A recent upgrade to the Michigan Dept. of Human Services website allows custodialparents/caregivers to search online for the money they are due.
The money was collected over the past several years by 83 Friend of the Court offices around the state, but caseworkers could not locate most of the 34,409 people owed money. Some of the unclaimed money also belongs to people who did not cash the checks they were sent. Often the person has moved without notifying the state of a change of address.
To learn whether the state is holding child support money for you, go to www.michigan.gov/dhs and click on the link for Child Support-Unclaimed Funds. You'll be asked for the last four digits of your Social Security number. That will allow you to see if there is money waiting for you.
There are also links to a change of address form, to find phone numbers for local Friend of the Court offices and to the unclaimed property site of the State Dept. of Treasury.
To find out more or for other issues, contact the group called ACES,
a Child Support Advocacy group at 800-537-7072 OR 800-738-2237
OR go to www.childsupport-aces.org. This group locates absent
parents and collects support.
The Michigan Attorney General's Office targets deadbeat parents. The Attorney General works with county prosecutors and generally targets cases in which the offenders are living out of state and/or have large delinquencies.
In Wayne County:
Generally, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Felony Non-Support Unit may get involved if the arrears exceed $5,000, civil enforcement has failed, and the offending parents still live in Michigan. Call Assistant Prosecutor Nancy Neff's office at 313-224-0465.
In Oakland County:
The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office Family Support Division issues about 100 warrants each year for deadbeat parents. Call the office at 248-858-5620.
In Macomb County:
The Assistant Macomb County Prosecutor handles 3-6 felony non-support cases a week. The process starts with the County's Friend of the court system at 586-469-7618.
Federal Office of Child Support
Website: www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse
EX-POSE
An organization created to help ex-spouses get information about military benefits.
A small membership fee is charged for this service.
PO Box 1191
Alexandria VA 22312
Phone: 1-703-941-5844 (weekdays)
Website: http://ex-pose.org/index.php?option=com_contact&Itemid=3
Private Agencies That Collect Child Support
KIDS, Ltd. (A Nationwide Delinquent Child Support Collection Agency)
National association of private professional collection agencies. Call for the number of the agency nearest you.
Children's Services
7166 Oaklawn
San Antonio, TX 78229
Phone: 800-729-2445
Email: kidscollect@collectchildsupport.com
Website: www.collectchildsupport.com
Try these Private Agency websites also:
www.ChildSupport.com
www.SupportKids.com
www.NationalChildSupport.com
Enforcing Child Support Abroad
www.travel.state.gov/law/info/info_608.html
