Del Papa praises responsible parents

Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa is using Father's Day to focus on parents who make child-support payments, in contrast to so-called deadbeat parents who try to avoid their responsibilities to their children.

On behalf of her office, and the Nevada Division of Child Support Enforcement, Del Papa said she wanted to publicly thank non-custodial parents "who have contributed millions of dollars of collected child support payments for their children."

While the deadbeats get the most publicity, she noted, the fact is that not all absentee parents fail to meet their obligations.

Rulon Bracken, of Fallon, was one of several parents the attorney general identified as good examples of responsible parents.

In an open letter to all non-custodial parents, Bracken said, "I was lucky my parents stayed together, but my children and stepchildren were not so lucky and have had to adjust to great changes in their lives.

"Child support does more than keep a child from living in poverty, it also lets the child know that he is still cherished and loved by the parent that no longer lives with him or her."

Del Papa said a new pamphlet, "Tips for Collecting Child Support and Working with the Child Support Enforcement Program," is now available from her office.

The pamphlet offers information about who receives child support, how to collect it and how child support is enforced in Nevada.

For more information, call the attorney general's office in Las Vegas at 486-3420.

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