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Friend of the Court reports $19.9 million collected in FY25, notes shortfall in current support collection
Summary
Friend of the Court Lisa Jardine told the Berrien County Administration Committee that her office met federal and state performance measures for FY25 but fell short on current support collection; total support collected was $19,877,482 and an updated FOC handbook will be issued April 1.
Lisa Jardine, Friend of the Court, reported the office met all federal performance factors and state standards for fiscal year 2025 but did not meet the target for collection of current support.
"The total support collected in FY25 was $19,877,482," Jardine said, and added that collection of current support has increased from the prior year and is "trending up." She told the committee that locating obligors is frequently difficult because Berrien County shares a border with Indiana and other jurisdictions, and that challenge affects collections.
Jardine outlined several operational items: the only current vacancy in her office is the Attorney Referee position, which must be filled by a licensed attorney; a court-ordered co-parenting class has been reinstated for high-conflict cases and participant feedback has been positive; and an updated, less‑jargon FOC handbook will be released April 1 to improve access for users.
She also said the office will host an intergovernmental border conference in April for Northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan counties to help address cross-jurisdictional casework. The committee did not take formal action on the report.
