OLYMPIA- As children are immersed in summertime activities and with back-to-school time just around the corner, Washington state celebrates our families with Child Support Awareness Month each August. The month-long celebration lets parents know that the Department of Social and Health Services’ Division of Child Support can help them provide for their children through regular child support payments.
“Child support payments help build a strong foundation for raising happy, healthy children so they can reach their full potential,” said Sharon Redmond, director of the DSHS Division of Child Support. “We meet those needs while providing respect and resources to every person, every day.”
In order to help with that, the Division of Child Support annually serves approximately 380,000 kids in Washington state and across the nation, ensuring they have the financial support they need by collecting more than $670 million a year in child support.
This year, we are celebrating the month with several outreach events where we will share information, resources and treats with parents and children. Among the events scheduled for this month:
- Child support professionals will be on hand to answer questions at the Thurston County Fair in Lacey, July 31 to Aug. 4.
- In Vancouver, child support staff will be at the Vancouver Farmer’s Market at 8th Avenue and Esther Street from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 11.
- North of King County, child support staff will be at the Skagit County Fair Aug. 7-10 in Mount Vernon, Northwest Washington Fair Aug. 12-17 in Lynden and Evergreen State Fair Aug. 22-Sept. 2 in Monroe.
- In Spokane, we will be at the Gathering at the Falls Pow Wow from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24 at Riverfront Park and the MLK Back to School Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24 at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center at 845 S Sherman St.
- Parents in Tacoma can stop by either the McKinley Hill Street Fair on Aug. 17 or the Hilltop Street Fair on Aug. 27 to learn more about child support services.
Other events may be added throughout the month. If you are interested in learning more about upcoming events or have questions about child support, please contact the Division of Child Support through our website or by calling 1-800-442-KIDS (5437).
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