Legislature approves takeover of Carson City child support cases

The Nevada's legislative Interim Finance Committee on Wednesday approved funding for the state to take over management of child support cases in Carson City.

Welfare Director Nancy Ford told the joint Senate and Assembly committee Nevada's smaller counties can legally opt out of managing child support and turn it over to the state. She said Carson decided to do so this year because of the capital's budget crunch.

While that move saves the city about $100,000 a year, Ford said it will cost the state about the same. She said the projected cost to the state will be $111,012 next year.

Most of the cost, however, is borne by the federal government, which funds two-thirds of the total cost of child support enforcement and case management. The federal share, she said, will be $215,494 next year.

Carson City District Attorney Neil Rombardo said earlier he has been assured the change won't mean time-consuming trips to Reno for Carson City women who file for child support. He said his office will still get the cases started, providing someone who can help with the paperwork and other processing.

Hearings too, he said, will be in Carson City.

But the cases will be managed out of the state's Reno office.

"The state has assured me everything else will occur in Carson City," he said. "That was one of my big things about turning this over. I don't want to disenfranchise these people."

The state officially takes over Dec. 10.

With the addition of Carson City, the state now handles child support cases for seven counties.

• Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.