NJ Kids Child Support Warrants: Too Much Work, Not Enough Money

CREST HAVEN – Child support is a very touchy subject. It’s also something Cape May County continues to lead in the state in collecting, said Cape May County Sheriff Gary Schaffer.
But not getting reimbursed by the state for serving warrants on those who don’t pay under the NJ Kids statewide child support computer system program for the last two quarters of 2014 has Schaffer considering exiting that program.
Schaffer told freeholders while delivering his annual activity report Feb. 10 he would continue to serve warrants for non-payment of child support, but because the courts changed the way offenders are handled, it was labor intensive with no means of reimbursement to the department.
In 2013, the NJ Kids program provided the Sheriff’s Department with $58,850. In 2014, it provided $6,195.
Acting County Counsel James Arsenault affirmed what Schaffer told the board. The courts will no longer allow incarceration as a first means of dealing with a person in arrears on child support.
If a county provides the person with private counsel, as does Bergen County, then incarceration could take place. Arsenault warned that he was told officials in Bergen County have indicated they would quit that program if they could. That’s because someone sued the county alleging malpractice by its county-provided lawyer.
According to Schaffer, if a person owes $20,000 in back child support, and, when arrested has only $100, that person cannot be held in jail as previously. If the individual has no money when arrested, Schaffer said the courts would make a new payment schedule and free the individual.
In the past, the person would stay in jail from 24 to 36 hours, Schaffer said.
According to Schaffer, under the NJ Kids program, a warrant must be served within 40 hours. Everything from then on must be documents which require manpower to complete. He said the department “dedicated an officer and a half” to program paperwork.
When informed of his pending departure from the program, he said officials in Trenton said, “Let’s see what we can do,” in an effort to retain the department’s services.
“We will continue to serve child support warrants, but we don’t want to participate in NJ Kids,” said Schaffer.