Contacts:
Rochelle Beard: (216) 987-8430; rochelle.beard@jfs.ohio.gov 


CLEVELAND – August is Child Support Awareness Month. The Cuyahoga County Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) celebrates, recognizes, and brings awareness to federal, state, and county professionals who help children and families thrive and initiatives that support them. This year, we kicked off festivities with the Cuyahoga County Family Fun Day on Thursday, August 1, 2019 at Public Square, which featured many fun and exciting activities and resources for children and families.

The month-long recognition will also include a coloring contest for children and a service project for OCSS staff at the Greater Cleveland Foodbank on August 26, which serves thousands of Cuyahoga County residents.

OCSS supports parents and promotes parental responsibility so that children receive support from both parents even when they live in separate households by making our services fair, simple and respectful. OCSS implements initiatives like Families Forward, a job training program for parents who owe child support. Likewise, the child support program is a service to our citizens to ensure children receive the resources and services to lead secure and healthy lives. The agency manages the collection and distribution of monthly child support, spousal support obligations, and past due obligations. OCSS provides a wide range of family support services to residents of Cuyahoga County:

• Establish legal parent-child relationship through genetic testing
• Establish and modify support orders
• Establish Parenting Time (visitation) orders with new support orders
• Locate parents
• Provide case management and maintenance services for child support, medical support and spousal support orders

OCSS is led by Tiffany Dobbins-Brazelton, Executive Director. She notes that “one of our goals is to create a family-centered child support program that promotes on-time and consistent support. We are creating a positive environment that prioritizes our customers and values our employees.”

Visit https://cjfs.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/child-support.aspx to learn more about the Office of Child Support Services.

Fast Facts

• In 2018, Cuyahoga OCSS collected and distributed $225,695,019 in child support payments.
• Cuyahoga County’s total current support due for 2018 is more than the total distributed collections for 19 states and the District of Columbia.
• In 2018, the county accounts for 13 percent of payments for the state of Ohio.
• As of July 2019, Cuyahoga County accounts for 13 percent of cases for the state of Ohio.
• 1 in 3 children are involved in Ohio’s child support program. OCSS strives to connect people with the opportunity to live their best lives.
• President Bill Clinton established August as National Child Support Awareness Month in 1995, noting that “Providing for our children is one of humanity’s worthiest and most fundamental endeavors…”
• In 2018, Governor John Kasich declared that “the strength of our families and the continuing success of our State depend on our efforts to support our children today”. The OCSS is pleased to continue the tradition and service the residents of Cuyahoga County by partnering with parents to create a family-centered child support program that promotes on-time and consistent support

Contact Information
Office of Child Support Services
216-443-5100
www.bold360.com/