While some states slipped in the amount of child support money collected in 2009, Louisiana saw an increase that year and in 2010.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that the struggling economy translated into the first dip in collections in 2009 since 1975. Nationwide figures for 2010 and 2011 were not part of the report.

Louisiana has seen an increase in funds collected in the approximately 280,000 collections it monitors. In 2010, the state took in $365.3 million for families, up from $354 million in 2009 and $346.1 in 2008.

An official with the Child Support Enforcement for the Department of Children and Family Services attributed Louisiana's strong performance in child support collection to the state's strict enforcement as well as a more stable economy in the state than some other spots in the United States.

Another official with the department said Louisiana will continue to be aggressive in collecting support that is owed to families. Over the next several months, the state will expand its use of advanced software that searches computer records to find if a parent who is required to pay support receives any government funds. Some payments, such as benefits for workers' compensation, can be tapped into for child support.

Last year, Gov. Bobby Jindal signed off on legislation that allows Louisiana officials to monitor winnings in state casinos and will anyone winning in excess of $1,200 against the names of people who are behind in their support payments. If the winner's name shows up on such a list, the casinos must give the winnings to the state to satisfy delinquencies.

Source: Times-Picayune, "Louisiana bucks national trend on child support collections," Bruce Alpert, Feb. 2, 2011