State offers 2 new child support payment options here

The Arizona Department of Economic Security is rolling out two new options for parents in the Yuma area to make child support payments in cash, as part of a program expected to benefit rural areas across the state.

Since March, people have been able to make these payments at retail outlets that are part of the PayNearMe network, including CVS, Family Dollar and 7-Eleven, and DES is expanding its marketing effort statewide, after collecting about $18,000 in payments during the pilot period.

Just under 25 percent of Arizona’s noncustodial parents submit their payments in cash, DES spokesman Brett Bezio said.

Also, kiosks that can take cash payments are being added to DES offices around the state, after a year of them being available at 10 locations in Pima and Maricopa counties. One should arrive in midJuly at the Yuma office, 1185 S. Redondo Drive.

Nakia Goudy, DES business administrator, said parents with access to the des.az.gov website who can’t or don’t want to make online payments can find the “child support” section under Child & Family heading can obtain a personal code which can be used to pay into their accounts from the cash register at any of the three retail chains.

“What they would do is log onto that website, and create an account or login, and what it does is create a bar code which they can get electronically on their mobile phone, or else print out on a piece of paper, and they can present that at any of the retail locations to provide a payment,” she said.

All payments made with the bar code will be subject to a $2.50 transaction fee. Once completed, the retailer immediately makes the funds available to the state, so the process is about as fast as with an online transaction.

Payments can also be made at the participating retailers’ stores outside Arizona. The website has a map showing the approximately 300 available outlets within Arizona, plus those in other states.

A new code can be pro-

vided at any time if needed, Goudy said. Any child support case originating from the Arizona court system qualifies for this option, regardless of where the child lives.

The goal is to make it easier for noncustodial parents to pay into their child’s support, and therefore have more funds available for the custodial parent.

“That’s the intent, to kind of meet people where they are, and it’ll provide them with that convenience to help them comply with their court order. So that’s the goal, to make it more convenient for the client,” she said.

Since the Yuma DES office, on Redondo Drive north of 16th Street, is the only one in the county able to accept child support payments, Goudy said the retail option should be especially useful for areas like the Foothills, San Luis, Somerton and Wellton, which all have Family Dollar outlets. The Foothills also has a CVS.

According to statistics provided by DES, a little over 2,800 noncustodial parents in Yuma County made child support payments in May, and 48 percent of payers are current on their obligations.

The average monthly support obligation in the county is $372.45, or $4.50 lower than the statewide average.

Two other states, Texas and Indiana, are also offering retail-based childsupport payment options, and both have had positive experiences with it, Goudy said.

“I haven’t heard of any real problems in any of the other states. We’re fairly new at our launch, so for now I don’t think we’ve received any major complaints,” she said. “It seems to be working really well.”

Goudy said most DES clients do have a mobile phone with internet access, so they can present the bar code on the screen if there’s no printer available. The agency is looking at the possibility of putting computer terminals into office lobbies for public use, but no decisions have been made.

For more information about the Walk-In Retail child support payments, visit the website at des. az.gov or call (800) 882-4151.

Yuma Sun staff writer Blake Herzog can be reached at (928) 539-6856 or bherzog@yumasun.com.