KAFM Community Affairs: Child Support Awareness Month
At noon on the third Thursday of every month, Mesa County Department of Human Services conducts an interview on relevant topics as a part of the KAFM Community Affairs program.
In honor of Child Support Awareness Month, we spoke with Jessica Guajardo, Manager at the Mesa County Workforce Center, about how Child Support Services (CSS) supports families and strengthens our community.
Jessica shared that CSS helps establish parentage, create or enforce support orders, collect and distribute payments and make modifications when circumstances change. Anyone can apply, whether you’re a custodial parent, noncustodial parent or caregiver. There is no cost to get started.
The program makes a big difference locally. As of July 2025, CSS manages 5,832 cases. That month alone, the team collected over $1.1 million for families, with $8.85 million collected so far this year. Every dollar counts, as consistent child support is linked to better school performance, stronger health and improved well-being for children.
This year, Mesa County was also recognized with two statewide awards for Most Improved Case Initiation and Most Improved Percent of Cases with a Payment on Arrears, highlighting the progress the team has made in serving families.
