The County Connection: Support and Empathy in Minnesota's Child Support Program (Pt. 2)

 In the second part of the conversation, join host Scott Eder (Courtland Consulting) as he continues the conversation with Minnesota’s David Ramroop, a child support worker with the Ramsey County Attorney's Office; and James Wittling, a child support professional from Washington County. They discuss their experiences with public assistance and child support work. David shares his personal experience growing up with public assistance, noting that it helped him understand and connect with the families he now serves, emphasizing that it's okay to ask for help. Both caseworkers agree that successful "enforcement" is better viewed as helping all parties—the non-custodial parent, the custodial parent, and most importantly, the child—often involving modification of support based on a change in circumstance. James highlights the complexity and challenges of Interstate child support cases, stressing the importance of patience, meticulous detail, and better communication among states, while acknowledging the efforts to improve with digital tools like the federal child support portal. Ultimately, they both stress a message to the public: they are people who want to serve and build relationships, urging clients to be present, attend hearings, and not be afraid to ask questions.