Many children across Athens-Clarke County and Oconee County will receive the funds they need thanks in part to the Western Judicial Circuit Superior Court’s newest Parent Accountability Court (PAC) initiative.
The Georgia Parent Accountability Court has been in effect since 2012, and has grown to reach at least 34 judicial courts throughout the state.
Through PAC, parents who do not regularly pay child support are able to avoid possible jail time by enrolling in certain programs to help them pay on time each month. Some of the programs offered by PAC include treatment for substance abuse, job-search assistance, and educational services. Parents successfully pass the program when they able to pay child support for six consecutive months.
The PAC is a joint-effort between Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Child Support Services and the Superior Court judges, and many community organizations have also come together to support the initiative.
PAC Coordinator Conniece Hatcher has seen a major difference across the state over the past six years.
"The Parental Accountability Court has benefited 9,461 children all across Georgia. These results come from individuals being accountable as parents, citizens, and PAC participants,” she says.
On August 14, 2018, the initiative was awarded the Innovative Partnership/Collaboration Award by the National Child Support Enforcement Association, and Governor Nathan Deal will also recognize the initiative on September 5.
For more information, contact Parental Accountability Court Coordinator Conniece Hatcher at conniece.hatcher@dhs.ga.gov or Athens-Clarke County Court Administrator Lynne Policaro at 706-613-3161 or lynne.policaro@accgov.com