Federal government checks meant to stimulate the economy have helped South Dakota and other states catch up with parents who are delinquent on their child-support payments.

The Associated Press has obtained Treasury Department data showing that more than 1.4 million stimulus checks have been seized since the payments began last spring, providing $831 million for child-support agencies nationwide.

That includes 4,890 stimulus checks totaling $2.75 million that were seized from deadbeat parents in South Dakota as of Sept. 12.