Child Support Report XXIV, No. 1, 20020101

A Special Improvement Project (SIP) Grant was awarded to the Third Judicial Circuit Court of Michigan for the purpose of seeking to find ways to reduce the amount of undistributed collections being held in escrow. Serving a county population of 2.1 million, with child support collections countywide approaching $316 million per year, and managing the largest Family Court in the State, the Court seemed a natural for a demonstration and research project to deal with the issue of undistributed collections.

One of the first tasks was to perform an aggressive review of the escrow dollars being held. In 2000, when the project began, the escrow balance was nearly $18.6 million. These funds were being held for a variety of reasons: overpayments made by noncustodial parents, invalid addresses for payees, deceased payees, payments for emancipated children, case worker holds, and tax intercept holds.

The project established two key goals: redesign the Court's escrow balance and reduce both the total escrow account balance and the timeframe between posting and disbursement of individual receipts by 50 percent within one year.

In its assessment, the Court determined that the process for assigning escrow balances to categories was inadequate. The Court expanded the categories and changed the priority order of the escrow categories. This will allow funds to be more readily identified, making disbursement and release more efficient.

The Court also identified the three most frequent reasons for the accumulation of escrow dollars: invalid payee address, caseworker holds, and overpayments. The Court organized teams to focus on these accounts and try to find creative ways to release the funds.

The Court identified the three most frequent reasons for the accumulation of escrow dollars: invalid payee address, caseworker holds, and overpayments.

To further intensify its effort to resolve accounts with invalid payee addresses, the Court contracted with a private firm to improve payee address information and published a listing of payees with undistributed child support collections in the local newspaper.

The Court also recognized that some policy changes were necessary. To deal with the issue of caseworker holds, a policy was instituted establishing a sixty-day limit on any hold. Supervisory approval would be necessary for any extension of this limit. In the case of overpaid accounts, a policy was es-tablished to refer these to a special team for review, and in cases where the support obligation has been met, the income withholding orders are being discontinued. The Court also identified the need to isolate joint tax intercept funds from the existing categories to better manage the accumulation of funds.

As a result of the Court's efforts, escrow funds held over one year have been reduced by over 40 percent. Further, of the entire balance of $15,645,641 held on July 15, 2000, only $2,720,670 remains in escrow in the "funds held over one year" category.

While it is true that there will always be a necessity to hold certain funds in escrow due to statutory holds (tax intercepts) or funds pending a legal action, the Court feels that having well-defined escrow categories and priorties in place will go a long way toward streamlining the processing of escrow balances.

If you would like more information, call Katherine Myers at Third Judicial Circuit Court at (313) 224-8843.

Tom Starnes is an Advocacy Relations Specialist in OCSE's Division of Consumer Services.

Prison programs are one way Louisiana is redi- recting some of its available TANF funds. The money is being invested in education, jobs, and life-skills training for prisoners and ex-prisoners with a goal of helping them stay out of prison and take responsibility for their lives, including paying child support owed to their children.

Louisiana's legislature gave the State's Department of Corrections $5 million in TANF funds to carry out four separate initiatives. The largest amount, $3 million, will offer intensive help to men who have been released from prison but need assistance in finding suitable employment to avoid a possible return to prison.

"The goal here," says Department of Corrections Undersecretary Trey Boudreaux, "is to reduce recidivism by providing men with the opportunity to train for and get good jobs." The other $2 million in federal money will be invested in programs involving a limited number of inmates in Louisiana's State prisons, as well as in the Concordia Parish Correctional Facility. "We're interested in the creation and maintenance of two-parent families," says Boudreaux.

State welfare office chief Ann Williamson points out that the grants are mostly going to programs that are already in operation, but the emphasis must be on fathers or the programs cannot get welfare money.

Participation is voluntary, classes are small, and retired teachers are recruited to help. Those who want to participate are first tested to determine their literacy and academic level. Training includes helping participants prepare for the high-school equivalency test, take part in mock job interviews, develop resumes, and learn to keep and balance a checkbook.

Elsie Chaisson is a Program Specialist with the TANF Program in the Dallas Regional Office.

On December 11, 2001, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians held a celebration in recognition of the awarding of direct federal funding for its Tribal Child Support Program. The recognition ceremony was held at the newly renovated program offices on the Puyallup reservation located in Tacoma, Washington. Washington State Child Support Director Georgiann DeKay participated, along with other Federal, State, and Tribal officials, including Lionel J. Adams, Director of OCSE's Division of Special Staffs, and Lawrence Dunmore, Senior Tribal Child Support Specialist.

The Puyallup Tribal Child Support Program started operating in late 1998 under a child support demonstration grant. Linda Tresaugue has been the coordinator of the program since its inception, and she continues as the Director of the new Tribal Child Support Program. The Tribe, which is located in an urban area, has over 2,500 members and serves over 16,000 Native Americans within its service area.

The Puyallup Tribe is the first Tribe in the Seattle Regional Office area to receive direct funding for its child support program. The Region's Tribal child support staff are currently assisting several other Tribes in the region that are in the process of writing their applications for direct funding.

Jan Jensen is a Tribal Child Support Specialist in OCSE's Seattle Regional Office.

In early January, Dr. Sherri Z. Heller, Commis- sioner of OCSE, addressed the ACF West-Cen- tral Hub Mid-Winter Leadership Conference in Dallas, Texas. Speaking to an audience that included representatives of Child Care, Child Support, Community Service, Developmental Disabilities, Head Start, TANF, and Tribal Programs, Dr. Heller stressed the importance of working collaboratively. She noted that when she worked at the State level in Pennsylvania as the TANF director, looking at issues from the standpoint of children and families helped her to avoid the trap of thinking categorically.

"For instance," she said, "let's say we have a customer whose job training starts in a week but is still 23rd on the waiting list for child care subsidy. Is a successful job-training outcome likely? Hardly."

Our customers have overlapping needs. Child support is one of those needs, and a critical one. We must see child support as something beyond a check-off on a TANF application; it is important as a source of income. "Child support," Dr. Heller said, "could help keep the TANF 'leaver' from becoming a TANF 'returner.' "

"Child support could help keep the TANF `leaver' from becoming a TANF `returner.' "

Research has shown, she pointed out, that women who do not receive the child support they are owed have a 31 percent chance of returning to welfare within six months. In contrast, those who receive as little as $100 a month in support have only a 10 percent chance of going back on the welfare rolls.

This means that ACF programs-indeed, all human services programs-must work together. Collaboration is not just a word; it's the key word. In last summer's Research Demonstration Grant Applications, Dr. Heller said by way of example, OCSE asked states to come up with demonstration programs that would promote collaboration between child support agencies and a broad range of human service programs in the community-programs designed to promote and achieve family self-sufficiency.

There are community-based and faith-based organizations that can lend a hand in our efforts to raise the support that our children and families receive.

Collaboration need not be just between government agencies. There are community-based and faith-based organizations, Dr. Heller said, "that can lend a hand in our efforts to raise the support that our children and families receive. Faith-based organizations frequently are able to inspire our hardest-to-reach customers to action."

Dr. Heller reminded her audience that terms such as services integration and one-stop shopping have been around for quite awhile, but she said "we need to get beyond buzzwords to ensure that TANF workers make good referrals to IV-D agencies that can be turned into court orders, and that IV-D workers make every effort to help TANF customers who are working their way off assistance to get reliable child support payments."

31-February 2 "Third Annual Southwestern Fatherhood Conference: Parenthood . . . The Most Rewarding Job You'll Ever Have!" The Hilton Mesa Pavilion, Mesa, AZ, James Rodriguez (480) 461-6135.

5-6 Joint DOL, ACF, USDA Conference (Ten Hub States) Integrating Systems for Family Self-Sufficiency, Holiday Inn Apparel Mart Center, Chicago, IL, Helene Stoffey (312) 886-4283.

19-22 California Family Support Council Annual Training Conference, Riviera Resort and Racquet Club, Palm Springs, CA, Kris Reiman (209) 381-1311.

25-27 NCSEA Midyear Policy Forum & Training Conference, Hyatt Grand Regency, Washington, DC, Carol Henry (202) 624-8180.

27-March 1 Louisiana Child Support Enforcement Association Annual Conference, TBA, Baton Rouge, LA, Liz Ocker (504) 365-3345.

3-5 American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) Council Meeting, Grand Hyatt Downtown, Washington, DC, Justin Latus (202) 682-0100.

20-22 North Carolina Child Support Council Conference, Grove Park Inn and Spa, Asheville, NC, Barry Burger (919) 255-3807.

21 NCSEA Child Support Tele-Talk Broadcast: Customer Service in Difficult Situations, Carol Henry (202) 624-8180.

27-28 New York State Annual Child Support Conference, Sagamore Hotel, Bolton Landing, NY, Monique Rabideau (518) 474-0997.

Date to be announced Oklahoma Child Support Enforcement Conference, TBA, Joanne Verity (405) 522-2661.

8-10 OCSE Big Eight Plus One Information Sharing Conference, Drury Inn and Suites, San Antonio, TX, Dan Fascione (215) 686-3724. (Note: Participants are selected by the Big 8 + 1 child support directors.)

8-10 NCSEA For-Attorneys-Only Training, TBA, Atlanta, GA, Carol Henry (202) 624-8180.

28-May 2 Eastern Regional Interstate Child Support Association Conference, Omni Netherlands Plaza, Cincinnati, OH, John Graham (724) 830-3263.

Date to be announced Seventh Annual Bi-Regional Interstate Task Force Conference (Regions IX and X), TBA, Sacramento, CA, J.P. Soden (415) 437-8421. (Note: By invitation only.)

1-3 North Dakota Family Support Council's Annual Child Support Enforcement Training Conference, Holiday Inn, Grand Forks, ND, Mary Jo Nordine (701) 787-8575.

5-10 Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, TBA, Vancouver, WA, Linda Langston (360) 753-3953.

27-29 National Center for Strategic Nonprofit Planning and Community Leadership (NPCL) Fourth Annual International Fatherhood Conference, Capitol Hilton Hotel, Washington, DC, Barbara Cleveland (202) 822-6725.

29-31 Indiana Child Support Training Conference, Indianapolis Marriott East at Shadeland, Indianapolis, IN, Patti Perkins (317) 232-4922.

Customer service should be a positive factor in the performance of the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program. Typically, a customer's first contact with the agency is with front-line staff, and it is here that the customer's impression of the entire agency is formed. Critical to program success, then, is effective customer service.

A customer's first contact with the agency is with front-line staff, and it is here that the customer's impression of the entire agency is formed.

Through OCSE's National Technical Assistance and Training Needs Assessment (see DCL-01-44), states asked for customer service training. In response, OCSE's National Training Center (NTC) designed and developed a 1 1/2 -2 day course geared specifically to child support enforcement workers.

In early January, the course, Customer Service Training for CSE Workers, was field-tested in Raleigh, North Carolina. The 21 participants included North Carolina State, county, and local child support staff, as well as staff from the Federal Regional office in Atlanta. The course was pilot-tested in the District of Columbia and previously field-tested in Missouri.

The purpose of the training was to equip CSE workers with practical tools to improve their customer service skills and attitudes. Participative lectures, group discussions, individual exercises, and role plays make the course lively and personal. Also, participants are given many opportunities to share their experiences and learn from each other. In evaluation comments, participants judged the course to be insightful, informative, and useful. The exercises, role plays, and group discussions were rated excellent.

North Carolina's CSE Director, Barry Miller, stated, "In today's economy, whether in the public or private sector, customers need and expect good service from the company or public entity with which they do business. . . . OCSE's new customer service training program offers excellent skills-development opportunities for child support enforcement staff. North Carolina will definitely utilize this training for the 1600 plus CSE staff."

According to the State's Policy and Training Specialist, Sandra Chestnut, "Often such topics sound very generic and staff do not see the relevance to their jobs. But in this instance, the material and presentation were directed specifically to CSE." Barry Burger, North Carolina's Assistant Chief for Program Operations, agreed, calling the course "well- structured, comprehensive, and on point."

This course is not just for front-line workers. The curriculum identifies "customer" as any person with whom a child support worker comes into contact in carrying out his or her duties. Potential customers include custodial parents, noncustodial parents, employers, courts, and other agencies, as well as our own child support enforcement colleagues.

The Child Support Enforcement program's product is information and service. Often we need something from our customers, such as information about the noncustodial parent or employment. By the same token, customers come to the CSE agency for service: for example, to get paternity established or an order enforced. Customer service is the cornerstone of all that we do.

"In this course, we have tried to build in opportunities for participants to experience good and bad examples of customer service," says Robyn Large, one of the course trainers. "We learn a lot in each class about what works, what doesn't work, and what participants at all levels of the Child Support Enforcement program need to gain from the training to help them do their jobs more effectively."

"In this course, we have tried to build in opportunities for participants to experience good and bad examples of customer service," ... Robyn Large.

As with all of the training courses that NTC develops, the Customer Service curriculum, participant guides, and visual aids, when they are finalized, will be available for download on the National Electronic Child Support Resource System.

For more information, contact Jack Shaw in the National Training Center at (202) 401-5144.

Jack Shaw is a Training Specialist assigned to OCSE's National Training Center, Division of State, Tribal and Local Assistance.

The purpose of this project is to inventory state-level policies that directly relate to the goal of promoting and supporting marriage. The inventory will include policies relating to public outreach, provisions of divorce law, marriage preparation and support services, and tax code transfer policies, as well as education curricula, and youth development.

Relying primarily on existing sources of information and a panel of national experts on marriage policy, researchers will document the existence of each policy across states. Several examples of what the policies look like in practice will be highlighted, as well as the policies' legislative histories. Lewin Group of Falls Church, Virginia is conducting the research under a grant from the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE).

The purpose of the project is to understand the influence of marriage and other family structures on economic well-being, with an emphasis on the low-income population. Using descriptive and multivariate techniques, researchers will analyze the probability of poverty and material hardship within various family structures, including married, cohabiting, and single parent families.

They also will examine whether the influence of family structure on economic well-being differs by race and socio-economic status. The Urban Institute of Washington, DC is conducting the research under a grant from ASPE.

The National Survey of Family Growth is a primary national survey for understanding issues around fertility and family formation. In the past, the survey has only asked questions of a random sample of about 13,000 women ages 15 to 44.

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the lead federal agency, has now added direct interviews of 7,000 men to obtain information from them about fertility and family formation similar to that obtained from women.

While we know from other research that gender influences decision-making around sex and family formation, our ability to understand these dynamics is greatly constrained by a lack of solid information from men regarding their attitudes and behaviors. This expansion has implications for policy development in the areas of teen pregnancy prevention, out-of-wedlock childbearing, welfare, child support and paternity establishment, and father involvement. The University of Michigan has a contract to conduct the survey with NCHS. The research is being funded by a consortium of HHS agencies, including ACF and ASPE.

If you would like to know more about these projects, contact Linda Mellgren in the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at (202) 690-6806.

Between 1995 and 2000, the proportion of children younger than 18 living with a single mother declined from 19.9 percent to 18.4 percent. In addition, the proportion of children living with two married parents (including stepparents) remained essentially unchanged during this period, at about 70 percent.

Both trends represent changes relative to trends over the 1985 - 1990 period when the share of children living with a single mother remained essentially constant and the share of children living with married parents declined.

Reported in the September 2001 "Child Support Bulletin" of The Children's Foundation, Washington, D.C. Used with permission.