LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska state officials are trying to contact more than 430 parents who are owed child support after discovering that the Department of Health and Human Services didn’t send payments in a timely manner.

Department officials acknowledged Wednesday that some unpaid money has sat in a state account for years — as far back as 1998.

The cases involve divorced parents whose children were in state custody, mostly in foster care. The state collected child support payments from non-custodial parents and used it to pay for services they received from the department, including foster care.

Excess money was supposed to go to the court-ordered payee, usually the custodial parent, but the money remained in a state account.

Officials are sending letters to 431 parents who are collectively owed about $250,000.