Child support payments go to debit accounts

Scheduled to begin in October in the Stoddard County area, recipients of child support payments will no longer be issued payments in the form of paper checks. Instead, recipients will be issued a new SecuritE Card from the Family Support Division (FSD) of the MDSS. The first cards were issued in Cole County beginning July 31 and the last cards will be phased in by the end of November.

"I'm really pleased to provide this improved method of service to our child support clients," said FSD Director Janel Luck. "The card provides more security, more convenience and more timely payments than paper checks."

Once the SecuritE Card has been received by the recipient, all support payments will then be electronically transferred from the payment center at FSD to the individual's card. That card, which is a debit MasterCard®, can be used to make purchases at businesses that honor debit cards, to request cash back when making purchases and to withdraw cash from an ATM or bank teller up to the amount on the card.

"The SecuritE Card is not a credit card, so it will not include a line of credit," said Luck. "But this card answers Gov. Blunt's calls to improve efficiency and use of technology effectively, ultimately saving an estimated $2 million in administrative costs."

Each month, the individual receiving support payments will receive a monthly statement along with a listing of all account activity including deposits, purchases and withdrawals. Once an individual receives their SecuritE Card, they will also be able to access account information at any time online at www.securitecard.com or by calling 1-877-368-0023.

This change could make a difference to a large percentage of parents in Stoddard County and the state, according to the Community Level Information on Kids (CLIK) group. According to statistics released by the group, which is part of the Missouri KIDS COUNT organization, 54.6 percent of Stoddard County parents received child support in 2004. That percentage went as low as 38 percent in 1998 to as high as 68 percent in 2000.

Statewide, 51.4 percent of parents received support in 2004, the same percentage as was reported in 2003. However, that percentage has gone as high as 59.1 percent in 2000 to as low as 35 percent in 1998.

"This will eliminate many of the challenges associated with the paper check method including lost or stolen checks, costly check cashing fees and postal service delays," Luck said. "It will also allow the Payment Center to continue issuing support payments to individuals who forget to report a change in address."

Sacha Champion may be reached via e-mail at schampion@dailystatesman.com