Chautauqua County’s Child Support program, which is celebrating 50 years of service, has a new name and a renewed commitment to putting families first. Formerly known as the Child Support Enforcement Unit, the program is now the Child Support Services Unit — reflecting a shift from primarily enforcement to a more family-centered approach focused on supporting, engaging, and empowering parents.
Community Mental Hygiene Director and Social Services Commissioner Carmelo Hernandez says, “We are placing a renewed emphasis on the families we serve. While enforcement remains a critical tool, our goal is to support engage, and empower parents to meet their financial responsibilities and build brighter futures for their children.”
Since its inception in 1975, the Child Support program has played an important role in ensuring that children receive the financial and emotional support they need to thrive. Over the past five decades, the Child Support program in Chautauqua County has helped thousands of families navigate the child support process — providing services such as establishing parentage/paternity, establishing and modifying child support orders, collection and distribution of payments, and locating absent parents…