Raising a child with two parents is hard. Raising a child as a single parent is even harder. It’s hard on the parent, and hard on the children. Support is key.
When I was a single parent, I was fortunate enough to be able to budget my income so that if the support check didn’t arrive on time, I could meet the needs of my children. My children, therefore, did not have to worry about not having a place to live, not having enough food, or having the electric, gas, or water turned off for non-payment.
Unfortunately, many children served by the Child Support Enforcement Agency are not in the same situation. At times, a parent fails to fulfill his/her obligation to the true innocents – the children. Their single parent may rely on child support income to keep things afloat, and in some cases, just to pay the bills.
It is the goal of the Delaware County Child Support Enforcement Agency to make sure each child is financially supported.
The agency works to protect the rights of the children to be financially supported by their parents. CSEA can assist with the following:
*Paternity establishment for children born out of wedlock, or for whom paternity is still a legal issue
*Support order establishment
*Medical order establishment
*Support order modification
*Support and medical order enforcement
*Issuance of withholding orders
*Location of individuals who have a duty to pay child support
*Collection and disbursement of support payments
When it comes to child support collection, Delaware County CSEA has done a tremendous job; thereby keeping families off public assistance and helping custodial parents support their children. The statewide default rate is currently about 30%. In Delaware County the default rate is only 15%.
I know that during the short time I handled domestic law cases, one of the major complaints was that child support money (paid by the non-custodial parent) was being frittered away or wasn’t being used to support the child. It is expensive to raise a child. Between the cost of day care, clothes, shoes, school supplies, and food (Do you know how much a teenager can eat?), child support payments are easily spent for the benefit of the child. Add the daily costs of housing, utilities, and transportation, and there is rarely money left over.
The intangible - that is the effort by the employees of the CSEA is to not only collect support, but to help the obligor remain current in his/her payments and stay out of the criminal system so they can continue to pay support.
The criminal justice system generally only gets involved when the default by the obligor extends for 26 or more consecutive weeks, and is making no effort to remain current. My office sees many of these offenders more than once, and many owe a lot of money. The persons who suffer from the non-payment or default are the children.
Children need, and deserve, a safe place to live and to have enough to eat. They deserve to have their physical, social, and psychological needs met. Every child deserves the support of both parents.
Bond is set at $500,000 each for 31-year-old Jermaine Kelly and 27-year-old Reginald Conley, both of Columbus.
Charges come after a November 9, 2012 call to law enforcement.
“A Galena resident called authorities reporting an unknown male was banging on her door, shouting he was shot and needed help,” said Delaware County Prosecutor Carol O’Brien. “The man, 29-year-old Dontee Gervins, died as a result of his injuries.”
A trial date is set for Oct. 18, 2016.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced,
To Be Deported
Jose Garcia-Himenez, 24, was sentenced to 5 years in prison for trafficking in heroin - a second-degree felony.
Previously deported, Garcia-Jimenez returned to the U.S. and was found with 150 heroin balloons in his possession. He also had in excess of $2,000 as a result of drug trafficking.
Once his sentence is complete, he will be deported.
Danny Bruce Kitsos, former owner of Rita's Italian Ice, pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with three juvenile female employees.
