Morrison County proclaims Child Support Awareness Month; staff outlines caseload, collections and program changes

Morrison County commissioners on Aug. 12, 2025, adopted a proclamation recognizing Child Support Awareness Month after county child support staff presented program metrics, operational challenges and planned initiatives.

The proclamation and presentation emphasized the role of local child support staff in helping families establish parentage, create and modify orders, and collect and disburse support. Juliette Curry, a Morrison County child support officer, said Minnesota’s program collects on average $2.65 for every $1 spent and said Morrison County’s local average is “3.48 collected for every dollar spent,” above the state figure.

Curry, who identified herself as a child support officer, described the county unit’s staffing and recent activity levels. She said the unit includes four child support officers and three support enforcement aides and reported the office responded to more than 4,100 calls and logged about 56,000 documented activities over the period discussed. Curry said the office added 110 new cases and reopened 21 cases during the reporting period and that the unit distributed “almost $4,000,000 to Morrison County residents.” She said parts of the program’s funding are federal and part state and that Morrison County receives a federal match of roughly 66% on certain collected fees.

Curry outlined recent state-level changes that have affected collections and enforcement. She told commissioners that the state eliminated certain interest rules and that recent guidelines require individualized review of foster-care cases before collection actions that could hinder family reunification. She said some enforcement remedies, such as driver’s-license suspensions, are used less often under the new guidelines.

Staff also briefed commissioners on planned upgrades and programs. Curry said the county expects an upgrade to the child support computer system this year after several years without a full update. She described a state training program called Paths to Parents — a nine-week curriculum that covers legal and emotional aspects of parenting for people age 16 to 25 — and said the county is considering piloting the program, possibly in partnership with community corrections, with a potential launch this fall.

Commissioners thanked staff for the work. A motion to adopt the proclamation was made and seconded; the board approved it by voice vote. The record shows the motion carried but does not list a roll-call tally or the names of the motion’s mover and seconder.