August is Child Support Awareness Month

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) joins Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted in recognizing August as Child Support Awareness Month. To further raise awareness of the importance of child support, the agency also encourages Ohioans to wear green on Aug. 4 and post their “wear green” photos on social media using #WearGreenOhio.

“Support from both parents is essential to meeting children’s physical, social, and emotional needs,” Governor DeWine said in his resolution. “Ohio’s Child Support Program is dedicated to collaborating with multiple agencies and organizations to strengthen families and prioritize children’s well-being.”

The ODJFS Office of Child Support collects and distributes nearly $2 billion annually to more than 1 million Ohio children. The program is administered locally by 88 county child support enforcement agencies, which also locate noncustodial parents, establish legal paternity, establish child and medical support orders, and enforce support orders.

“Ohio ranked third in collections among the 10 largest states last year,” said ODJFS Director Matt Damschroder. “In partnership with county agencies, we are committed to helping families access community resources that can help them overcome barriers to paying child support. We also strongly encourage parents to establish legal paternity as soon as possible after their children’s birth. Doing so has many long-term benefits for both the parents and the children.”

To learn more about Ohio’s Child Support Program, visit jfs.ohio.gov/ocs. Ohio families can get secure and easy access to their child support case information through a mobile app, which is available for free on mobile devices through the Apple App Store or Google Play store.