Programs that help with child support payment and collections

One of my goals is to bring awareness to families in The Greater Houston area of programs that are offered right in our backyard. There are several families who find themselves needing assistance and I’ve outlined two programs which are beneficial in helping with child support payment, and collections.

The Noncustodial Parent Choices (NCP Choices)

The Noncustodial Parent, or NCP, Choices Program is offered to low-income noncustodial parents who are unemployed or underemployed and behind on their child support payment. The children of these parents must be current or former recipients of public assistance in order to be a part of the program.

The NCP Choices Program has a mission to help noncustodial parents overcome the barriers to employment and career advancement while working to become stable and make consistent child support payments.

The NCP Choices Program operates in 17 Workforce Development Boards in the state of Texas including the Gulf Coast and Southeast Texas. (For a full list of the development boards, visit their website.)

Over the last 10 years the NCP has been successful at delivering employment, job retention and child support results to one of the hardest-to-serve population while producing some hefty stats:

• 71% of participating noncustodial parents entered employment.
• On average, the noncustodial parents entered employment within eight weeks.
• 77% of participating noncustodial parents retained employment for at least 6 months.

In order to be eligible for the NCP Choice program, you must meet certain qualifications. Download their comprehensive guide in order to learn more about the eligibility requirements and program.

The FOCAS Program

The FOCAS Program stands for Focus On Collection And Services and is provided by the District Clerk’s Office in collaboration with partners to enhance the collection of child support by monitoring and enforcing child support utilizing various enforcement tools.

The main goal is to ensure that children in the Houston area are given continued support and improving their lives.

There are several benefits of this program including:

• Locating non-custodial parents
• Collecting child support through income withholding and income tax refund intercept
• Enforcing child support orders and medical support orders
• Reviewing and modifying child support orders

There are certain qualifications for the FOCAS program. Learn if you and your family qualifies by downloading the FOCAS presentation.

While many families hire a private attorney to handle certain aspects of a divorce, as they find the process less stressful and faster than dealing with an agency. However, it’s important to learn about and understand the many different programs available to families and children while going through a divorce. Take advantage of these programs and share them with your friends and family in order to build awareness in our community.