Maryland

Child Support, Head Start and Child Care Collaboration

Goal: Promote the Child Support program to custodial parents in Head Start programs and child care facilities through partnerships between the programs in different jurisdictions within the State.

Description: The Baltimore City Child Care Resource Center (BCCRC) developed a kiosk approach to communicating information to the community on child support programs around the city of Baltimore. Kiosks were set up at their headquarters site and at regional Head Start centers. Through its network of Head Start agencies, BCCRC conducted workshops and training sessions on child support services throughout the city. The audience was program directors, teachers, family service providers and daycare personnel engaged in day-to-day interactions with custodial parents. Participation on the Head Start State Advisory Board enabled child support to reach organizations such as allied health groups, researchers and state level departments, each of which has an interface in the lives of children.

In Anne Arundel County, child support staff designed "Hot Topic" cards that contained information about the collaboration project, child support issues and locations for applying for child support services. The cards are mailed out to parents who call the child care resource and referral network for child care services and are also made available at every Head Start program, child care center and at family child care providers' association meetings. These quick reference cards have proved successful with both parents and child care providers.

The Southern Maryland Tri-County demonstration site, located in a semi-rural area, is housed in the local Department of Social Services. Staff developed pamphlets on child support services and distributed them to family child care providers and parents. They also developed a television commercial about the collaboration project aired by the local cable television network, increasing awareness of child support services through the tri-county community. Staff also conduct on-site classes for new customers that inform them about the benefits of child support services.

The activities allowed all site directors to discuss a variety of child support enforcement perspectives with families. Discussing the role of the father may be addressed. This discussion may be occurring for the first time with many of these families. Additionally, the consequences of drivers license suspensions and the implications for getting to work and subsequently making child support payments on time may be addressed.

Location: City of Baltimore, largest and poorest city in Maryland; Anne Arundel, a largely suburban area that includes Annapolis, the State capital; and the Tri-County Area of Southern Maryland, a predominantly rural area that includes Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties. Although not part of the project, three other counties - - Baltimore, Fredrick and Prince Georges - - are forming cross-program partnerships to promote child support services.

Results:

• Over 7,150 individuals were informed about child support from "Hot Topic" cards or from child care provider contacts.
• Another 1,350 individuals were informed annually of the child support collaboration and the importance of child support through a county newsletter.
• Over 1,225 individuals were informed about child support from numerous workshops presented or brochures handed out, and an additional 1,500 individuals were informed quarterly about child support through the Baltimore City Child Care Association newsletter.
• At least 5,200 individuals were contacted about child support through the distribution of brochures, frisbees, workshops or presentations.
• Finally, a public television announcement ran approximately 300 30-second spots during the 3-year demonstration project.

Funding: Sec. 1115 Demonstration grant funding for a three-year period, 1997 - 2000. Activities and community outreach developed with this funding will continue as an ongoing project funded with child support funds.

Replication Advice: Produce materials that can withstand changes over time. It is inevitable that information will need to be added to or deleted from the original material you produce; therefore choose a format that is easy to modify when, for example, a telephone number changes. Minimizing the need to make major changes in a model will maximize sustainability over time.

If you already have an existing set of activities with a budget line that can be incorporated into new actions, such as outreach, the new initiative is more likely to be maintained.

Contact:

Willie McCargo, Special Project Officer

Child Support Enforcement Division

phone (410) 767-0601

e-mail wmccargo@csea.dhr.state.md.us