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Child Support Round Up Nets $57,000 in Lafayette Parish

December 11, 2014

LAFAYETTE - The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), in collaboration with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office (LPSO), collected more than $57,000 in unpaid child support in Lafayette Parish over the past six weeks.

In late October, all non-custodial parents who owed child support arrears and had an outstanding warrant in Lafayette Parish were given an opportunity for amnesty through an advertisement in the local newspaper. During this amnesty period, 33 non-custodial parents responded and DCFS collected $53,250 toward outstanding child support debt.

Last week, LPSO, with support from DCFS, conducted a round up to execute the remaining outstanding warrants. During the round up, ten individuals were located and DCFS collected an additional $4,300 in back child support.

"Close partnerships with law enforcement agencies like the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office are integral to DCFS' efforts to collect past due child support," said DCFS Secretary Suzy Sonnier. "Non-custodial parents have an obligation to provide for their children. We do not tolerate that obligation being ignored."

As a result of the amnesty period and warrant round up, DCFS was able to collect a total of $57,550. Child support payments collected by DCFS are used by custodial parents to offset costs for raising children, including providing food and shelter, medical costs, child care and school fees and uniforms.

Louisiana's non-custodial parents owe approximately $1.4 billion in unpaid child support. DCFS collected and distributed more than $411 million of child support payments in Fiscal Year 2014. Nearly one in three children in Louisiana receives child support collected through the Department. The public can view delinquent payors at www.dcfs.la.gov/Delinquent.