State Lit Green Tonight For Child Support Awareness Month

The State Capitol Cupola and other well-known landmarks across Tennessee will be lit green tonight in recognition of Child Support Awareness Month. Each August the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) works to light up recognizable locations in green as a shining reminder of the important role its Child Support Program plays in the health and well-being of Tennessee children.

The modern day reality is that many children in Tennessee are raised by single parents or other relatives. That's why TDHS is here to help ensure child support services are available to all parents, relatives, and other caregivers of Tennessee children. TDHS is available to:

· Help locate a parent that should be providing support for their child.

· Assist with establishing paternity.

· Enforce existing child support orders.

· Collect and disburse child support payments.

· Help with modifying child support orders when circumstances change.

· Ensure all Tennesseans are served regardless of income.

As part of the department's promise to help all parents increase capacity to support their children, TDHS created the Child Support Re-Entry Team earlier this year. This team helps incarcerated parents meet their parental responsibilities while in the prison system and after release.

"A parent's responsibility to provide for the material needs of their children doesn't end when they step foot in the prison system," said TDHS Commissioner Clarence H. Carter. "Our Child Support Re-Entry Team is providing a pathway for justice involved parents to build capacity to meet the financial, emotional, and intangible obligations of caring for their children."

In addition to the State Capitol Cupola, the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge in Nashville will be lit green tonight along with the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga.