Summit County will hold a special amnesty and educational event this week for parents having trouble paying child support.
The two-day program, called Child Support Solutions, will offer free services ranging from clearing outstanding support-related warrants to job counseling to providing genetic paternity tests.
“Essentially it’s a one-stop place where we’re going to offer a huge number of services, all of which are free,” county Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh said.
The goal is to encourage parents to take responsibility for paying their child support, she said.
More than 25,140 parents are either behind on or have made no payments in Summit County. The county also has warrants out for 309 of those individuals.
The event, organized by the county Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at The Job Center, 1040 E. Tallmadge Ave. The county held a similar event last year and about 400 people attended.
Case managers will be there to discuss cases one-on-one. In addition to clearing warrants and offering paternity tests, parents can have their driver’s licenses reinstated if they were taken because of support violations and they can make payment arrangements or receive modifications.
Walsh noted that in some cases child support payments can be lowered, especially in cases when someone loses a job or has to take a lower-paying job.
“If you can’t pay all of it, at least make some kind of payment,” she said.
No one attending the event will be arrested for a support-related warrant. But they could be arrested if they have other outstanding felony warrants, Walsh said.
Representatives from many federal, state and local agencies will be available to help attendees finish their education, get a new job and become a better parent.
Parents should bring a photo ID, current court orders, and most recent pay stub or proof of unemployment.
The Summit County CSEA collects nearly $84 million annually and handles more than 51,000 child support cases.
For more details, including questions about outstanding warrants, call CSEA at 330-643-2765.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.