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Caseloads Grow But Welfare Cases Shrink. In Texas, the
Office of the Attorney General (OAG) competes with county-operated and
private collection agencies which selectively take many of the easier or
more lucrative cases. Under state law, the OAG is required to provide
free child support services to all who apply, including thousands of
teenage parents and inmates in Texas prisons who often cannot pay.
Though its caseload has grown steadily, the number of welfare (temporary
assistance to needy families or TANF) cases has declined since the
passage of national welfare reform in 1996 increasing the profitability
of collection efforts.
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