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The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office is promoting a program this month created to help non-custodial parents reinstate their driver’s licenses and fulfill their child support obligations.
In conjunction with Child Support Awareness Month, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced the relaunch of the Good Faith Initiative, a program that has been providing a clean slate to non-custodial parents since its creation in 2019, according to a news release.
The prosecutor’s office Child Support Division has been able to assist hundreds of residents restore their suspended driver’s licenses through developing child support payment plans.
The initiative is an agreement between the prosecutor’s office and non-custodial parents who have had their licenses suspended for delinquent child support obligations.
Participating parents work with the office to determine an affordable and sustainable amount for future child support payments and, in turn, are granted driver’s license reinstatement. The office is willing to discuss options with anyone in need of this service, regardless of the amount they owe and their ability to pay.
Since its inception, more than 200 parents have participated in this initiative, according to the office.
“This Child Support Awareness Month, we want to raise awareness of the opportunities specifically designed to address the community’s needs when it comes to supporting our youth,” Mears said in a release. “We recognize that there are many factors that contribute to delinquent payments and strive to establish a plan to meet you where you are. Our office is committed to providing solutions that open doors to new opportunities and allow parents to financially contribute to their children.”
According to the office, the participant is required to make an affordable payment of child support order, update their employment information (if applicable) and commit to paying the agreed upon amount towards their child support obligation. Participants should then notify the prosecutor’s office once the payment has been made.
After the completion of these terms, the parent’s license will be reinstated.
“We’re trying to make it as easy as possible,” Mears told Indiana Lawyer in 2020. “We don’t touch the outstanding amount balance, we don’t modify the child support obligation. You tell us what you can pay and make a good faith effort, and we’ll let the BMV know you’re doing that.”
Those interested in participating can visit https://www.indy.gov/activity/good-faith-initiative to learn more and fill out the inquiry form.
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