Letter: Delays in child support burden social services

Friday, May 16, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

In my department, we receive all the new child support cases. We have 11 employees processing the new cases. I am the main person on the intake phones. I have to tell mothers and fathers that it will take up to six months to process their cases if both parties live in Clark County. If one of the parties lives in another jurisdiction, it can take up to a year before they can possibly expect to receive child support.

We have too many cases coming into our office daily and not enough manpower to process them expediently.

If these parents received their child support and medical insurance sooner, fewer would have to obtain welfare, Medicare, Medicaid, EOB Child Care Assistance, Social Services Assistance, HUD Housing Assistance, etc. Instead of burdening the services, they would have the child support and medical insurance coverage they need paid for by the noncustodial parent responsible for supporting their children.

We need more manpower to help us process all the new child support cases. I'm sure the cost of extra caseworkers and legal assistant is a lot less than the cost of the services now being rendered by Clark County.

Lois Denaut