New Law To Trail Deadbeat Parents Employers Must Report Hires To Labor Department

State agencies hope a new law will make it easier to find deadbeat parents.

Starting today, a new Idaho law requires all employers to report new hires to the Idaho Department of Labor. The department then gives the names to the Department of Health and Welfare to filter out those who owe child support.

“Part of the trouble in finding people who owe child support is that they are mobile,” said Steve McKenna, welfare reform coordinator for North Idaho.

“If people choose to be transient, by the time we find where that person who owes child support is, they may not be there anymore,” he said.

This new law will speed up the process, “without a doubt,” he said.

Employers must report all new employees within 20 days to the Labor Department.

That’s good news to a 35-year old Coeur d’Alene woman, who is still awaiting child support from her ex-husband. Three and a half years ago, a judge ordered him to pay $178 a month.

But the Lewis-Clark State College student, who asked not to be named to avoid child custody problems, said she’s only received two checks since she left the welfare rolls in July. She got $84 in August and $18.68 this month.

“I went off the welfare rolls in July 1997 expecting those payments,” she said. “Nothing’s happening.”

The woman went to the Health and Welfare Department seeking help. They sent her ex-husband letters, but they never reached him. The address was no good.

Thanks to the new law, state agencies stand a better chance of finding the woman’s former husband, and others who are dodging payments.

Additionally the Labor Department will use the data to find people collecting unemployment insurance even though they are still working, said Dwight Johnson, public affairs administrator for the Labor Department.

“It will be fraud detection for our department, but the idea is to get money for child support enforcement,” he said.

, DataTimes