Hamilton County Job & Family Services took in more than $130 million in child support last year, ranking first in the state among metropolitan counties for effectiveness.

The total collected - $130,049,031 – is a jump of almost $422,000 over the 2012 amount. This is the third year in a row Hamilton County is being recognized as having the highest collections among metropolitan counties per full-time worker in the state.

“Any extra dollar that we collect is going to be distributed and allocated to a family,” said Michael Patton, section chief for child support enforcement. “To kids. That’s the story.”

Collections last topped $130 million in 2009. March was the most successful month, with $12,394,698 taken in.

HCJFS manages about 84,000 active child support cases, with 43 child support technicians. Cost effectiveness is calculated by dividing the amount taken in by the number of workers who collected it. Hamilton County also ranked second in the state among all counties for collections per full-time worker.

The parent pays regularly in roughly a third of the 84,000 cases, Patton said, while the remaining cases require more time and attention.

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why collections rose in 2013, he said, but he thinks it’s in part because in 2011 and 2012 he filled formerly vacant positions so those workers are now fully trained and handling full caseloads.