by Mindy Aguon

Guam - As Child Support Awareness Month activities come to a close, the Attorney General's Office is hoping to spread the word that they have $5 million in uncollected child support and are offering a special program to those who are in arrears.

The Attorney General's Office Child Support Enforcement Division collects about $12 million a year in child support for the island's children. Deputy AG Bobbie Cepeda says one in four children on Guam under the age of 18 has a case with the Child Support Enforcement Division. That's roughly 4,500 cases and almost half are Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cases.

"That's important because whatever money we collect from TANF, which is temporary assistance for needy families goes back to the government's General Fund to reimburse the General Fund for welfare that's being issued to the families on welfare," Cepeda said.

The non-TANF cases money collected goes directly to families. The office has come a long way in improving collections and going after deadbeat parents who have tried to avoid providing support for their children.

She added, "We started using a lot more of the enforcement tools that we had we've always had them bunt didn't really use them. We started using the driver's license suspension. We just started getting strict on passport denial exclusions of passport denials. We also used the offset refunds and the credit reports and freeze-and-seize."

Freeze-and-seize is when the AG's Office gets information that a non-custodial parent has money in the bank and has neglected to pay child support and/or arrears. A notice is sent advising that the money will be seized unless the individual contests owing money.

The office is also pushing the driver's license suspension program. Continued Cepeda, "We can suspend a perfectly good license. We don't have to wait until it expires like the passport. So if a non-custodial parent is delinquent we send notice to rev and tax notice of proposed action and also to the non-custodial parent."

For the remainder of the month, the office is offering the Buy-to Fly Passport Denial Amnesty Program. Cepeda says non-custodial parents who wish to obtain their passports so they can travel off-island, can apply for the amnesty program until the end of the month.

Meanwhile, the Division also wants to remind custodial parents that there is $5.1 million dollars in child support that has not been collected. Cepeda says it just might be your lucky day. Those who would like to inquire about the uncollected checks or any of the programs can call the Child Support Division at 475-3360, extension 1210 or 1245 or visit their website at GuamCSE.net.

The AG's Office meanwhile is still in the process of replacing its antiquated APASI system that is used for child support records. Cepeda says the office received the money to start the second phase, which is putting out a request for proposal for companies to submit solutions on what kind of system would be for the local child support office.