Audit says state properly handled refunds for child support

RENO, Nev. - A federal audit has concluded that Nevada's child support program did not mishandle income tax refunds seized to pay delinquent child support.

The investigation was sought by the Nevada chapter of the Association for Children for Enforcement of Support. The group claimed that refunds seized to pay back child support was used for employee salaries instead of being forwarded to families for child support.

After reviewing state accounting records from Jan. 1 through July 21 of this year, the federal audit ''did not identify any pattern in disbursements that would indicate misuse of funds.''

But the federal Office of Children Support Enforcement said improvements were needed to end delays in processing support payments.

''We are pleased to finally receive the audit report,'' said Mike Willden, administrator of the Nevada State Welfare Division, which oversees the child support program.

''It is very upsetting to be charged inappropriately. The public and the people receiving child support payments need to have confidence we maintain proper fiscal controls. The audit report concludes we do.''

The auditors sampled 50 cases and found all but one had been processed in accordance with federal rules.

The audit did find that the state Welfare Division hadn't met a six months' deadline for getting the money out in all cases. The six-month time frame allows other people who might have claims against the tax refund to file them.

The financial examination found that only 20 percent of the tax refunds were disbursed within the six months to families. The delays were due mainly to a conversion to a new computer system.

The audit was conducted after Vicky Snyder, director of the Nevada chapter of ACES, wrote U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno in April requesting an investigation into concerns that the state child support program had misappropriated those attached Internal Revenue Service refunds.