As a couple, LaToya Chapman and her boyfriend, “Tim,” took very good care of their two children, Ny’Ron Polk, now age 19, and Ronnika Polk, 17. But once the couple split, things changed – significantly.
“I tried to let him help me on his own without trying to go through the system. It got to the point where I had no other choice,” said Chapman.
Chapman was allocated $114 per week for both children in child support, but says she has not received a payment in about 10 years. She has, however, mysteriously received two checks in the past two weeks for the amounts of $85 and $90.
Chapman said in the decade of non-payment, she has attempted to reap what is owed, but Tim (not his real name) would never show up to court. She believes he works, but gets paid under the table.
Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi is cracking down on fathers (and in some cases, mothers) like Tim.
“When you have a child support obligation, there is a moral and legal duty to pay. When nonpayment goes on for years, criminal penalties can attach,” said Brizzi.
For those who have the ability to pay but choose not to, delinquents have until July 21 to contact Brizzi’s office and set up a payment schedule.
Consequences range from losing one’s driver’s license to garnishing wages to criminal charges. Brizzi said there are more than 70,000 active cases in Marion County and millions of dollars are owed.
“Child support is not just about buying clothes and shoes for your kids. It’s buying food, it’s paying the rent to help keep a roof over their heads, its paying light bills. If I use part of my child support to pay my car payment, that helps me have a decent car to get the child back and forth, whether it be school or daycare,” said Chapman.
For those who owe child support and need help finding a job in order to pay, there is a job placement program called “Fathers that Work.” Brizzi is also willing to aid in collecting child support from parents from other counties or states.
The prosecutor has already filed charges against 10 men who owe a total of more than $624,000 in back child support.
Although Chapman doesn’t believe the crackdown will work, Brizzi says he is working to restore faith in custodial parents who have been frustrated with the system for some time. To further restore faith, he has expanded service office hours for noncustodial parents who owe but also for custodial parents who are looking for help in receiving payments.
Brizzi said his goal is to collect and put the best interest of Marion County children first.
In order to reduce the threat of looming child support payments, Chapman offers the following advice: “Think twice with who you have kids with.”
For more information, call (317) 327-1800 or visit indy.gov/eGov/County/Pros.
