MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – Michigan has approximately $5.6 billion in unpaid child support.
Wayne County accounts for $3.5 billion of that alone.
Macomb County is about $312 million.
Thursday (Aug. 28) night, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido and Kimberly Shinneman, chief of the family division, are calling 100,000 residents of Macomb County, making sure they’re aware of the options they have - if they owe child support.
“We called out tonight to the residents of Macomb County, and we called out to them to ask them, tell us what it is that’s wrong, and we’ll try to help,” said Lucido.
Thousands were there to hear the call, but the numbers surrounding unpaid child support are far more startling.
Lucido believes he has a solution, especially for those who are unemployed.
“If we have Michigan works right here on campus, ready to go with the judges, what better fit to say you’re just a walk away to start tomorrow in a new job,” Lucido said.
Thankfully, the family division has been able to recover some of that money - $ 3.2 million, to be exact - through a reimbursement unit.
“I’m not telling them I want to pick you up and put you in jail. I’m not telling them, hey, I’m out to get you. I’m saying, come on in. I know you might’ve lost your path here a bit. Let’s get you back on. Let’s get it done,” Lucido said.
At the end of the day, the prosecutor says it’s all about solving issues of unpaid child support before they lead to a plethora of problems down the line.
“Kids are abused through this process because it’s emotional. They see parents fighting at the door.
We also know that if they don’t have the child support and Mom’s not working. Those kids are in the street during the day when they come home from school, and they have a new family. It’s called their street family. That’s not what we want either,”
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido