Child Support and Regional Demonstrations Updated

Giving Hope and Support to America's Children
Support and Regional Demonstrations Updated May 1996


ADMINISTRATION FOR
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES


OFFICE OF CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)
of 1993 Pilot Projects

Child Support State and Regional Demonstrations - Updated May 1996

   The nation's Child Support Enforcement program is a Federal/State/local
effort to ensure that children are supported by their parents and to foster
family responsibility.  The program helps States locate non-custodial parents,
establish paternity, and enforce legal orders for support.

   Recognizing the need for dramatic change in this program, ACF's Office of
Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) has launched a reinvention initiative to
promote improved performance, service quality, and public satisfaction.  As a
two-year pilot project under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993
(GPRA), OCSE is working closely with its State and local partners to help them
accomplish their program improvement objectives.

   In an effort to build durable reforms in the Child Support Enforcement
program, the leading principles of GPRA -- strategic planning and performance
measurement -- are being put into play.  Supporting this effort are nearly 40
State and local GPRA demonstration projects.

   Briefly described below, many of the demonstrations are statewide in scope.
Some operate in a single county, while others are being conducted as regional
demonstrations.  Several demonstrations focus on improving performance in all
child support functions, while others take aim at enhancing specific functions,
such as paternity establishment, asset identification, or medical support.

Arizona--Automation to Improve Locate Function
Arizona is improving its ability to locate absent parents by implementing a
computerized process to obtain and\or verify social security numbers of
noncustodial parents. Contact: Nancy Mendoza, 602-274-7646

Arkansas--Employment for Noncustodial Parents
Arkansas is using employment counseling as an alternative to incarceration for
young, unemployed noncustodial parents unable to pay child support because of
their inability to get or maintain a job. Contact: Ed Baskin, 501-682-6169.

California--"Enterprise Fund"
California is making seed money available to local child support operations to
assist them in increasing child support collections quickly enough to allow the
County to pay the State back in a single budget cycle.  Local operations can
invest the State fund money in any innovative project meeting established
criteria providing the project improves collections.

Sacramento County--Medical Insurance Availability
Sacramento County has formed a partnership with two private sector medical
insurance companies to make medical insurance available for children whose
parents, obligated to pay for medical insurance, do not have access to it
through their employment.  For both projects, Contact: Leslie Frye,
916-654-1556.

Colorado--Measuring Overall Program Performance
Colorado intends to improve and measure all aspects of program performance with
particular emphasis on testing performance indicators in the National Strategic
Plan. Contact: Pauline Burton, 303-866-5994.

Connecticut--Performance Goals/Interstate Collections
As a member of the New England CSE Regional Compact, Connecticut is setting
state performance goals and developing program improvement strategies particu-
larly for interstate collections in the region. Contact: Anthony DiNallo,
203-424-5251.

Delaware--Integrated AFDC Unit
Delaware is establishing a separate, integrated unit collocated with AFDC, util-
izing staff versed in all aspects and functions necessary to establish child
support orders in AFDC cases. Contact: Barbara A. Paulin, 302-577-4863.

District of Columbia--Paternity Establishment
The District of Columbia is conducting a comprehensive informational and
outreach campaign to the genral public, targeted publics and health profes-
sionals, to increase and expedite voluntary paternity establishment.
Contact: Kenneth Hill, 202-724-5610.
Illinois--Employment Counseling/"One-Stop Shopping"
Illinois is establishing a unit in Chicago to address employment needs of
noncustodial parents and to streamline processes, including interviewing and
cooperative agreements. Contact: Steve Lackey, 312-793-7984.

Iowa--Review and Adjustment
As part of a regional demonstration, Iowa is monitoring and evaluating the cost
effectiveness of using a centralized operation to review and adjust the amounts
of child support orders. AFDC recipients and PROMISE JOBS participants will
train and staff. Contact: Jim Hennessey, 515-281-5580.

Kansas--Medical Support
Part of a regional demonstration, Kansas seeks to improve delivery of medical
support services through a variety of efforts such as outreach, training CSE
staff in the legal and business principles of health insurance, and establish-
ing better working partnerships between public and private industry.
Contact: James Robertson, 913-296-3237.

Maine--Performance Goals\Interstate Collections
As a member of the New England CSE Regional Compact, Maine is setting state
performance goals and developing program improvement strategies particularly
for interstate collections in the region. Contact:
Colburn Jackson, 207-287-2886.

Massachusetts--Redesign of CSE Business Practices
Massachusetts proposes a business process reengineering project in which
aspects of child support functions and customer service will be evaluated for
efficiency. The State is also a member of the New England CSE Regional Compact.
Contact: Jerry J. Fay,617-577-7200 x30481.

Michigan--Reconfiguring Cooperative Agreements/Program Contracts
Michigan is testing a new contracting process with prosecuting attorneys and
Friends of the Court which will base reimbursement on results rather than on
activities performed. Contact: Wallace Dutkowski, 517-373-7570.

Minnesota (Hennepin County)--Measuring Program Performance
Minnesota is measuring the  performance of a staff financial incentive system
for paternities established, medical support identified and medical support
enforced.  Contact: Barry Bloomgren, 612-348-3939.

Missouri--Paternity Establishment Outreach
As part of a regional demonstration, Missouri is working on a community-based
approach to increase paternity establishment by enlisting the assistance of
other government agencies, schools, churches and community organizations.
Contact: Teresa Kaiser, 314-751-4301.

Nebraska--Reinventing a Rural, Multi-County Office
Part of a regional demonstration, Nebraska is restructuring a rural, multi-
county child support office with a small staff through a series of measurable
changes and improvements. Contact: Ed Schulenberg, 402-471-9390.

Nevada--Employment and Training for NCPs
Looking to increase child support collections and promote regular payment of
support, Nevada is developing and implementing an employment and training
program for noncustodial parents. The program will be initiated in Clark County
(Las Vegas). Contact: Leland Sullivan, 702-687-4744.

New Hampshire--Performance Goals\Interstate Collections
As a member of the New England CSE Regional Compact, New Hampshire is setting
state performance goals and developing program improvement strategies
particularly for interstate collections in the region. Contact: William H.
Mattil, 603-271-4578.


New Jersey--Child Support Recovery Act and Paternity
Part of a regional demonstration, New Jersey is sharing procedures and case
criteria for submitting criminal support cases to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
It is also developing a system for electronic processing of paternity
acknowledgments.  Contact: Karen Highsmith, 609-588-2401.

New York--Full Collection, Asset Identification
Part of a regional demonstration, New York is measuring the impact of
revisions to the current IRS full collection process, should such revisions be
made, and to improve collections of arrears by access to better financial and
other asset information. Contact: Robert Doar,  518-474-9081.

North Carolina--Designing Performance Standards
North Carolina is designing new performance standards to conform to its state-
wide automated system and to measure the effects of automation on productivity
and service delivery. Contact: Michael Adams, 919-571-4120.

Ohio--Measuring Overall Program Performance
Ohio is analyzing key program performance measures, phasing in a quality
control assessment project to evaluate recent program improvements, and
reviewing incentive structures. Contact: Loretta Adams, 614-752-6561.

Oklahoma--Piloting Withholding Form\SSN Identification
Oklahoma is pilot testing a draft standardized wage withholding form and a new
system for identifying Social Security Numbers.  Contact: Paula Davidson
Wood, 405-522-5871.

Pennsylvania--Intensive Enforcement of Difficult Cases Allegheny
County (Pittsburgh) is initiating a program for monitoring and enforcing
cases where the noncustodial parent is a self-employed or independent wage
earner.  Contact: Max Baer, 412-355-3529.

Philadelphia's project is enhanced customer service employing outreach,
alternative office hours, an interactive kiosk and other means to improve
collections and services. Contact: Joseph DiPrimio, 215-686-9385.

Puerto Rico--Asset Seizure and Paternity Establishment
Puerto Rico is joining with other Region II states in using 1099 data for asset
seizure, developing model case criteria for criminal prosecutions, and
conducting an outreach campaign to reinforce parental responsibility. Contact:
Miguel Verdiales, 787-767-1852.

Rhode Island--Performance Goals\Interstate Collections
As a member of the New England CSE Regional Compact, Rhode Island is setting
state performance goals and developing program improvement strategies particu-
larly for interstate collections in the region. Contact: Jack Murphy,
401-277-2847.

South Carolina--Teen Pregnancy Prevention/Responsibility In connection with new
welfare reform measures, South Carolina is conducting a school teenage
pregnancy prevention program and media campaign that will focus on parental
responsibilities for children's financial support. Contact: Larry J. McKeown,
803-737-5870.

Tennessee--Business Practices Restructuring
Tennessee is taking the principles amnd practices of its experience with
privatizing in the CSE program and applying them to public CSE offices in three
districts. Contact: Joyce D. McClaran, 615-313-4880.

Texas--Quality of AFDC/Child Support Information
Texas will place child support staff in AFDC offices in 13 pilot sites to
ensure that sufficient information about noncustodial parents is gathered from
custodial parents when they apply or are recertified for AFDC benefits.
Contact: Charles Childress, 512-477-0015.

Vermont--Analyzing "Non-traditional" Data
Vermont is analyzing statistical and financial data from various federal,
state and other sources to project "ideal" child support amounts vs what states
actually collect. The State is also a member of the New England CSE Regional
Compact. Contact: Jeffrey Cohen, 802-241-2319.

Virginia--Welfare/Child Support Interface
Virginia is developing performance indicators which measure and improve both
program effectiveness and public accountability for the interface between
welfare and child support agencies in rural, suburban, and urban areas.
Contact: Michael R. Henry, 804-692-1501.

Washington--Pro Se Services and Collocation
Seattle is testing a computerized pro se process to help clients obtain and
modify their own support awards, as well as parental and visitation rights.

Everett County is piloting improved coordination with the AFDC office by
collocation of staff. It is also increasing  training and employment oppor-
tunities for obligors, and improving coordination with community service
agencies.  For both projects, Contact: Meg Sollenberger, 360-586-3520.

Wyoming--Program Office Restructuring
Wyoming is improving program efficiency and collections through a series of
management, reorganization, and automation changes. Contact: James R.
Mohler, 307-777-7193.





Note: For GPRA demonstrations in:
Region I (Boston) Contact: Stan Gardner, 617-565-2455
Region II (New York) Contact: Joanne Krudys,
  212-264-0251
Region VII (Kansas City) Contact: Nancy L. Long,
  816-426-3584  x153

May 1996
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