DENVER (July 31, 2020) - Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has proclaimed August to be Child Support Awareness Month. The Colorado Department of Human Services' Division of Child Support Services, along with county child support programs across the state, plans to celebrate with a series of virtual events throughout the month.
The governor's proclamation coincides with the national observance of Child Support Awareness Month, established in 1995 by President Bill Clinton, to help ensure that all children have the financial support they need to thrive. Colorado has been among the nation's leaders in this cause, with a long-standing tradition of exploring new and innovative approaches to improving its service delivery so that more families can depend on consistent child support payments.
"I\'m very proud of the work the members of our Child Support Services team and our county partners do day in and day out," said Child Support Services Director Larry Desbien. "Even during these unprecedented times, the Child Support team and our partners have remained committed to getting the needed support to Colorado's families, allowing them to remain strong and to thrive."
Colorado's 700 child support professionals collected more than $350 million for families across the state in 2019. In addition, with the help of child support offices across 64 counties, Child Support Services assisted almost 1,400 families in establishing paternity for their children.
This year, the COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges and changes to state and county-level child support services. The circumstances required quick pivots, and several steps were taken to modernize services and increase access for Colorado families. This includes a simplified application process, which allows applicants to apply over the phone with more ease. This is just one example of the many efforts of child support professionals across the state to ensure continuity and innovation of services for Colorado families during the pandemic.
For more information on how your area is celebrating Child Support Awareness Month, please contact your county human services department.
For more information on efforts during COVID-19, go to the COVID-19 FAQ page on the Colorado Child Support Services website.
For questions regarding COVID-19 and your specific child support case, or to request an application, please reach out to your local county child support program. You can find contact information for all county child support programs in Colorado by entering your city or county in the Find a County Child Support Office search button on any page of our website.
Media contact:
Madlynn Ruble, Deputy Director of Communications
madlynn.ruble@state.co.us
303.866.3411