DSS recognizes August as Child Support Awareness Month
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Office of Communications & External Affairs
(803) 898-7602
publicinfo@dss.sc.gov
DSS recognizes August as Child Support Awareness Month
August 1, 2025 – August is being recognized as Child Support Awareness Month to highlight child support and the services available to both custodial and non-custodial parents provided by the South Carolina Department of Social Services. According to the Administration for Children and Families, approximately 1 in 5 children in the United States receives services from a child support program.
“Child support is essential in the overall well-being of a child and critical to keeping children and families out of poverty. Every parent has a legal responsibility to support their child until the child reaches adulthood,” said Tony Catone, DSS State Director. “August is a time to acknowledge and appreciate the important work done by child support programs every day to provide children with the financial support they deserve.”
The South Carolina Department of Social Services provided services to over 196,000 children during the federal fiscal year of 2024. During that period, the child support program collected $304 million with 96% being distributed directly to families. In fact, South Carolina’s Child Support Program was the 7th most cost-effective child support program in the country, collecting $6.24 in child support for every $1.00 in program costs. Furthermore, South Carolina’s Child Support Program established 6,196 support orders as well as establishing paternity for 22,804 children.
DSS has made strides to add new features to the agency’s website to enhance the customer’s experience with the Child Support Services Division. In July 2022, DSS launched an Online Application Portal, which gives 24/7 access to individuals who seek to apply for child support services. Over 37,000 applications have been submitted since that time. In 2021, another online portal was launched to help individuals paying or receiving child support inquire about their case status virtually on a 24/7 basis. Since then, over 79,758 people have created accounts and the portal has received over 7 million visits. The Customer Service Portal has saved customers over $1 million by providing free payment and disbursement histories.
Another one of the DSS Child Support Program’s offerings is the Visitation Involvement Parenting Program, also known as the V.I.P. Program. It currently operates in 16 South Carolina counties. The program offers parenting classes, mediation, and help with establishing and enforcing visitation orders. Services were provided to over 750 people, with 485 children in common, during the federal fiscal year of 2024.
To learn more about the child support program, its services and how to apply, please visit: https://dss.sc.gov/child-support/.
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