Fourteen parents arrested in last week’s sweep for failure to pay child support
Lubbock County Sheriff Kelly Rowe has arrested 14 Lubbock County parents who violated court orders requiring them to pay child support. Last week’s two-day sweep was conducted in conjunction with the Texas Attorney General’s Child Support Division (CSD). The effort focused on parents who were the subjects of arrest warrants because of their failure to pay child support.
“Caring for your children is the fundamental and moral responsibility of any parent,” Attorney General Ken Paxton said. “I commend everyone involved in holding accountable those who attempt to evade child support. Their efforts help ensure better care and better lives for Texas children.”
The countywide sweep targeted parents who were wanted for contempt of court because of their failure to pay child support. After holding a 5 p.m. briefing on Wednesday, October 14, Sheriff Rowe dispatched teams of deputy sheriffs to work through the night to track down the noncompliant parents. Child Support Division investigators aided the constables by providing logistical assistance and helping to locate missing parents.
“We owe the success of this roundup to the sheriff’s office for its commitment to ensuring that children receive the support they need,” said CSD regional administrator Myra Sines. “I commend and congratulate everyone involved for their efforts to help ensure better care and better lives for children.”
The delinquent parents arrested in this week’s initiative face up to six months in jail. Cash bonds that parents pay to get out of jail go to the custodial parents and children who are owed back child support.
Parents who have fallen behind on their child support payments – but are not yet subject to warrants for their arrest – should immediately contact the Attorney General’s Child Support Division at (800) 252-8014 to make payment arrangements.
Under state and federal law, the Office of the Attorney General can assist families who request child support services and must serve families who currently receive or have received public assistance. Services offered by the Child Support Division include locating absent parents; establishing paternity for children born to unmarried parents; establishing, enforcing and modifying child and medical support orders; and collecting and distributing child support payments.
Statewide, child support collected by the Attorney General’s Office exceeded $3.9 billion for the state fiscal year that ended Aug. 31. Parents in Lubbock County paid $48 million of that amount.
The Attorney General’s Child Support Division is the most successful and cost-effective program in the nation. The division currently administers 1.5 million child support cases, serving 1.7 million children. The division collects $11.34 for every $1 spent to operate the program and collected $3.7 billion in child support in Federal FY 2014. The Child Support Division set a record by collecting more than $3.9 billion in child support for Texas children for the state fiscal year 2015 that ended Aug. 31.