Child support amnesty program set for Aug. 30-31

Medina County Domestics Relations Judge Mary Kovack announced a two-day "Amnesty in August" program to increase and improve the collection of child support in Medina County. This program will take place Aug. 30 and 31 in recognition of August being "Child Support Awareness Month." The program is a collaborative effort with the Medina County Prosecutor's office, Medina County Sheriff, Medina County Clerk of Courts and Medina County Job and Family Services Child Support Division and will provide multiple mechanisms to improve child support. These mechanisms provided in "Amnesty in August" will help increase child support payments and to give immediate relief to children and families, along with those families that were affected by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will offer three types of relief, warrant withdrawal to increase obligor participation throughout the process, payments toward purge percentages to increase voluntary payments toward a civil contempt finding with an outstanding jail sentence and driver's license driving payments with the design to increase voluntary payments in exchange for the Child Support Division lifting a child support driver's license suspension. "The COVID-19 pandemic has made the past year and a half difficult for everyone, especially for families and children. In this climate, every little bit helps," Kovack said. "My hope with the 'Amnesty in August' program is that we see increased compliance with existing child support orders, resulting in increased child support payments, and, in turn, providing immediate relief to struggling families and children." For more information about the "Amnesty in August" program, please contact the Medina County Domestic Relations Court at (330) 725-9740, or visit the court's website at medinadomesticrelations.org.