About the National Interstate Case Reconciliation

In September 2002, the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) conducted a study to gauge state interest in an Interstate Case Reconciliation (ICR) project to be performed at the national level. Based on the interest level among the states, in May 2003 OCSE decided to proceed with the project.

Participating states will write and transmit to OCSE an extract file of all cases, both open and closed, that they consider interstate. The extract consists of the following data elements: Case Number, Initiating/Responding Indicator, FIPS Code, FIPS Code positions 6-7, SSN, Member ID, Participant Type, Case Status, Last Name, First Name, Middle Name, Date of Birth, Sex, Other State Case Number, Other State Initiating/Responding Indicator, Other State FIPS Code, Other State Member ID, Other State Participant Type, and contact information. The participating states will be asked to populate as many of these elements as they can for interstate cases and associated case participants.

OCSE will match the extracts received from all participating states against each other. OCSE will also match extracts received from all participating states against case data currently residing in the Federal Case Registry for non-participating states. The potential matched cases will be returned to the states (identified by source and by error reason codes) for state reconciliation.

ICR Project Schedule

• Step 1: OCSE provides information to the states via national kick-off conference calls. States begin signing on to participate in ICR. (July 2003)
• Step 2: Participating states develop interstate case extract and automated update programs. OCSE develops matching and print programs. OCSE provides training and technical assistance to states, as requested. (July 2003 - January 2004)
• Step 3: States submit interstate case extracts to OCSE. (January 2004)
• Step 4: OCSE provides response datasets to states. (February 2004)
• Step 5: States process reconciliation results, and update their system data as appropriate. OCSE provides technical assistance to states, as requested, and invites states to participate in an ICR assessment. (Post-February 2004)