August is Child Support Awareness Month

The Gila County Board of Supervisors has proclaimed August “Child Support Awareness Month.” The Gila County Attorney’s Child Support Enforcement Office has been rated the top performer in the nation.

Gila County Attorney Daisy Flores reminds all Gila County citizens that child support services are available to any parent, guardian or caretaker for whom child support is needed.

If you need child support services or have any questions, call the Child Support Office or stop by  157 South Broad Street.

Gila County Leads Nation in Child Support Collections

Once again Gila County leads the nation in child support collection and enforcement.

The Payson Roundup reports that the county attorney’s Child Support Division collected $5.3 million in child support during the last fiscal year.

This is the second time in recent years that the division ranked No.1 in the nation based on five federal standards. It is also the third time in a row that the county’s Child Supprt Division received a perfect score on an internal assessment audit.

Only four counties in Arizona manage their own child support enforcement programs. The other counties leave child support collection to the state attorney general’s office.

More than 100 child support hearings are held in an average week in Gila County.

Gila County Attorney's Child Support Division Ranked Top in the Country

A report released by the Arizona Department of Economic Security Division of Child Support Enforcement ranks Gila County number one in total federal incentive scores.

Several years ago the federal government began ranking the states on five different child support performance measures in order to divide up a fixed amount of federal money among the states. Arizona uses the same performance measures to divide its federal incentive money among the state’s county attorney offices. The report shows that if Gila County were a state, its combined incentive scores would make it the top child support program in the country.

Gila County Attorney Daisy Flores says she is pleased with the report. She also notes that her office recently received perfect scores for the third time in a row on its internal performance audit. The Child Support Division says it is unaware of any other Arizona child support office ever receiving even one perfect annual audit score.