(A father shares a joyful moment with his child — a reminder of the bonds the Chautauqua County Child Support program has worked to strengthen for 50 years. Image courtesy: acf.gov)
MAYVILLE, NY – Marking 50 years of service, Chautauqua County’s Child Support program has a new name and a renewed commitment to putting families first.
Formerly known as the Child Support Enforcement Unit, the program is now the Child Support Services Unit — reflecting a shift from primarily enforcement to a more family-centered approach focused on supporting, engaging, and empowering parents.
“We are placing a renewed emphasis on the families we serve,” said Carmelo Hernandez, Director of Community Mental Hygiene Services and Commissioner of Social Services. “While enforcement remains a critical tool, our goal is to support engage, and empower parents to meet their financial responsibilities and build brighter futures for their children.”
Since its inception in 1975, the Child Support program has played an important role in ensuring that children receive the financial and emotional support they need to thrive. Over the past five decades, the Child Support program in Chautauqua County has helped thousands of families navigate the child support process – providing services such as establishing parentage/paternity, establishing and modifying child support orders, collection and distribution of payments, and locating absent parents.
With the new name – Child Support Services Unit – the agency signals a more family-centered, service-oriented approach. This change aligns with a broader nationwide trend toward improving outcomes that benefit the entire family.
Another new innovation is the recent release of the Online Enrollment Wizard that provides an opportunity for a more streamlined online child support application process that eliminates the need to visit the office in person or mail in a paper enrollment form. This new feature reduces paperwork and processing time for enrollees. The link for the Online Enrollment Wizard is childsupport.ny.gov/enroll.
“Our mission is not just to enforce obligations, but to help parents overcome barriers and work collaboratively for the best interests of their children,” said Hernandez. “This evolution in our identity and approach reflects the progress of the past 50 years and our vision for the next 50.”
The Chautauqua County Child Support Services Unit invites the community to join in celebrating this important milestone and to learn more about the services and resources available.
For more information, please visit www. childsupport.ny.gov or call 888-208-4485.
