases that can be opened with a one time fee of $20.00. You can request the specific forms from the Fremont County Human Services office or print them from the website at www.childsupport.state.co.us. The website has answers to many questions regarding establishment and enforcement of paternity and child support.
Criteria for the award is based on non-financial performance measures, financial performance measure, success in meeting state goals, and information received from the administrator on how the county achieved its success.
The Fremont County Child Support Unit staff of ten employees includes Unit Supervisor Wanda Embrey, plus Melody Boydstun, Carie Rutherford, Erin Cleveland, Donna Taylor, Regina Doil, Kristi Zimmerman, Kimberly Alarcon, Victoria Warner and Patricia Stone.
Embry said the dedication and hard work of the staff is the key to their success. She said the unit has worked at being more proactive over the past two years. Embry said they are placing phone calls to the parties to remind them of appointments or court hearings, they are setting more reasonable child support payments for those in arrears, and making contact with non-custodial parents as soon as a case has been opened, so they are aware of Human Services involvement. Embry said they also have the ability to take more cases to court for contempt actions. She says it sometimes takes the threat of having to do jail time in order to get a non-custodial party into a paying behavior. The intent is not to send a person to jail, but to be assured that the child support payments are coming in on a regular basis. Embry says the driving force is that the children are the ones who benefit from this. She says the greatest reward for the staff is getting a thank you from a custodial parent because the child now has a relationship with his/her father or mother.
Child support services are available to anyone who wants them. You do not have to be receiving Human Services assistance in order to receive the services. There are non- public assistance cases that can be opened with a one time fee of $20.00. You can request the specific forms from the Fremont County Human Services office or print them from the website at www.childsupport.state.co.us. The website has answers to many questions regarding establishment and enforcement of paternity and child support.