Child Support Awareness Month
WHEREAS, Virginia's Division of Child Support Enforcement, in the Department of Social Services, seeks to help families achieve financial stability, a critical component of ensuring that children grow and thrive; and
WHEREAS, the Division of Child Support Enforcement recognizes that consistent payment of child support helps lift more than 1.4 million families out of poverty each year across the nation; and
WHEREAS, the Division of Child Support Enforcement further recognizes that consistent payment of child support is associated with fewer behavioral problems, greater self-esteem, better academic performance for children, and increased parental involvement; and
WHEREAS, the Division of Child Support Enforcement serves more than 350,000 dependent children – one of every five children in Virginia – through its family-centered customer service approach; and
WHEREAS, the Division of Child Support Enforcement collected over $645 million for families in state fiscal year 2019; and
WHEREAS, the Division of Child Support Enforcement will continue to enhance its services in family engagement, fatherhood initiatives, community partnerships, visitation programs, re-entry programs, realistic support orders, and consistent case management; and
WHEREAS, the Division of Child Support Enforcement is committed to working with community partners to help parents overcome barriers such as lack of job skills, unemployment, previous incarceration, substance misuse, and mental health issues; and
WHEREAS, the Division of Child Support Enforcement will continue to support co-parenting through programs that focus on access, visitation, and responsible parenting; and
WHEREAS, the Division of Child Support Enforcement will continue to refer parents to mediation or agency partners for help in resolving disputes and improving parental communication; and
WHEREAS, the Commonwealth joins the nation in recognizing August as Child Support Awareness Month;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ralph S. Northam, do hereby recognize August 2019 as CHILD SUPPORT AWARENESS MONTH in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.