Kentucky is cutting funding to child support enforcement across the state. In Hopkins County the cuts will mean a 12-percent reduction in funding. It's a move the county attorney says will cause layoffs and could ultimately slow the delivery of child support to families.
Officials say each Hopkins County case worker handles 600 to 800 cases -- and one of those people will be gone by the end of the month. That individual's cases will have to be redistributed among the remaining employees, which could slow down processing. Not only will the remaining workers be asked to take more cases, they'll be forced to take a 3-percent cut in pay.
Single mother Rachel Kembel says her child support is more than a check -- it's a necessity. She says if the cuts delay the arrival of her child support -- her family and many others could be forced into a bad spot. Kembel says she relies on child support to give her 5-year-old daughter Carly a better quality of life. If her monthly check is delayed, she says she'll likely have to cut her daughter's after school programs and extracurricular activities.
Hopkins County Attorney Todd P'Pool says the Commonwealth doesn't have its priorities straight. He says the recent ribbon cutting of the county's new judicial center shows state legislators are out of touch with the community. He says the day of that ribbon cutting was the same day he was told about the large budget cuts.
"Critical services to Hopkins County are at stake. Laying off employees suppressed my appetite for cookies and punch at the celebration of our new state-of-the-art justice center. What is the point of a lavish building, if the doors are locked and the staffing is inadequate? Once again, Frankfort proves to be tone deaf to common sense," says P'Pool.
The budget cuts go into effect this month.
Officials say each Hopkins County case worker handles 600 to 800 cases -- and one of those people will be gone by the end of the month. That individual's cases will have to be redistributed among the remaining employees, which could slow down processing. Not only will the remaining workers be asked to take more cases, they'll be forced to take a 3-percent cut in pay.
Single mother Rachel Kembel says her child support is more than a check -- it's a necessity. She says if the cuts delay the arrival of her child support -- her family and many others could be forced into a bad spot. Kembel says she relies on child support to give her 5-year-old daughter Carly a better quality of life. If her monthly check is delayed, she says she'll likely have to cut her daughter's after school programs and extracurricular activities.
Hopkins County Attorney Todd P'Pool says the Commonwealth doesn't have its priorities straight. He says the recent ribbon cutting of the county's new judicial center shows state legislators are out of touch with the community. He says the day of that ribbon cutting was the same day he was told about the large budget cuts.
"Critical services to Hopkins County are at stake. Laying off employees suppressed my appetite for cookies and punch at the celebration of our new state-of-the-art justice center. What is the point of a lavish building, if the doors are locked and the staffing is inadequate? Once again, Frankfort proves to be tone deaf to common sense," says P'Pool.
The budget cuts go into effect this month.
Comments
Makes me madder than h--- when I see some thing being cut,when our goverment is still giving 40 billion a yrar to pakstan and otther muslum countries,,why dont motr of you complain
JAY W.
June 7, 2012 at 8:14 am
