Child Support Collection Figures Up In Mississippi

By Brian Vargo

Published on July 22, 2005

Child support collections rose from $206 million to over $218 million this past fiscal year. This figure is almost triple the amount of child support collected in 1994, which was approximately $75 million.

The state is responsible for collecting child support in over half its cases. Don Taylor, director of the Department of Human Services, released the figure last week. He says, "Single mothers and fathers need this money."

The state has significantly augmented its collection strategies and tactics over the past few years. In addition to taking the offending parents to court, the Department of Human Services (DHS) now suspends the offender's personal or professional licenses and seizes any assets. The DHS also reports delinquent parents to credit agencies and confiscates tax refunds.

The DHS currently employs 29 attorneys to work on child support collection cases throughout the state. The DHS intends to hire 17 more attorneys. With the additional attorneys, Taylor estimates the state could collect $40 million more money each year.

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