October 22, 2007 – The Office of Child Support Services has expanded its Parenting Time Services to four additional communities - Savannah, Columbus, Macon, and Augusta. Parenting Time Services is the state’s child access and visitation program which oversees organized meetings for families with custody and visitation issues. Parenting Time Services, formerly known as Child Access and Visitation Services, is responsible for group parenting education, individual education/counseling, mediation, development of parenting plans, and coordination of 3 types of visitation events - supervised visitation, neutral exchanges, and monitored visitation.
September 24, 2007 – After holding a series of six Fatherhood Summits in which the Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) and the Department of Technical Adult Education (DTAE) invited Georgia residents to learn about the services offered through the Fatherhood Program, OCSS is pleased to announce that it has increased the number of Fatherhood participants who have obtained employment by eleven percent. This gives the program an 82 percent employment rate compared to last years 71 percent employment rate. Additionally, Fatherhood Program participant’s families received nearly $12 million in child support payments during fiscal year 2007.
October 2, 2007 – The Department of Human Resources (DHR) Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) along with the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) would like to alert the public of a child support collecting company that is allegedly engaged in fraudulent practices in Georgia. According to OCA, a company named Child Support Services of Georgia is contacting non custodial parents to set up child support payments. Once contacted, consumers believe that they are in contact with the official State of Georgia, Office of Child Support Services when in fact they are being contacted by a company that has no affiliation with this Office. Allegedly, once those payments are made, the company pockets the money and the custodial parent doesn’t receive a penny.
November 27, 2007 – On November 30th, the Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) located at 1 Courtland Street, Statesboro, Georgia will be closing. This closure is due to its relocation to its new office at 34 Hill Street, Statesboro, Georgia. Due to the relocation planned for early 2008, the current office will be closed during the months of December and January. All staff will be temporarily reassigned to other state offices in the surrounding area.
March 28, 2007 – The Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) is pleased to announce that the Ogeechee County Child Support Program will soon transition into a state-run Office of Child Support Services. The current Child Support program in the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit is currently administered through a contract by the Bulloch County District Attorney.
November 27, 2007 – The Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) will soon disconnect the Child Support Hotline in order to convert to a new telephone contact center. On December 1, OCSS will take each of the 39 published office numbers and direct them to one contact center. The new approach will offer OCSS customers the opportunity to access a central information center. This will allow members of the community to work with employees trained in call center techniques. Additionally, it will provide a faster, friendlier, easier way of doing business.
July 16, 2007 – The Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) is pleased to announce Tonia Jones of Griffin, Georgia has received the June "Hero of the Month" award. The award was created to recognize Child Support Services employees who exceed above and beyond their daily duties. Ms. Jones, an eight year veteran of OCSS was nominated by her coworkers as most deserving of this award and competed statewide among several nominees.
November 8, 2007 – Oconee District parents who are behind on child support payments are being offered the opportunity to get back on track with their payments just in time for the holiday season. This opportunity, appropriately called Settlement Day, is being offered by the Georgia Department of Human Resources’ Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) and is extended to all parents with who are at least two months behind on their payments.
September 24, 2007 – The Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) is pleased to announce the statewide rollout of Rapid Process Improvement (RPI). Rapid Process Improvement is a process of looking at the current service delivery within OCSS and determining ways to improve it. The new process will reduce client wait time from as long as eight weeks to a single day and allow OCSS to offer same day service. With same day service, OCSS will be able to effectively save money and time for both employees and customers. Over the past several months, offices throughout the state began piloting RPI in order to reduce child support order establishment time.
October 2, 2007 – The Department of Human Resources (DHR) Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) is pleased to announce the initiation of its DNA collection program. Through this program, paternity results can be received in only 3 to 7 days; whereas the previous method of DNA collection could take up to 2 months. The program, which initiated earlier this month, is currently being piloted out of the Athens and Newnan Child Support Offices.
August 10, 2007 – In July of 2004, the Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) eliminated the usage of paper checks in order to provide a more efficient means of distributing monthly payments. Since that time, custodial parents have received the option of receiving payments via electronic debit card or direct deposit. Debit cards are of no cost to the state or custodial parents. Electronic debit cards provide a more efficient means of paying OCSS clients.
August 10, 2007 – In its "Back to School" campaign, the Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) in Camilla, Georgia collected over $5000.00 in child support supplements from non custodial parents. These supplements were in addition to any regularly scheduled monthly payments. The office sponsored the campaign in order to acquire funds to assist families with school supplies, accessories and clothing. During this campaign, noncustodial parents were encouraged to make an additional payment of $250.00 which would be applied to child support obligations.
August 15, 2007 – The Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) has turned the new passport rules into an opportunity to maximize parental responsibility for individuals delinquent in payments. As a result, $661,727.38 has been collected over the past fiscal year from parents seeking to obtain passports or renew them. OCSS made the most of this year's busiest travel season by intercepting, travelers who have started planning and taking precautions for their upcoming vacations, which includes renewing or registering for passports.
January 25, 2007 – This month the Office of Child Support Services began applying new guidelines that take into account the combined income of both parents in order to determine child support payments . In addition to combined income, the new guidelines also consider health insurance and work-related child care costs.
November 27, 2007 – The Georgia Department of Human Resources’ Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) welcomed a member of the National Football League (NFL) to its Fatherhood Program Orientation ceremony. At the orientation, Vernon Haynes of the Pittsburgh Steelers recently gave a motivational talk to 29 new Fatherhood Participants on the campus of Atlanta Technical College. Haynes described his journey as a single father and the struggles he has faced along the way.
March 26, 2007 – Bibb County parents who are behind on child support are being offered the opportunity to get back on track. This opportunity, appropriately named Amnesty Day, is being offered by the Georgia Department of Human Resources’ Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) and is extended to all parents with a child support case in Bibb County who are at least two months behind on their payments. For parents willing to clear up delinquencies, OCSS will be prepared to release licenses and liens, dismiss Contempt actions and possibly even pickup orders for significant purge payments.
November 27, 2007 – Keith Horton has been named the new Director of the Office of Child Support Services (OCSS). Horton, who took the helm November 1, will be responsible for directing child support services throughout the state which includes locating non-custodial parents, confirming paternity, establishing and enforcing child support and medical support orders, and collecting and distributing payments.
February 15, 2007 – Athens residents are invited to participate in a Fatherhood Summit on March 13, 2007, where they can learn about the services offered by the Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) and the Department of Technical Adult Education (DTAE). This event will provide an overview of the Georgia Fatherhood Program and a review of the new Child Support guidelines that went into affect on January 1, 2007.
May 3, 2007 – The Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) will honor Kyetina Griffin of Atlanta, Georgia at the 2007 Public Employee Recognition Week Awards Luncheon. The luncheon will be held on Tuesday, May 8, 2007, at 11:30 a.m. at the Freight Depot located at 65 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, in Atlanta, Georgia. DHR’s Commissioner, as well as the Executive Management Team will present the awards.
February 22, 2007 – On Wednesday, March 21, 2007, the Coweta County Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) will sponsor a job fair to provide parents new career opportunities and the chance to increase their wages. The job fair will be located at the Coweta County Fairgrounds at 275 Pine Road in Newnan, Georgia from 12:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.
November 27, 2007 – Columbus area parents who are behind on child support payments are being offered the opportunity to get back on track with their payments just in time for the holiday season. This opportunity, appropriately called Settlement Day, is being offered by the Georgia Department of Human Resources’ Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) and is extended to all parents with who are at least two months behind on their payments.
November 19, 2007 – Cobb County parents who are behind on child support payments are being offered the opportunity to get back on track with their payments just in time for the holiday season. This opportunity, appropriately called Settlement Day, is being offered by the Georgia Department of Human Resources’ Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) and is extended to all parents with who are at least two months behind on their payments.
December 20, 2007 - The Cobb County Office of Child Support Services collected nearly $90,000 during a two-day Pre-Christmas Amnesty event. The funds were collected from parents who were more than two months behind in back child support payments. The event, hosted earlier this month allowed parents the opportunity to get back on track with their child support obligations without facing any legal action. Hundreds of parents took the first step to get back on track by responding to the Amnesty event.
October 22, 2007 – The Jesup Office of Child Support Services (OCSS), in conjunction with the Department of Corrections (DOC), and Department of Labor (DOL) have joined together to prepare transitioning male inmates to for their return to society through the Top Step Program. In order to become productive citizens, transitioning fathers must learn the aspects of fatherhood. To teach those aspects, transitioning fathers are now receiving classes which educate them about the child support process.
November 8, 2007 – The Camilla Office of Child Support Services, in partnership with the Council on Aging, is working to establish a support group to provide emotional support and resource information to help grandparents and other relatives raising children that are not their own. Through this program, titled Kinship Care, OCSS will provide grandparents and other relatives with services that can help bring income into the homes of Georgia’s children.
November 27, 2007 – South Georgia Circuit parents who are behind on child support payments are being offered the opportunity to get back on track with their payments just in time for the holiday season. This opportunity, appropriately called Settlement Day, is being offered by the Georgia Department of Human Resources’ Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) and is extended to all parents who are at least two months behind on their payments. Parents wishing to take advantage of this opportunity to resolve their child support obligations are asked to report to the Mitchell County Courthouse, West Broad St. Camilla GA 31730 on December 12, 2007. Parents who are unable to attend may send their payment to: Family Support Registry, P.O. Box 1600, Carrollton, GA 30112-1600.
October 15, 2007 – Sumter County parents who are behind on child support payments are being offered the opportunity to get back on track with their payments just in time for the holiday season. This opportunity, appropriately called Settlement Day, is being offered by the Georgia Department of Human Resources’ Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) and is extended to all parents with a child support case in Sumter County who are at least two months behind on their payments. Parents wishing to take advantage of this rare opportunity to resolve their child support obligations are asked to report to the Sumter County Courthouse in Americus on November 15th between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
December 20, 2007 - The Americus Office of Child Support Services collected over $100,000 during a one-day Pre-Christmas Amnesty event. The funds were collected from parents who were more than two months behind in back child support payments. The event, hosted in late November allowed parents the opportunity to get back on track with their child support obligations without facing any legal action. Nearly 700 parents responded to the Amnesty event. As a result, the Americus OCSS exceeded its goal of $100,000 and collected over $110,000.00 in back child support just in time for the holiday season.
Is your OCSS debit card about to expire? New debit cards will be issued beginning in May 2007. If we do not have your current mailing address, you may not receive your NEW DEBIT CARD. Please review this OCSS Debit Card Flyer for more details.
May 22, 2007- Spalding County parents who are behind on child support payments are offered the opportunity to get back on track. This opportunity, appropriately called Amnesty Day, is being offered by the Georgia Department of Human Resources’ Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) and is extended to all parents with a child support case in Spalding County who are at least two months behind on their payments.