dcl9029.htm

Interstate Referral Guide

December 3, 1990 DC-9029

TO STATE IV-D DIRECTORS

Dear Colleague:

This letter is a follow-up to our letter of August 10, 1990 regarding the Office of Child Support Enforcement Interstate Referral Guide (referred to as IRG). As you know, the IRG, a directory of Federal, State, and local addresses for use in processing interstate child support cases, offers a ready reference of current addresses and telephone information for States and local child support offices.

The first and second phases of automating these addresses, which included Federal, International, State Offices, local responding agencies, and collection agencies addressed, have been completed. Presently, all States--except Alaska, and Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands--are participating in this project. Since there was such a large number of collection addresses added to the system plus the addition of the international addresses, a revised master file, which includes the new addresses, as well as the addresses entered earlier, is being sent to each State.

Also enclosed are diskettes containing each State's profile, entitled "State At A Glance," for States to use in conjunction with the automated addresses; a copy of Alabama's profile is enclosed as an example. This profile information was collected and compiled through a joint effort between OCSE and the National Child Support Enforcement Association (NCSEA). NCSEA will publish the "National Roster and Interstate Referral Guide" which will include the "State At A Glance" profile information as well as the addresses in the IRG. This publication, which is expected to be published very soon, will be available for a fee to agencies and organizations.

During these initial months of the project, OCSE has assisted some States in entering their addresses in the system in order to expedite the data entry process. However, it is the responsibility of each States to maintain accurate information for its own addresses. It is also very important for States to

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download the updated information on a monthly basis so that they will have current data on all States on a regular basis. OCSE will continue to provide technical assistance in this effort.

Following is a reminder of how the monthly update processes will work:

-States will log on to the National Computer Center (NCC) and update master file; updates may be made at anytime. This information will be kept in a batch file until processed by OCSE. Each State is responsible for updating its own addresses.

-OCSE will process this batch file with States' updated address information and update the master file of addresses at NCC on the fourth Wednesday of each month.

-After OCSE has updated the master file at NCC, all States' updated addresses will be available for States to download to their PCs. In order for States to ensure that they get updated information on a regular basis, they must access the system each month. (Note: NCC will suspend your password if it is not used within 120 days.)

At this point in the process, States should browse the "Query Rejects" menu item for any of their updated address information that may have been rejected. Rejected information should be corrected as needed and re-entered into the system.

Changes made in the IRG by States after the fourth Wednesday of the month will not be available to States until after the next month's updates have been processed by OCSE.

-After the updates have been downloaded, States choose how the IRG will be made available to line workers (e.g., on-line, laser printed copies).

Attached for your information is a listing identifying the IRG contact person for your State and what form the revised master file was provided.

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If you have any questions or need additional information, you may contact the following persons:

Wanda Campbell

Telephone: (202) 401-5752

Hope Butler

Telephone: (202) 401-9271

Mailing Address

OCSE/Program Operations Division

Program Support Branch

370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20447

Your cooperation in this project is very much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Allie Page Matthews

Deputy Director

Enclosures

cc: OCSE Regional Representatives

States IRG Contact Person