Alternative Sentencing Program
The Back on Track Program (formerly the Alternative Sentencing Program) is a collaboration of the Clermont County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations, Beech Acres Parenting Center, UC Clermont College School of Social Work and the Clermont County Child Support Enforcement Agency.
This six week group intervention program was designed as an alternative to sentencing for fathers who have failed to pay child support. The primary purpose of the program is to obtain child support on behalf of Clermont County obliges/caretakers and to encourage obligors/fathers to become more involved in the lives of their children. This program will include a research component designed to measure the program outcomes and to measure responsible fathering including father’s level of involvement with their children.
The target population is fathers who have been divorced for less than two years, who fail to pay child support regularly, and who have not yet been found in contempt. Participants will have no physical or mental disability which would prevent them from working. The group size will be between eight and ten fathers. After the initial group, plans consist of expanding the program to include a wider cross section of obligors.
Upon finding of contempt for failure to pay child support, the obligor will be required to attend the mediation/support group sessions. If the person attends and participates in the sessions, and pays child support as ordered, the contempt finding will be purged. The sessions are in lieu of a court order that the person serves a jail sentence. However, if that person fails to pay as ordered or attend sessions, that person will go to jail.