Jefferson County Child Support Procedures On Track Despite Pandemic

Stacee Jensen, Child Support Director for Jefferson County, presented a report on her department to the Board on Tuesday night. Jensen and her team of 12 staff manage around 5,000 cases per year, providing many services to collect child support payments and establish paternity.

The department had to make some changes in the face of the pandemic last year but continued excellent performance. During the pandemic, they continued to perform genetic testing to establish paternity. Child support payments continued to be collected, although Jensen noted that some counties halted collections, with more money collected in 2020 than in 2019. There was also an increase in attendance for appointments and hearings, as customers were able to appear over phone calls. All of this played a part in the department being awarded a certificate of excellence by the state.

Going forward, Jensen would like to expand and train her team, so that the department can serve the community even better. She also noted her goal to expand services to review and adjust child support, something the department cut in 2009.