An Interview with Michael Newsom, Fatherhood Coordinator for the Montgomery County Child Support Enforcement Agency

Let us first look at some important statistics published by the National Fatherhood Initiative.

The Effects of Father Absence in the Home of Minor Children:

Children of Father-Absent homes are:

  • Five times more likely to live in poverty.
  • Three times more likely to fail in school.
  • Two times more likely to develop emotional or behavioral problems.
  • Two times more likely to abuse drugs.
  • Two times more likely to be abused and neglected.
  • Two times more likely to become involved in crime.
  • Three times more likely to commit suicide.

Compare the facts with children having Father’s involved in their lives:

  • Better cognitive (“knowing and perceiving”) outcomes.
  • Higher self-esteem and less depression as teenagers.
  • Higher grades, test scores, and overall academic achievement.
  • Lower levels of drug and alcohol use.
  • Higher levels of empathy and other pro-social behavior.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Michael Newsom, an employee of the Montgomery County Child Support Enforcement Agency (“CSEA”).  … View Full Article → “An Interview with Michael Newsom, Fatherhood Coordinator for the Montgomery County Child Support Enforcement Agency”

Child Support: Should You Talk To A CSEA Ombudsman?

Interview With Montgomery County CSEA (Child Support Enforcement Agency) Ombudsman Anne Bissacco

On May 28, 2014, I had the opportunity to spend time with Anne Bissacco in an interview for this Ohio Family Law Blog Article.  Anne is the Ombudsman and Customer Relations Supervisor for the Child Support Enforcement Agency (“CSEA”) for Montgomery County, Ohio.  What is an “ombudsman”?  Webster’s New World Dictionary defines the word as follows: “A public official appointed to investigate citizens’ complaints”.  This is exactly the role that Anne performs.  She listens to complaints and works to find solutions for identified problems.

Questions that I posed to the Ombudsman included the following:

Q. How long have you been working for the Child Support Enforcement Agency?  In September of 2014, Anne will have completed thirty-four (34) years of service with the Agency.  For those of us with longevity with the Court, Anne was hired by Judge Arthur Fisher, a former Juvenile Court Judge, as he wanted a person with an accounting background at the Agency.… View Full Article → “Child Support: Should You Talk To A CSEA Ombudsman?”