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Illinois Recognizes Child Support Awareness Month With Resource Dayevent For Families, Charitable Fundraiser
Government and Politics
August 3, 2022
From: Illinois Governor J. B. PritzkerSPRINGFIELD – Illinois is marking Child Support Awareness Month this August with a Family Resource Day to raise attention and help connect Illinois families to the range of child support services available to them.
The state’s Child Support program is administered by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ Division of Child Support Services (DCSS). This year, DCSS is holding its inaugural Child Support Awareness Family Resource Day in Springfield to connect Central Illinois families with child support-related services, as well as a fundraiser to benefit Feeding America.
The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 26 at the Salvation Army Community Center, located at 1600 E. Clearlake Ave., in Springfield. The event is free, and those who plan to attend are encouraged to pre-register here.
DCSS representatives will be on-site to provide attendees with expert assistance on child support case-specific customer service and other critical family support including enrollment, paternity, child support orders and enforcement, order modification, and income withholding.
In addition, legal services representatives will have a presence at the event including the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, State’s Attorneys’ offices, and Legal Aid. HFS’ Medical Division and partner Medicaid Managed Care Organizations will have representatives on-site to provide information and assist families with enrolling in the Illinois Medicaid program.
In addition to the Resource Day event, for its annual Child Support Awareness fundraiser, DCSS is partnering with Feeding America to support Illinois families by making contributions to local food banks. The statewide fundraising drive is underway at all Illinois Child Support regional offices, and donations can be made online here.
“This year, we’re so glad to be partnering with Feeding America, and marking Child Support Awareness Month with a drive to benefit local food banks across the state,” said Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Theresa Eagleson. “The Division of Child Support Services does vital work for Illinois families every day to help improve their financial well-being and create better outcomes for the many families and children they serve. This August, we want to recognize that good work and reach even more families who are eligible for these services.”
“We are so pleased to be starting a new event this year to further our mission: connecting Illinois families with critical child support services,” said Bryan Tribble, Administrator of the Division of Child Support Services at HFS. “We want to be sure that families across the state know about the free services that exist for parents and children in families where they are not living with their parents, and we encourage families to come out to learn more at our event in Springfield later this month.”
“During Child Support Awareness Month, we recognize and celebrate parents across Illinois who strive to coparent and give their children the best possible future,” said State Representative La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago). “The parents who pay child support and the parents who receive child support are building strong foundations for their children, and the child support services that Illinois provides help them to do so.”
“The state of Illinois provides critical child support services to many families, and I’m so pleased that the Family Resource Day event will be held in Springfield this year,” said State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield.) “This is a proactive, informative way for state government to engage with families in our community about the services available to them, and I encourage people to attend.”
August is the designated Child Support Awareness Month because it is the anniversary of the establishment of the Child Support Enforcement Program in the Social Security Act of 1975.
In Illinois, DCSS provides child support services to more than 357,000 families. Services include helping parents establish paternity, establishing fair child support orders, and enforcing them when necessary. These services are available to anyone who needs them, regardless of economic status. In state fiscal year 2022, roughly $1.18 billion in child support was collected for Illinois families.
HFS has regional Child Support offices in Aurora, Champaign, Chicago, Collinsville, Joliet, Marion, Peoria, Rockford, and Springfield.
Last year to mark Child Support Awareness Month, HFS partnered with local United Way organizations for a donation drive to support their critical efforts in the communities they serve.
About the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services is responsible for providing healthcare coverage for adults and children who qualify for Medicaid, and for providing Child Support Services to help ensure that Illinois children receive financial support from both parents. The department is organized into two major divisions, Medical Programs and Child Support Services. In addition, the Office of Inspector General is maintained within the agency, but functions as a separate, independent entity reporting directly to the governor's office.
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