DCL-06-22, Release of Automated Systems for Child Support Enforcement: A Guide for Enhancing Review and Adjustment Automation

DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER

DCL-06-22

ATTACHMENT: A Guide for Enhancing Review and Adjustment Automation

DATE: July 17, 2006

TO: ALL STATE IV-D DIRECTORS

RE: Release of Automated Systems for Child Support Enforcement: A Guide for Enhancing Review and Adjustment Automation

Dear Colleague:

I am pleased to release the Automated Systems for Child Support Enforcement: A Guide for Enhancing Review and Adjustment Automation. The Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) has prepared this Guide to support your efforts to improve the effectiveness of the review and adjustment process in your Child Support Enforcement (CSE) system.

The release of this guide is timely as the recent Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, signed into law on February 8th, reinstituted a mandatory requirement for review and adjustment of child support orders for families receiving TANF effective October 1, 2007.

Enhanced review and adjustment automation can help you monitor and proactively adjust support amounts to better reflect the obligor’s ability to pay. Furthermore, enhanced automation helps states improve operational efficiency and responsiveness, Goal #5 of the National Child Support Enforcement Strategic Plan. States that have already implemented automation enhancement solutions have reported many positive results such as an overall increase in support amounts and improved process consistency and fairness.

In the Guide you will find these practical tools for enhancing your existing review and adjustment automation in compliance with Federal criteria 45 CFR 303.8:

Process flowchart showing one possible implementation of enhanced review and adjustment automation
Review and Adjustment Automation Comparison
Review and Adjustment Process Discussion Guide
Good Practices
Case studies from Alaska, Maine, Minnesota and Vermont

If you have any questions or comments about the Guide, please contact Ms. Robin Rushton, Director, Division of State and Tribal Systems, OCSE at (202) 690-1244 or email: rrushton@acf.hhs.gov.

Sincerely,

Margot Bean
Commissioner
Office of Child Support Enforcement

cc: Federal Regional Administrators
Federal Regional CSE Prog