ROCKINGHAM — Parents who are wanted for failure to make child support payments could catch a break within the next two weeks.
Richmond County Child Support Services is extending its hours to help those with outstanding orders for arrest make arrangements during Child Support Awareness Month.
If arrested, delinquent parents can be held in jail with a bond equal to how much they owe, according to Child Support Supervisor Jennifer Crudo-Allen.
Richmond County Jail records show there are currently eight parents, of 100 detainees, locked up for non-payment, and most face other criminal charges.
The only one locked up for only child support, Donnie Edward Wallace Jr., has a $3,500 cash bond. Aaron Keith Covington, who is also facing a drug charge, has a $6,000 cash bond. The others owe between $350 and $3,500.
In the past, the amnesty event has offered a $500 reduced bond to get the OFAs taken care of.
“This year, we decided we would look at each individual situation and work with that person,” she said, adding that, with the COVID-19 pandemic, each situation is different. “So we’ll bring you in, talk with you, see what you can do and get you a court date and get your orders taken care of.”
The office will be open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 9-12 and 16-19, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 13 and 20, and 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Aug. 14.
“We’re trying to help people that can’t get here,” Crudo-Allen said. “Maybe they work … sometimes people work outside the county so we thought we’d stay open till 7, be available this
Saturday, to help those who really need a different time to get here.”
Also on Saturday, Janessa France, access and visitation coordinator, will be on site to answer questions.
There will also be information on jobs available in Richmond and Scotland counties.
Following the two-week amnesty project, Crudo-Allen said her office, in conjunction with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, will be rounding up those with outstanding orders.
“If we don’t get it taken care of during these two weeks, there will be a roundup … to get some of those orders for arrest taken care of,” she said. “It’s a lot, it’s a lot of children that are not receiving child support that need to get that assistance.”
There are currently 265 cases involving 205 parents who have orders for arrest, according to Crudo-Allen.
“We don’t want anyone to go to jail, because, obviously the children aren’t receiving anything if they go to jail,” she said. “And our jails are packed anyway, so we want to offer them assistance … we want to help everybody that we can.”
For more information, call 910-410-1193.
