Obligations – Establishing/Collecting

Alert System to Activate Payment (ASAP) – Okla.

Goals:

• As a cost-saving measure, reduce the number of cases referred to outside collection agencies for noncustodial parents more than 60 days in arrears.
  
• Educate noncustodial parents about payment options available to them, and provide some general information regarding child support.
  
• Assist caseworkers with basic locate searches and information gathering regarding non-paying noncustodial parents.
  
• Monitor responses of both noncustodial parents and child support caseworkers after initial contact has been made to assure case follow-up.

Description: Noncustodial parents who are at least 60 days in arrears receive a “delinquent letter” encouraging them to make payments and mentioning the possibility of several enforcement actions. The noncustodial parent is instructed to contact the OK-CSED within a 10-day period via a toll-free telephone number.

The foundation of the program relies on three highly skilled Customer Service Representatives (CSR) who are trained to utilize flexible methods of response. The CSR must balance the task of emphasizing collection of payment while serving as a customer advocate with understanding and empathic listening skills. The ASAP team’s collection strategy offers more of an opportunity to learn about the noncustodial parent’s situation and help with payment solutions rather than applying demands.

Organization Involved:

• University of Oklahoma – OUTREACH – Center for Public Management.

 

Barriers Project – Va.

Goal: Increase the collection rate for court-ordered child support in Spotsylvania, Va., by identifying and addressing barriers to noncustodial parents’ payment of support.

Description: The Fredericksburg District Child Support Enforcement Office participated in this project in which noncustodial parents received job leads. Barriers staff also will call a prospective employer and inform the employer of the participant’s situation in advance. The staff helps participants with resume writing and will submit the resume for the participant.

The Barriers Project encourages the participant to pay some amount on a weekly basis so that the participant gets into the habit of paying child support. Staff also follow up on a participant’s life situation, whether it is a job interview or a doctor’s appointment that is being discussed.

Organizations Involved:

• Local Juvenile and Domestic Relations District (J&DRD) Courts.
  
• Rappahannock Area Community Services Board.
  
• Local Department of Social Services.
  
• Local Commonwealth’s Attorney.
  
• Local Sheriff.
  
• Area jails.
  
• Regional Adult Education.
  
• Community programs/resources/services.

 

Debit Cards – Pa. and W.Va.

Goal: Provide full child support payments to the custodial parent quickly and reduce State payment processing costs and undistributed collections.

Several guiding principles were identified as the two States implemented the debit card program. These principles are as follows:

• All customers should have the ability to withdraw funds without charge.
  
• All customers should have reasonable access to their funds in their local community.
  
• The cost to disburse funds through debit cards should be less than the cost of disbursement by check.
  
• The card design should not be unique, so as not to stigmatize customers.
  
• Disbursement by check will not be an option, but customers may choose between a debit card and direct deposit.

Description: In 2004 and 2005, Pennsylvania and West Virginia adopted a debit card process for disbursement of child support payments. With very few exceptions, custodians receive child support payments through either a posting to their debit card or a direct deposit to their bank account.

Organizations Involved:

• Vendors absorbed much of the cost of the program.

 

License Suspension Project – Mass.

Goal: To encourage noncustodial parents who have not made timely and consistent payments toward current and/or past-due child support to make payments.

Description: This project of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue Child Support Enforcement Division’s (DOR/CSE) notifies individuals who have not paid their court-ordered child support that they will lose their driver’s and professional licenses and/or car registration if they do not immediately begin to pay past-due and ongoing current support.

In addition, a working relationship with the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association (MCOPA) helps locate delinquent obligors and enforce child support orders.

A pilot program with the regional Veterans Administration (VA) allows veterans who have an arrears balance to avoid license suspension and certain other enforcement actions as long as they comply with a repayment agreement with DOR.

Another program allows inmates to maintain their driver’s licenses while incarcerated as long as they comply with an agreement to notify DOR/CSE of their whereabouts and income upon release or work release.

Organizations Involved:

• Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV).
  
• Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association (MCOPA).
  
• Veterans Administration (VA).

 

Locating Noncustodial Parents Through Cell Phone Records – Va.

Goal: Convince cellular telephone providers to conduct automated data matches with the Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) as a tool to assist in locating addresses and cell phone numbers of noncustodial parents.

Description: This project attempted to enlist the voluntary cooperation of cell phone companies in conducting data match processes between their customer records and DCSE. Although the project had support from staff at the Federal Communications Commission, and despite the backing of Federal and State law, DCSE’s attempts at written and verbal communications with the companies proved fruitless.

Therefore, DCSE issued subpoenas to seven of the largest cell phone providers in Virginia, in an attempt to track down some of the hardest to locate offenders for nonpayment of child support. In all of these cases, other resources such as banks and employers have been exhausted. In addition, most of these parents change jobs and addresses frequently.

Organization Involved:

• Attorney General.