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Constable Bruce Elfant
Notebook Archives
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Constable's Notebook - October 2007
Last month Travis County constables conducted an annual roundup to
arrest 135 parents who each owed an average $13,000 in delinquent child
support payments and failed to appear at one or more court appearances.
As of this writing, constables have arrested 58 individuals who owed in
excess of $1,115,210.00. These Constable Child Support Roundups are
intended to hold parents accountable for their court-ordered obligations
to their children or run the risk of being arrested.
Twenty years ago, the collection of child support was viewed by many to be
more of an issue for parents to work out between themselves than for
government intervention. In 1987, the Travis County Domestic Relations
Office (DRO) filed lawsuits on behalf of children who were not receiving
government assistance to enforce child support and visitation orders.
The state child support enforcement agency had just been transferred
to the Attorney General’s office. The AG Child Support Division had a
small staff and very few enforcement tools. Attorney General Jim Mattox
(1982-90) was persuaded that the state should aggressively enforce court
orders for the payment of child support and visitation. He understood
that children who do not receive consistent financial and emotional
support from both parents are less likely to graduate from high school
or receive access to health care. They also are more likely to develop
emotional problems and turn to drugs and crime.
Over the last 20 years, General Mattox and his AG successors have worked
to pass legislation to address non-payment of child support by allowing
the withholding of wages, authorizing liens on property, intercepting IRS
refunds, and denying the issuance or renewal of certain licenses and
passports. In addition to adding child support warrants to state warrant
data banks, these efforts have dramatically increased child support
collections in Texas and throughout the nation.
In recent years, federal and state authorities have recognized that in
order for child support programs to be effective, issues including
visitation, employment, drug addiction, old court orders that do not
reflect current circumstances, and understanding how to work with
ex-partners in the best interest of their children must also be addressed.
State child support officials and DRO now recognize this and are actively
working to identify and resolve impediments to the payment of child support.
While child support enforcement programs today are far more effective
than 20 years ago, the U.S. General Accounting Office estimates that
non-custodial parents owe nearly $100 billion in delinquent child support
payments. This is a drop in the bucket compared to what it costs taxpayers
to provide for these children or pay for the consequences of not having
done so.
Attorney General Child Support Division – (800) 252-8014,
www.oag.state.tx.us/cs
Travis County Domestic Relations – 854-9696,
www.TravisCountyDRO.com
Travis County Constable Precinct 5 Warrants – 854-9582,
www.Constable5.com
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