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Detroit Lions Football Team Promotes Fatherhood

Eileen M. Schrauben

For the sixth consecutive year, the Detroit Lions football organization teamed with the Michigan Family Independence Agency's Office of Child Support to launch a statewide fatherhood campaign. This year's campaign, "Fatherhood is Child's Play," focuses on increasing the involvement of fathers (whether married, divorced, or single) in their children's lives. Part of being a father includes spending time and playing with your children.

Michigan's fatherhood campaign is promoted through radio and television public service announcements, billboards, newspaper ads, posters, and calendars. Promotional items feature the players and their children and are distributed throughout the state.

Again this year, Lions defensive linemen Luther Elliss and Robert Porcher are the campaign spokesmen. Mr. Elliss is featured in Huddle Up promotional materials with his children Kaden, Olivia, Christian, and Isaiah. Mr. Porcher is featured in My MVPs promotional materials with his children Morgan and Robert IV.

This year several fathers identified by Wayne County Fatherhood Collaboration agencies and their children had the opportunity to personally meet Robert Porcher and Luther Elliss. Dads and their kids enjoyed the opportunity to play on the Lions football field, have photographs taken with the players, and get autographs. Several fathers with their children and families spent time together attending the October 8 game against Green Bay, compliments of Luther Elliss.

The fatherhood campaign goal is to show the importance of family life and to encourage fathers-whether married, divorced or single-to become involved in their children's lives. Michigan's fatherhood campaign with the Detroit Lions-the first of its kind in the nation in 1995-has received two Emmy Awards for public service announcements and has been replicated by other National Football League and professional sports teams and their states. It has proven to be a popular and effective tool to promote the message of responsible fatherhood and the importance of developing family ties between fathers and children.

In June 2000, Robert Porcher was named a "Father of the Year" by the National Fatherhood Initiative. The group cited Mr. Porcher for his support in numerous charitable causes, his involvement with the fatherhood campaign, and his presentations to fathers' groups. His consistent message to fathers: "It's as important to spend time with your children as it is to provide for them financially."

"It's as important to spend time with your children as it is to provide for them financially." ...Robert Porcher

For more information contact Eileen Schrauben at (517) 335-3921.

Eileen Schrauben is a Program Analyst with Michigan's Family Independence Agency.

Georgia's Genetic Testing Program

Before July of 1999, Georgia's 79 child support offices were each free to choose any of six different qualifying laboratories to do genetic testing to resolve paternity issues. The cost per test from these vendors varied only slightly, but turn-around times differed widely. And genetic testing statistics were more guesswork than factual.

In an effort to standardize and reduce genetic testing costs and to simplify billing and the acquisition of genetic testing statistics, Georgia child support, effective July 1, 1999, contracted with a firm to handle DNA paternity testing for all of its child support offices. The contract required:

• Genetic testing referrals to be transmitted electronically from a referring office directly to the contractor via a secure transmission;
• The contractor to be responsible for scheduling all the parties to be drawn for testing;
• The contractor, at local CSE office option, to be responsible for securing a draw site in the area served by each CSE office; and
• The contractor to have a results report in the hands of the referring office within 35 calendar days of the date of the electronic referral in order to be paid for the genetic test. (Allowances were made for bad addresses, "no-shows," and other problems.)

The program has standardized paternity testing costs and reduced those costs by a third.

Results

Nearly a year after the contract was initiated and after the resolution of early problems, the program has:

• Standardized paternity testing costs and reduced those costs by a third;
• Standardized the time frames involved in the paternity establishment process;
• Freed up time and resources for local child support staff by shifting the scheduling function to the contractor; and
• Arranged for monthly reporting of statistics to each local office and quarterly reporting of all local office results to the State office.

Since Georgia law recognizes electronic signatures, the child support office and contractor are working towards the expansion of their electronic communication to allow for the delivery of paternity results electronically, further reducing time frames.

Since Georgia law recognizes electronic signatures, the child support office and contractor are working towards the expansion of their electronic communication to allow for the delivery of paternity results electronically.

Georgia also is investigating the implementation of a "self-swab" program--a buccal swab done in a local office or in court by a putative father on himself when he has denied paternity or requested genetic testing.

If you would like more information about Georgia's genetic testing program, contact Robert Low at (404) 657-3895. These collections have helped open for millions of our nation's children and families doors of opportunity that would otherwise remain closed.

New Information Available on OCSE Homepage

Based on feedback from the public, OCSE has added a section at the top of its Homepage on frequently asked questions. The site currently has 41 questions and answers. Sample questions:

• How do I get a child support order?
• Where can I find information on my state's child support laws?
• How can I get the amount of my child support order changed?

Access the Homepage at: /programs/cse/.

Indiana Human Service Grants to Strengthen Role of Fathers

Tom Starnes

The State of Indiana has awarded $2 million in grants to 36 human service organizations to strengthen the role that fathers play in the lives of their children. Citing findings by the Institute of Responsible Fatherhood and Family Revitalization that show adverse effects on children growing up in fatherless homes, Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon expressed the hope that these grants will help fathers understand why it is so important for them to take an active role in their children's lives.

One State university and 35 public, private, and nonprofit groups make up the list of grantees that are funded from savings achieved by Indiana through reductions in the State's welfare caseloads and from an Access and Visitation grant from the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement.

"I'm especially pleased that we have been successful in our efforts to reach out to leaders of churches and other faith-based organizations. They have stepped up in a big way to help all across Indiana." ...Governor Frank O'Bannon

The monies awarded will be used to:

• Increase fathers' positive involvement with their children and improve their parenting skills;
• Improve fathers' accessibility to supportive services;
• Increase payment of child support;
• Help fathers and mothers cooperate in parenting;
• Decrease out-of-wedlock pregnancies;
• Increase the number of teenagers with high school or GED diplomas; and
• Increase establishment of paternity.

Seven of the grants were awarded to faith-based organizations--an outgrowth of Faith Works Indiana, a program that Governor O'Bannon kicked off last fall. One of the faith-based grantees, The Church Federation of Greater Indianapolis, received $100,000 which will be used to begin a mentoring program for young or potential fathers who are incarcerated in a juvenile correction facility.

The Reverend Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith, executive director of The Church Federation, said, "The sooner you intervene in these young men's lives, the better your chances are of making a positive, life-long difference. By working together, we as a community can have a positive impact on the lives of young men and help them become responsible members of society."

Governor O'Bannon praised the way in which the community has come together around this fatherhood initiative, saying, "All of us need to work together to spread this message and teach these lessons. I'm especially pleased that we have been successful in our efforts to reach out to leaders of churches and other faith-based organizations. They have stepped up in a big way to help all across Indiana."

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration is overseeing the grants through its Fathers and Families program. For more information, contact Thurl Snell, Deputy Director of the Indiana Division of Families and Children, at (317) 233-3542.

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

New York's Approach to Operating An Interstate Central Registry

Rob Velcoff

For nearly four years, New York has not had an incoming interstate case fall outside the 10-day federally mandated timeframes for case processing. One of the main reasons for our success is that we have stayed close to the functions listed in the federal regulations (45 CFR 303.7 (a)) for Interstate Case Registries (ICR).

One of the main reasons for our success is that we have stayed close to the functions listed in the federal regulations for Interstate Case Registries.

In contrast to New York's approach, other states may have, in some instances, expanded their ICR units' tasks to include location, policy, case-building, working on outgoing interstate cases, customer service, and other functions. This may work well in some cases, but additional duties may also take away from the primary ICR tasks.

Concentrating on the basics, in my judgment, is what makes an ICR successful. Here are some suggestions for ICR managers on consistently meeting federal requirements.

• Log in all incoming interstate cases every day, on the exact date they are received. As you work, keep this log-in date in mind because the federally mandated 10-day timeframe has started ticking;
• Review each case for legal requirements only. If it's not in UIFSA or another of your state laws, then the ICR should not mandate it from Initiating Jurisdictions (IJ's);
• Know exactly what you're looking for when reviewing each type of case. The UIFSA forms matrix is an excellent place to start;
• Send acknowledgments immediately upon review of a case, and keep an accurate log-out record;
• If the documentation sent by the IJ is insufficient for anything to be done on an incoming interstate case, it makes no sense to forward it on;
• Remember that it is not the ICR's job to do casework on individual interstate cases. Let the local child support offices and/or tribunals responsible for working child support cases do that; and
• Keep statistics on everything you do. In our office, the log-in, log-out, and all other statistics are done on a PC database, which is good for aggregating data.

Interstate Central Registry staff also should be in contact with the local districts handling the cases. They should be able to answer any questions, be knowledgeable about interstate case processing, and ensure that the local districts are well informed about UIFSA and all other interstate matters.

For more information about New York's ICR unit, contact Rob Velcoff at (518) 474-1801.

Rob Velcoff is Chief, New York State Interstate Central Registry, Division of Child Support Enforcement

Maryland Amnesty Yields $700,000 in Support

Teresa Kaiser

Maryland's Child Support Enforcement Administration's (CSEA) recent Amnesty 2000 campaign combined the efforts of law enforcement, the judicial system, and social services departments across the State, as well as media, local businesses, fatherhood groups, and community and faith-based organizations.

"The primary goal of child support enforcement in Maryland is to encourage parents to get involved-and stay involved-in their children's lives." ...Governor Parris N. Glendening

Amnesty 2000 resulted in the collection of more than $705,000 in overdue child support payments, with Baltimore City alone collecting more than $78,000. In addition, 1,470 wage liens were established statewide and 557 noncustodial parents received assistance for employment and other services.

While we in Maryland are pleased with the financial success of this effort, our intention was not simply to collect money. Rather, we hoped to see noncustodial parents re-establish relations with their children.

"The primary goal of child support enforcement in Maryland," as Governor Parris N. Glendening said, "is to encourage parents to get involved-and stay involved-in their children's lives. Amnesty 2000 gave parents the chance to do the right thing for their children, and thousands of Marylanders heeded the call."

All of Maryland's 23 jurisdictions and Baltimore City offered amnesty. To promote the opportunity, the campaign used public relations as the primary promotional tactic, supported by one week of statewide radio designed to encourage noncustodial parents to come into their local child support offices. Local staff participated in media training, conducted media relations, and distributed posters and information cards in community gathering places.

Total media coverage included 103 television news stories, 14 radio interviews and numerous other on-air mentions, and more than 20 newspaper articles.

For more information about Amnesty 2000, contact Maryland's Campaign for Our Children at (410) 576-9015.

Teresa Kaiser is the Executive Director of Maryland's child support program.

The Net Impact of Child Support Payments on Work and Welfare Outcomes in Washington State

Carl Formoso

Washington State's Division of Child Support study of the effects of child support payments on work and welfare outcomes covered the period from late 1993 to early 1999. Three welfare participation cohorts were studied: (1) all adults who used any welfare from October through December 1993, with 13 quarters of follow-up; (2) all adults who used any welfare from October through December 1995, with 5 quarters of follow-up; and (3) all adults who used any welfare from October through December 1997, with 5 quarters of follow-up.

The study findings show that regular payments of child support are associated with lower incidence of welfare use and higher incidence of employment for custodial parents.

The study findings show that regular payments of child support are associated with lower incidence of welfare use and higher incidence of employment for custodial parents in subsequent quarters. This appears to arise from a lower recidivism rate and a higher tendency for employment once custodial parents have left welfare.

Since child support payments are assigned to the state while the custodial parent is on welfare, it is only after welfare exit that regular child support payments become an income stream for custodial families. It is reasonable, therefore, to expect that a reliable income source, even if it were small, would help custodial parents stay off welfare and find and maintain employment.

The study findings suggest that regular child support payments have additional returns when combined with public services that help custodial parents leave welfare. Under AFDC, with entry into the JOBS program, and under TANF, with early participation in WorkFirst, there was an extra cost savings of about 20 percent compared to the sum of cost savings attributable to the separate programs.

For more information about this study contact Carl Formoso at (360) 664-5090.

Carl Formoso is Research and Development Manager in Washington State's Division of Child Support.

Computer Matching of Data Between Education and the National Directory of New Hires

Dear Colleague letter, DC-00-112, dated November 1, 2000 informed all state child support directors of a data match between information furnished by the Department of Education (DoEd) and information in the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH).

The Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 2000 signed on November 29, 1999 amended subsection 453(j) of the Social Security Act to require the match. DoEd and OCSE are to conduct the data match for the purpose of obtaining information in the NDNH with respect to individuals who are in default on student loans or owe obligations to refund overpayment of grants awarded by DoEd.

OCSE will match information provided by DoEd with new hire, quarterly wage, and unemployment insurance information on individuals for whom a Social Security number has been verified. A similar match will occur every quarter thereafter. OCSE has worked closely with DoEd to preserve the confidentiality of the NDNH data.

DoEd will use income withholding to collect the defaulted loans and grant overpayments. The enabling legislation specifies "support collections under section 466 (b) shall be given priority over collection of any defaulted student loan or grant overpayment against the same income." OCSE will continue to work with states to ensure that the use of NDNH data matches for purposes other than collection of child support does not impede the effective operation of the NDNH for child support purposes.

If you have questions or would like further information, contact Richard Shullaw at (202) 401-4843.

Military Pay Issues

Members of the armed forces will receive a 3.7 percent pay raise on January 1, 2001, starting with their January 15, 2001 paycheck. The new pay chart can be found at http://www.dfas.mil/money/milpay/pay. Amounts paid to service members for allowances may also be accessed through this web site.

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) disperses wage withholding payments on the first of the month after the month from which the money was garnished. Military paydays are on the 1st and 15th of the month.

When the first of the month payday falls on a weekend or holiday, the payments are mailed the last business day prior to the weekend/holiday. This occasionally results in two checks being received in one month and no checks being received in other months.

The chart to the right shows that during calendar year 2001, enforcement agencies will receive two checks during the months of March, June, August, and November. Consequently, no checks are mailed in January, April, July, and September. Child support agencies need to be alert to this situation and appropriately credit the military member's account.

Pay Schedule 2001

If you have any questions about military issues, call OCSE's military liaison, Marilyn Michaels, at (808) 692-7139 (please note Hawaiian time difference).

Child Support Course for Employers on Small Business Web

The October Child Support Report introduced an online course for employers developed by OCSE in collaboration with the Small Business Administration.

That course can be accessed at http://www.sba.gov/classroom/courses.html.

If you attempted to view the course and were unsuccessful, the reason may be that your computer does not have a multimedia player installed.

Here's what you need to do. To install a free player, visit the website http://www.macromedia.com and perform the following tasks:

• Click tab marked "Downloads;"
• Click button for "Macromedia Shockwave and Flash Players;" and
• Follow the three steps for downloading and installing.

Return to the SBA Classroom and reload the course.

You should now be able to enjoy the course with full sound and animation.