The Department of Human Services hopes to expand a court program that assists those who aren't paying their child support in getting a job and correcting issues that are barriers to employment, such as drug and alcohol abuse, illiteracy and lack of transportation.

Known simply as the court liaison program, it is operating in seven counties -- Adair, Cherokee, Sequoyah, Wagoner, Muskogee, Oklahoma and Comanche. Officials hope to expand it to include Tulsa County.

Felony convictions stood between Muskogee resident James R. Richerson, 37, and a job. As a result, he wasn't paying child support for his three kids.

"It made me feel bad because I couldn't take care of my kids," Richerson said.

District Judge Mike Norman, who works in a handful of counties including Muskogee, told Richerson about the court liaison program.

Norman said that for many, the choice is go to jail for 180 days or go into the program. Jail time costs taxpayers, he said, adding that if a noncustodial parent is locked up, the child likely is not getting financial support from that parent.

"I don't want them in jail," the judge said. "I want them out working. But if they don't pay any attention to me, I don't have any choice. "

Norman said Muskogee County needs an alternative to incarceration, noting it costs $7,200 to put someone in jail for 180 days.

Richerson is a retail manager at J & E Corp., a wholesale distributor for work and dress clothes, and pet food, in Muskogee. He pays about $450 a month in child support.

"I had everything needed," he said of his past quests for a job. "When it came down to it, my felonies kept me from a good job. My (current) employer looks past it."

The company's owner, Ed Johnson, said: "We feel like they have paid their debt to society. They deserve another chance. He is an excellent employee, always willing and has an excellent attitude. That is what we look for."

Gary Dart, who heads the Department of Human Services' Child Support Enforcement Division, said sometimes people are dead broke rather than deadbeats.

He said he hopes to add eight more court liaisons to the program, including two in Tulsa County. Those in the program represent a very small percent of the agency's child support caseload, he said.

In fiscal year 2007, the Child Support Enforcement Division collected nearly $239 million, an 8.9 percent increase above the prior year. The bulk of the funds, 91 per cent, was passed on to families.

Kent Hartin is a court liaison with the Oklahoma County office of DHS.

"My job really is to help the noncustodial parent find employment," Hartin said. "I help them find employment and point them toward employers so they can pay child support."

Sometimes that involves visiting the employer and discussing options, he said. Other times it means finding a solution to a barrier to unemployment.

If the person is unemployed, Hartin requires weekly visits for an update on the job search. If the person is employed, a phone call will suffice, he said.

He requires 25 employer contacts in five days.

"I might sit down and call every one of them," he said.

Not following the rules will get the person bounced from the program, he said.

Hartin said he has heard all the excuses for why child support is not paid.

"The bottom line is these are your children and you need to take care of your children," he said. "I focus on the child and use that as encouragement. You need to take care of your kids."

Barbara Hoberock (405) 528-2465
barbara.hoberock@tulsaworld.com