New hire reporting, withholding, and electronic payments are among the topics to be covered in upcoming seminars for employers who make child support payments on behalf of their employees. The seminars are conducted by the Nebraska Child Support Payment Center, a division of the Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office.
The one-hour seminars are scheduled in May and June in communities across Nebraska. Additional seminars through September will be announced later. There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. The schedule of employer seminars is kept up to date on the Child Support Payment Center website at www.nebraskachildsupport.com/Employers.
“The seminars are an excellent way for employers to learn about changes in the child support payment and distribution system. In particular, the seminars are an opportunity for employers to learn more about the ease and security of submitting child support payments electronically,” State Treasurer Don Stenberg said.
More than 77 percent of the child support payments sent by employers to the Nebraska Child Support Payment Center in 2012 were sent electronically, totaling more than $190 million, Stenberg said. He said he would like to see that percentage go even higher.
In all, more than $294 million was sent to the Child Support Payment Center from employers and individuals for child support in 2012.
“I want to thank the thousands of Nebraska employers who are using electronic payments, and I want to encourage others to put electronic payment systems in place,” Stenberg said. “Electronic payments make good business sense and leave less room for error. They eliminate the cost of printing and handling paper checks and the data entry associated with paper checks. They also reduce postal costs for the employers and for the State of Nebraska. What’s more, an electronic payment has never been lost in our system.”
Tom Hinds, outreach director for the Child Support Payment Center, said employers have told him that electronic payments are much easier than writing and sending checks and that the payment center’s website for making electronic payments is user friendly. “I have been using the Nebraska Child Support Payment Center for eight years, and I could not be happier with the ease of using the website. The website makes the whole process easy to facilitate,” one employer wrote to Hinds.
Treasurer Stenberg added: “Nebraska employers play an important role in making sure that custodial parents and children receive the financial support they are entitled to for their safety, health, and wellbeing. The child support payment system would not work nearly as well as it does without the support of employers, both large and small.”
The Outreach staff of the Nebraska Child Support Payment Center in conjunction with the Child Support Office of the Department of Health and Human Services will address the following topics at this year’s employer seminars:
Employers may register by calling 402-471-1173 or toll free at 877-631-9973, Option 3, or by sending an email to nst.employer @nebraska.gov.
The seminars will be offered at the following locations and dates:
| Beatrice | Beatrice Public Library | 100 N. 16th St. | May 8 | 10 a.m. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance | Alliance Learning Center | 1420 W. Third St. | May 14 | 10 a.m. |
| Chadron | Chadron Best Western | 1100 W. 10th St. | May 15 | 10 a.m. |
| Valentine | Valentine Holiday Inn Express | 803 E. U.S. 20 | May 16 | 10 a.m. |
| O’Neill | O’Neill Holiday Inn Express | 1020 E. Douglas St. | May 17 | 10 a.m. |
| South Sioux City | Marina Inn Conference Center | 385 E. Fourth St. | June 5 | 1 p.m. |
| Norfolk | Norfolk Holiday Inn Express | 920 S. 20th St. | June 6 | 10 a.m. |
| Fremont | City Council Chambers | 400 E. Military | June 19 | 1 p.m. |
