WASHINGTON -- Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, has received an award for assisting “disadvantaged children who are legally and morally entitled to child support payments." The award is the Golden Heart Award for 2003 and is from the Association for Children for Enforcement of Support, which describes itself as the largest child support self-help group in the United States.
“This is an honor," Grassley said. “The Association for Children for Enforcement of Support works hard on behalf of children around the country. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to work with ACES to help children receive the money they so desperately need."
The organization said this in giving Grassley the award:
ACES members are especially appreciative of your effort to investigate and resolve the problems causing government agencies to hold over $738 million in undistributed child support. Also, we applaud your diligent efforts throughout the years to improve child support enforcement. Your efforts have contributed to the child support collection rate almost doubling since 1997 from 38% to 68% of cases with orders. Thank you for your concern and efforts for the children! Non-support is one of the leading causes of child poverty. ACES looks forward to continuing to work with you on this important issue.
Grassley is continuing to investigate the issue and is looking for more ways to increase payments. Throughout the country, there are 20 million children entitled to child support, and they are owed $88 billion in unpaid child support payments, according to ACES.
“Working together, we can continue to improve the financial situation of millions of children around the country," Grassley said. “By increasing the amount of payments to children, we can substantially reduce the number of children living below the poverty level and help them to receive better education and health care."
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Source: Ranking Member’s News
