Increase in Delinquent Child Support Seen in Chicago Suburbs

 Posted on December 29, 2011 in Child Support

Statistics from the Daily Herald show that the number of delinquent child support cases handled by the state, and also the amount of child support funds owed to parents are increasing in the Chicago suburbs. The increase is reflective of the challenges people are facing in the economic downtown, which has made it more difficult for parents to make and collect child support payments.

The Daily Herald reports that the number of Illinois child support cases tracked by the state for late payments has risen faster in the Chicagoland area than the rest of the state. In DuPage County, the number of cases in arrears rose 48 percent from 2008 to 2010, with 9,000 cases being tracked for delinquent child support. In the same time period, the total amount of back child support owed in DuPage County alone increased by 36 percent, to more than $110 million. McHenry County also saw a significant increase of 66 percent, while Kane County saw a 24 percent rise.

The increase in child support arrears is likely a direct result of the sluggish economy, as parents are struggling to make ends meet while looking for new jobs or working even harder to keep those they have. With less money and a steady stream of bills to pay, it has become easier for parents to fall behind on court-ordered child-support payments. This can result in children, and the parents caring for them, being without the financial support they rely on.

Source: Daily Herald, Delinquent child-support cases grow in suburbs, Mike Riopell and Kerry Lester, 28 November 2011