OLYMPIA -- Gov. Christine Gregoire recently proclaimed August as Child Support Awareness Month, and emphasized the vital role Washington's employers play in collecting child support, enrolling children in medical insurance plans, and reporting newly hired employees.

"Employers submit 60 percent of child support collected in our state," said Division of Child Support (DCS) Director David Stillman. "Since employers are required by law to send employees' child support payments through payroll deductions, we understand the increased workload for them. Child Support Awareness Month is a way to recognize their efforts in ensuring that children receive the support to which they are entitled."

Non-custodial parents are required to provide medical insurance for their children if available through their employer. Again, employers play a key role by deducting the premium from the non-custodial parent's wages and enrolling the children.

If a non-custodial parent changes jobs frequently, it is very difficult to collect child support consistently by means of a payroll action. It can take several weeks, or even months, to find the new employers. Since 1998, all employers are required to report newly hired employees to DCS through the New Hire Reporting Program.

"This has significantly shortened the lag time between when an employer hires a new employee and when we send the employer a wage withholding action," said Stillman. "We encourage employers to send in child support electronically. This saves time and money for both the employer and the state."

That encouragement is paying off. Since January 2006, the number of employers sending in child support electronically has increased by 41%.

DCS provides paternity establishment, child support collection, court order modification, and medical insurance enforcement. For more information about the services available call 800-457-6202 or visit www.childsupportonline.wa.gov.