D.A. Sends State Excess Cash for Child Support

Orange County’s district attorney Wednesday turned over to the state $12 million in excess child support division funds, marking the start of a three-year process that will ultimately shift enforcement duties of family support to state control.

Officials hoped to use the money to buy a new building in Santa Ana. But Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas said his office was unable to finalize the sale before the state-imposed deadline. He said they will proceed with the sale, and that most of the funds will now come from federal instead of state coffers.

Counties were ordered last year to turn over any unspent funds to the new state agency that will oversee child support collections by 2002. Lawmakers last year voted to strip child support enforcement from state prosecutors after years of complaints.

Citing burgeoning caseloads, Rackauckas said his office will go ahead with plans to purchase an office building on Main Street. Though he opposed the state takeover of family support, Rackauckas said he wants to bolster the division so state officials can hit the ground running.

Rackauckas said the office accumulated the excess funds through more aggressive enforcement. Last year the division collected more than $131 million in child support, a 24% boost over 1998.