National Child Support Awareness Month will be recognized throughout the month of August, the V.I. Justice Department Paternity and Child Support Division announced.
Director Kathryn B. Jensen-DeLugo says throughout the month, the office will be sharing informative videos and insights on social media into what child support is and the vital services the office provides, according to the press release.
Child Support Awareness Month annually raises awareness about this critical income
support program that helps millions of children and families. The PCSD program focuses
on several services:
- parent location,
- paternity establishment,
- establishment of child support orders,
- review and modification of child support orders,
- collection of child support payments,
- distribution of child support payments, and
- establishment and enforcement of medical child support.
In fiscal year 2023, child support programs nationwide collected $29.6 billion and served one in five children in the United States. This kind of support helps families thrive and sets children up to succeed. Any father or mother who is the custodial parent or other adult who has custody of a minor and needs help with any of the services we offer, such as establishing and enforcing child support, establishing medical support and/or health insurance coverage, and establishing paternity, can utilize our services. In the Virgin Islands, a non-custodial father may also apply for services if he is not contesting paternity, the press release stated.
The agency provides financial support to children through the establishment of paternity and the establishment and enforcement of child support obligations. PCSD focuses on building financial bridges between non-custodial parents and their children and supporting and enhancing the emotional and financial relationships necessary for successful dual parenting, the release stated.
“We encourage all residents who have questions or need assistance to contact our offices
on St. Thomas and St. Croix. Our dedicated team is here to support you and ensure you
take full advantage of the services we offer”, said Jensen-DeLugo. “Stay
informed and updated by following The DOJ’s Facebook page for valuable information:
USVI Dept. of Justice, Office of the Attorney General”
For more information, please call our St. Thomas office at 340-775-3070 or our St. Croix
office at 340-778-5958. Alternatively, you can email the PCSD team at
childsupport@vi.gov. Offices are located at 8000 Nisky Shopping Center on St. Thomas and #3018 Orange Grove, Suite 4 on St. Croix.
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