The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) has announced the state’s 20 top-performing child support collection partners from the past year and has recognized other staff who have helped get more payments for children served by the child support program.
The winners were announced last month at a ceremony in Frankfort hosted by the CHFS Child Support Enforcement program (CSE), part of the CHFS Department for Income Support (DIS).
The CSE administers child support enforcement jointly with local contracting officials for all 120 counties.
CHFS Secretary Vickie Yates Brown Glisson thanked the contractors and staff who were recognized.
”The work of the staff and partners of Child Support Enforcement touches so many lives,” she said. “That work is helping to build a better future for thousands of Kentucky children. Through your work, you promote parental responsibility so that children receive support from both parents — even when they live in separate households. It is not always easy, but you define the spirit of public service.”
DIS Commissioner Steve Veno, who leads the CSE, said that his staff has ramped up efforts with local contracting officials to improve rates.
“Lifelong, positive support from a loving adult can affect a child like nothing else,” Veno said. “Financial support is as fundamental as emotional, physical and medical support. In every county across the state, our staff and contracting officials are dedicated to improving services so children can have that deserved support. We are grateful to our top performers who make the well-being of children their priority.”
Contracting officials are ranked based on their paternity establishments, the establishment of child support orders, child support collections and past-due collections.
Rankings for the 2015-16 fiscal year were made based on number of active cases.
Top performing counties with 1,000 or fewer cases are:
· Adair County, County Attorney Jennifer Hutchison-Corbin
· Crittenden County, County Attorney Rebecca J. Johnson
· Green County, County Attorney Russ Goff
· Hancock County, County Attorney Paul Madden Jr.
· Larue County, County Attorney Kyle Williamson
· Livingston County, County Attorney Billy Riley
· Morgan County, County Attorney Myles Holbrook
· McLean County, County Attorney Donna Dant
Top performing counties with 1,000-2,000 cases are:
· Allen County, County Attorney William Hagenbuch Jr.
· Breckinridge County, County Attorney Bradley Butler
· Grayson County, County Attorney K. Clay Ratley
· Meade County, County Attorney Jessica Brown Roberts
· Ohio County, County Attorney Justin Keown
· Oldham County, County Attorney John K. Carter
· Russell County, County Attorney Kevin Shearer
Top performing counties with 2,000-4,000 cases are:
· Harlan County, County Attorney Fred Busroe Jr.
· Hopkins County, County Attorney Byron Hobgood
· Nelson County, County Attorney Matthew Hite
Top performing counties with 4,000 cases or more are:
· Christian County, County Attorney J. Michael Foster
· Boone County, County Attorney Robert Neace
Collection Award (for increased collections over a three-year period):
· Madison County, County Attorney Marc Robbins
Several other awards were also given to contractors and CSE staff. They are as follows:
· Contracting Official Office of the Year – Nelson County Attorney’s Office
· John R. Fendley Child Support Attorney of the Year – Byron Ockerman, Assistant Fayette County Attorney
· Tim Olds Outstanding Customer Service Award – Carol Grider, Warren County Attorney’s Office
· Contracting Official Employee of the Year – Daniel Pruitt, Campbell County Attorney’s Office
· State Child Support Field Office Employee of the Year – Patricia Smith, Two Rivers Regional Office
· Central Office Employee of the Year – Elizabeth Collins, Program Services Branch
· Commissioner’s Award – Gavin Sewell, Compliance Officer, CSE Central Office