Gray said in a press release that the amnesty period will run through Jan. 13. Before that date, anyone with outstanding bench warrants for failure to pay child support or failure to appear for a child support court docket can contact the Tahlequah or Sallisaw Child Support Enforcement offices and make payment arrangements without being arrested.
"We want to offer those non-custodial parents a chance to do the right thing and make a support payment for their children," Gray said. "Families are always in need, but no time is more important than the holiday season for children to receive parental support."
It's not a question of if someone will be arrested on an outstanding warrant, but when, Gray said.
"During the past year, the child support investigator arrested 209 individuals in our four counties," Gray stated. "Our goal is not to have non-paying parents in jail, but to get them back on track so that regular payments can be made."
Gray said that his child support offices will work with non-custodial parents who owe large amounts of past due support.
"We don't want those who owe the most to ignore this opportunity. Everyone should take advantage of this offer and contact us during our amnesty period," Gray said.
During the last nine months, the office collected $5,687,181 for children in the four counties. The district attorney's office enforces child support obligations through a contract with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.
Any person who has an outstanding warrant can contact the Child Support Office at 1-800-522-2922 or contact the office by e-mail at =CSED.Tahlequah@okdhs.org (for Cherokee and Wagoner Counties) or at =CSED.Sallisaw@okdhs.org (for Adair and Sequoyah Counties). Office hours are from 8 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for those wanting to go in person to take care of their bench warrants.
