Child support cases on the rise; fewer people paying them - KOAM TV 7
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Oklahoma child support cases are on the rise in Ottawa County while actual child support payments are down.
The month of August marks a federal awareness month for child support and the Ottawa Child Support Center will hold events all month long to educate the public on the issue.
"My first ex has $10,000 in back child support and my other ex is coming up on $5,000 and it would be a lot more helpful if I could actually receive any of that," says Brandy Schmitt.
Schmitt is a single mother of four working a part-time job to pay her bills, something that makes it more difficult when the fathers of her children refuse to pay their child support on time.
"I love my kids, I don't even have any words for it and then for them not to even want to help financially, it's ridiculous," says Schmitt.
Schmitt is taking the men to court this week to get her money and justice.
"Have some consequence - I mean they've been going so long without paying their child support and helping me with their kids - something should happen," Schmitt says. "I'm hoping that they have to pay."
Schmitt isn't alone. Around 140 cases involving back child support are scheduled at the Ottawa County courthouse this week.
Authorities say they are currently around 2,500 open cases in Ottawa County, and the Ottawa Child Support Center says the recent Blitz plant closure and Tracker factory layoffs in Miami will only worsen the problem.
"Looking over the last three years we've had a steady decrease in collections, I think based mainly on the economy, the fact that we've lost several jobs in the area that were the better paying jobs," says Jammie Sartie of the Ottawa County Child Support Center.
Not not everyone is fighting the Child Support Enforcement Agency to pay their child support. Rhett Green is a mechanic and father of one, who says he's happy to pay his child support and thinks others should as well.
"I just think it's something you're supposed to do," Green says. "If you have a kid you're supposed to take care of them. Take care of your kids people."
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