Seven appointed to Kansas Child Support Guidelines Advisory Committee

TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court appointed three people to the Kansas Child Support Guidelines Advisory Committee and reappointed four others.

The 13-member Kansas Child Support Guidelines Advisory Committee includes parents who either pay or receive child support, and attorneys, judges, and tax professionals with expertise in child support.

Richard Samaniego of Wichita will serve a three-year term beginning July 1 and ending June 30, 2021. He is an attorney representative.

Sara Beezley of Girard was appointed to a four-year term ending June 30, 2022. She is an attorney representative.

Ryan Brady of Hutchinson was appointed to a four-year term ending June 30, 2022. He is a parent representative.

Reappointed to four-year terms were:

• District Judge Thomas Foster, who serves in the 10th Judicial District, composed of Johnson County.

• Chief Judge Amy Harth, who serves in the 6th Judicial District, composed of Bourbon, Linn, and Miami counties.

• Amy (Beardy) Fletcher, Wichita, a parent representative.

• Sherri Loveland, Lawrence, an attorney representative.

Foster chairs the committee, which:

• reviews the general rules governing how child support is established.

• evaluates the economic basis of the guidelines.

• analyzes how courts may use adjustments to tailor child support obligations to meet the needs of families.

• identifies whether updates to the Kansas Child Support Guidelines are needed and makes those recommendations to the Kansas Supreme Court.

The child support guidelines are reviewed every four years to ensure that the roughly $35 million mothers and fathers pay in support each month is equitable for the parents and appropriate for the day-to-day essential needs of the children they support.

Other members of the committee are:

• District Judge Constance Alvey, who serves in the 29th Judicial District, composed of Wyandotte County.

• Michelle Slinkard, Topeka, an attorney representative.

• Doni Mooberry, Lawrence, an attorney representative with accounting and tax experience.

• Marc White, Topeka, an attorney representative.

• Charlie Harris, Wichita, an attorney representative.

• Trisha Thomas, Topeka, a child support agency representative.