Child support suffers as economy suffers

EMILY RAMSHAW

The Dallas Morning News

The faltering national economy is taking its toll on Texas kids. More parents are making their child support payments from unemployment checks and asking judges to lower their financial burdens. Those who managed fine for years without that kind of assistance are fighting for it to make ends meet. Caseloads are going up in Dallas and other North Texas counties. And more than a million children are caught in the squeeze.

"It's definitely a reflection of the economy. We're getting more requests to enforce orders, and we're seeing more people apply for our services – parents who didn't" seek it before, said Janece Rolfe, spokeswoman for the Texas attorney general's child support division. "Children need child support more than ever when the economy is failing," she said.

Source: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/legislature/stories/DN-kidsupport_02met.ART.State.Edition2.4be0d60.html