August is Child Support Awareness Month
Contact: Norah West
DSHS Office of Communications
(360) 489–5587
OLYMPIA — As Washington state’s summer hits its stride, some thoughts can’t help but wander toward a new school year. We are still living in uncertain times, and many families remain concerned about how they will support their children. The Department of Social and Health Services’ Division of Child Support wants to remind parents this August, officially proclaimed as Child Support Awareness Month by Gov. Jay Inslee, that help is available.
The Division of Child Support helps parents pay and receive child support at little or no cost, and signing up for services has never been easier. On the Enroll for Services page of the DSHS website, parents can find:
- A video on how to fill out an application.
- A link to ask to have an application mailed to you.
- Phone numbers to call when you need more help.
“All of us have been challenged in some way or another during this pandemic, noticeably our parents and children,” said Division of Child Support Director Sharon Redmond. “We don’t want collecting or paying child support to be one more source of stress.”
DCS provides a number of services that can make the whole child support process easier. The division takes a family-centered approach to its work on more than 309,000 cases. Staff consider the needs of the whole family and offer resources when parents are experiencing issues such as unemployment, homelessness or substance use disorders. Working with parents and employers, DCS collected more than $695 million for families and children in the last year — support that helps kids and adults reach their full potential and weather storms that might come their way.
Find out more about all the services DCS offers by visiting www.childsupportonline.wa.gov or calling 1–800–442-KIDS (5437).