WKSU News: Counties question Ohio's new child-support goals

Sunday, September 15, 2013 Counties question Ohio's new child-support goals Every county is expected to boost collections by 10 percent within two years, and some say that isn't realistic Story by AMY COOKNICK AND M.L. SCHULTZE

Ohio is trying to crack down on parents who owe child support, by asking its 88 counties to up their collection numbers. WKSU’s M.L. Schultze has more on the goals for 2015.

Ohio stepping up child support collections

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With the “I-70 Project,” the state hopes to increase child support collections from an average 66.5 percent statewide to 70 percent two years from now.

And Job and Family Services’s Ben Johnson says Ohio is asking all counties to improve collections by 10 percent in the next two years – even if they fall short of the 70 percent.

“County child support enforcement agencies are autonomous and some are reassigning staff, some are reallocating resources – they’re doing a number of different things in order to go out and attempt to collect on some of those cases where it’s been difficult to collect money in the past.”

Cuyahoga County has the lowest collection rate in Northeast Ohio just under 60 percent. Medina County is tops in the region at almost 75 percent. But officials in Cuyahoga call the 10 percent goal unrealistic considering each county’s differing economy.