Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Number of OCSS agents nearly doubles as service demands increase

The Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) has nearly doubled the number of child support agents in response to an increased demand for services. OCSS recently added 21 new agents to the state’s Fatherhood Program as the number of non-custodial parents receiving unemployment benefits has quadrupled since 2008. The agents will help non-custodial parents who face various economic barriers find jobs so they can pay child support.

“What we have seen is an increase in those who are struggling to pay child support,” said Keith Horton, director of OCSS. “To address this increase and help those in need, we are expanding our Fatherhood Program by first adding more agents who can help non-custodial parents get back on their feet financially. This enables them to provide for their children and build a bond with them.”

The 21 new Fatherhood agents will be located in 17 counties across Georgia. The goal is to help participants with job skills training, an opportunity to earn a GED, job placement and a chance to play a supportive role in the lives of their children.

The Georgia Fatherhood program was created by OCSS in 1997 and works with non-custodial parents who owe child support through OCSS but are unable to pay. The program is the largest state-operated “fatherhood” program in the U.S. Almost 3,000 non-custodial parents received services through the program during the past year. During fiscal year 2008, participants of the Fatherhood program paid more than $14 million in child support.

For more information about Georgia’s Fatherhood Program and the additional agents, please visit online at http://ocss.dhr.georgia.gov.

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