County OKs Checks of Child Support Status

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an ordinance aimed at clamping down on parents who have not paid child support by allowing the county to identify all of its employees who are in arrears.

The ordinance also will require vendors and contractors doing business with the county, as well as people applying for licenses and permits, to make sure their employees are living up to the terms of child-support orders.

As with all county ordinances, the action will require a second vote to become law.

Once that happens, the district attorney’s office will have routine access to child-support case information about all county employees and the vendors. Unlike private employers, who are required to provide employment information on a quarterly basis to the state for child support enforcement, the county and most other public agencies are exempt from that mandate.