Illinois collects $1.4 billion in child support

An Illinois agency says it has collected more than $1.4 billion in child support for the first time in state history.

In a news release, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services also announced the fiscal year that ended in June was the tenth straight year that more than $1 billion was collected.

The IDHFS says most of the child support is collected through income withholding. But it employs other methods, such as "freezing and seizing" bank accounts. It also notifies professional and occupational licensing agencies to suspend or revoke licenses of a parent until child support is paid. It evens asks the Department of Natural Resources to deny hunting and fishing licenses to non-compliant parents.

The agency says parents can sign up for full enforcement services at: http://childsupportillinois.com/customers/apply.html.