Child Support Awareness During Child Support Awareness Month, the Wisconsin Child Support Program recognizes the parents and caregivers who work hard to protect and support their kids’ futures, along with the 71 county child support agencies and nine tribal child support programs that assist them. We also recognize the Bureau of Child Support, the Family & Economic Support Tech Section, the Bureau of Regional Operations, our valued Child Support Liaisons, and Bureau of Analytics and Research staff who provide critical services to the program. Read: Gov. Tony Evers issues proclamation for Child Support Awareness Month The Wisconsin Child Support Program endeavors to provide whole family services to fulfill the needs of kids throughout our state, supports ample involvement of parents in their kids’ lives, and promotes parents and caregivers in employment programs, fatherhood initiatives, and other important family centered services. The program also upholds care for the physical and mental health of children through establishing and maintaining medical support orders. The act of raising awareness during August aligns closely with the Bureau of Child Support’s vision and mission. The bureau believes that children thrive with the support of engaged parents and caregivers, and to see that through, the bureau works to provide effective family-focused child support services through dedicated and knowledgeable staff and partners. Parent Advisory Group In May 2024, the Parent Advisory Group launched, and several meetings have been held. The Parent Advisory Group provides the communities that the Wisconsin Child Support Program serves with an opportunity to make their voices heard and share their concerns in a safe and respectful environment. Toward that end, the group helps shape policy to better support these communities. Read more about the Parent Advisory Group. History National Child Support Awareness Month was first proclaimed by President Bill Clinton in August 1995 on the 20th anniversary of the federal child support enforcement program. Wisconsin, along with many other states and the federal Office of Child Support Services (OCSS), continues to honor this tradition. Want to learn more about the child support program? Read the 31 Days of Child Support Facts for 2025! ELEVATE In 2019, five Wisconsin counties received funding to test an innovative approach to serving families involved in the child support system. The program, called ELEVATE (Empowering Lives through Education, Vocational Assessment, Training, and Employment), provides a supportive range of services to paying parents. This is a voluntary program administered in Brown, Kenosha, Marathon, Racine, and Wood Counties. The program launched in January 2020. The program is designed to offer engaging services, including case management, employment support, and parenting education to participants across five counties. The goals of ELEVATE are to shift the mindset and culture from traditionally enforcement-focused to a more supportive and engaging approach and improving the lives of children to increase family social and economic well-being. Fatherhood Sessions Wisconsin offers fatherhood training and feedback sessions for both counties and fathers, available through in-person events and virtual options. Led by individuals with lived experience, these sessions provide valuable insights to help counties engage with fathers and offer fathers the support and skills needed to strengthen their roles in their children’s lives.
