Child Support Awareness Month recognized in August
August is Child Support Awareness Month and a time when Arapahoe County recognizes the significance financial support plays in a child's life. are supported by the program and in 2022, $8,834,580 was collected for child support in Arapahoe County alone. Through child support, parents are more likely to stay involved in the child’s life, leading to emotional support and reducing child abuse and neglect. With the program’s help, families can strengthen bonds to improve the lives of everyone in the family.
What Arapahoe County Does
Arapahoe County works to ensure that children receive the financial and medical support that they need and deserve from both parents. But that goes well beyond assisting to establish, enforce, and modify child support. Parents with child support cases have access to free programs:
Parents to Work program—Parents to Work is a partnership between Arapahoe County Child Support Services and Arapahoe/Douglas Works! that provides parents an option to meet their obligations of child support while also being able to meet their day-to-day needs. Parents to Work offers employment, training, GED prep, and supportive services to both custodial and non-custodial parents with a child support case in Arapahoe County. Past participants in the program appreciated efforts to cater to their unique needs to ensure time in the program lead to skills for future employment. In 2021–2022 program year, Parents to Work served nearly 200 individuals with over 30 participants graduating from the program by working and meeting their child support obligations for 12 consecutive months.
On Wednesday, Aug. 2, the Parents to Work program hosted its annual Accomplishment Ceremony. The event allowed participants and their families to come together and celebrate their successes. Seven participants and their families were in attendance. “It is these moments that we must celebrate. It can be easy to follow the flow of day-to-day life, but the program participants decided to do something different. Something that will impact their families for a better future, and I am proud to celebrate with them,” said County Commissioner Carrie Warren-.
Free classes and workshops—Arapahoe County offers free classes and workshops to support creating healthy family relationships. The Fatherhood engagement class is a four-week online session for dads to learn parenting and nurturing skills. Motherhood classes for developing communication and time management skills are held in person, with lunch provided and a $50 gift card with completion. Classes on legal advice, financial literacy, and mediation are also available for sign up through the Community and Child Support Services Division.
