Two of Kenosha County’s state lawmakers were honored recently for their support of the child support system.
Reps. Tip McGuire and Amanda Nedweski received “Friend of the Wisconsin Child Support Program” awards during a special event at the Kenosha County Job Center.
Kenosha County Division of Workforce Development Director Dustin Feeney, who is the current president of the Wisconsin Child Support Enforcement Association, presented the honors, highlighting the prolific work and the efficient nature of the system, locally and statewide.
“For every $1 spent on child support enforcement in Wisconsin, we collected nearly $6 in support for families,” Feeney said. “So, it is one of the most cost-effective, anti-poverty programs in the country.”
During the event, which also included County Executive Samantha Kerkman, Feeney called upon several members of his staff to highlight the office’s functions and accomplishments, including Child Support Manager Laura Ervin, Lead Child Support Attorney Lori Thoennes, and Child Support Supervisor Shalonda Black.
Also, Child Support Attorney Catherine Lambrechts shared her perspective as a relatively new member of the team, while veteran Child Support Enforcement Specialist Donna Adams spoke of her experiences over 30-plus years on the job. (McGuire, Nedweski and Kerkman then took turns congratulating Adams on her retirement, which begins this month.)
During the most recent fiscal year, more than $32 million in child support payments were collected in Kenosha County. Statewide, in fiscal year 2022, that total was $864 million.
To realize these collections, the child support program oversees a variety of functions, including the establishment of paternity and court orders, collection of current and past-due support, and referrals to employment and training programs and other services.
Thoennes said she and her colleagues attended 3,575 court hearings in 2023, laying the groundwork for the payment of millions of dollars in support.
“These numbers signify rent paid, electricity paid, and food in the refrigerator,” Thoennes said, noting a recent instance in which she arranged for a $10,000 lump sum payment and an additional $250 per month in future payments from a parent who owed $45,000 in past due child support but had received a worker’s compensation settlement.
“When I was speaking to the mother, she began crying and indicated that she does not know how fortunate this call was for her and her children,” Thoennes said. “She stated that just the day before, she was wondering how she was going to buy groceries this week despite working full time. This money will ensure that she and her children will not have to deal with food insecurity for quite some time to come.”
Other programs highlighted during the event included ELEVATE (Empowering Lives through Education, Vocational Assessment, Training and Employment), which works with noncustodial parents to address barriers to employment and provides training and skill assessments.
Kenosha County is also one of three pilot counties in Wisconsin participating in a federally funded grant that focuses on removing barriers and enabling survivors of domestic violence to access child support benefits safely.
As to the support of the state Legislature, Feeney noted that the current state budget increases funding for local child support programming to $11.8 million in 2023-’24 and to $15.7 million in 2024-’25. The state receives a 66 percent federal match for these investments, as well as incentive payments based on how well Wisconsin performs compared with other states.
With the support of the Legislature, the statewide child support system is now making upgrades to a decades-old computer system, to the great delight of the county staff who use it every day.
McGuire, a Kenosha Democrat, said child support is critical in ensuring children in the community have the resources to be healthy and thrive.
“Our state investment into IT and staffing at county child support agencies not only made our agencies more competitive for federal performance funds, but it also helped enable our counties ensure that every child has access to the resources and services that they need to succeed,” McGuire said.
Nedweski, a Pleasant Prairie Republican who also serves on the County Board, praised the county staff members for their work.
“Thank you so much for all the time and dedication that you put into your job every single day — you really truly do make a difference, and we’re just here to help you in that,” Nedweski said. “You do the real work, and Tip and I, and the county executive are here to be your partner and help you get that done.”