Dear Colleague Letter
DCL-97-81
Date: November 18, 1997
TO: ALL STATE IV-D DIRECTORS
RE: Summary Report on FY 1997 Technical Assistance
Activities/Plans
Dear Colleague:
The attached summary provides a FY 1997 year-end update on key
technical assistance (TA) activities which were developed in
response to the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) national
assessment of States' TA needs.
This summary is in follow-up of our April 15, 1997, Dear
Colleague letter (DCL-97-19) and our June 26, 1997, Dear Colleague
letter (DCL-97-35) which enclosed summaries of our FY 1997 TA plans
and activities based on States' feedback from the national TA needs
assessment survey.
The attached year-end summary identifies activities underway and
those being planned for the short term in which OCSE Central Office
components are involved. This list is not to be considered
exhaustive for OCSE. It provides only highlights of key national
technical assistance efforts for the areas identified in the April
15th summary and does not include various technical assistance
initiatives being provided by our Regional Offices.
As in the previous summary of State technical assistance needs,
these activities and action plans are grouped into five broad
areas: distribution and centralized collections; enforcement;
interstate; paternity establishment and systems and management.
We hope the attached updated summary will be useful as we
continue our efforts to address your TA needs in the upcoming year.
Our Regional Offices are in the process of meeting with State
representatives to identify your TA needs for FY 1998, and we
expect to provide a national summary of those needs early in the
year.
We very much look forward to continue working with you in
partnership. If you have any questions regarding this summary of
technical assistance activities and action plans, please contact
your Regional Office or Susan Greenblatt, Technical Assistance
Branch, 202-401-4849.
Sincerely,
David Gray Ross
Deputy Director
Office of Child Support Enforcement
Enclosures
cc: ACF HUB Directors and Regional Administrators
CSE Regional Program Managers
SUMMARY OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES AND ACTION
PLANS
The following summary updates key technical assistance (TA)
activities in which the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE)
was involved for FY 1997. These TA activities were developed in
response to OCSE's national assessment of States' TA needs.
This year-end summary follows our April 15, 1997 Dear Colleague
Letter, DCL-97-19, which enclosed a "Summary of Technical
Assistance Plans" based on State identified TA needs for FY 1997
and our June 26, 1997 Dear Colleague Letter, DCL-97-35, which
enclosed a "Summary of TA Activities and Action Plans" to address
State needs.
The TA activities and key action plans for the short term are
grouped into the same broad subject areas: distribution and
centralized collections; enforcement; interstate; paternity
establishment, and systems and management.
This summary of technical assistance activities and key action
items is not to be considered exhaustive for OCSE. It provides only
highlights of key national OCSE technical assistance efforts for
the areas identified in the April 15th summary and doesn't include
various technical assistance initiatives being provided by our
Regional Offices.
TA Need: Best Practices and Products from Other
States
A major priority need expressed across all these subject areas
is for OCSE to identify and disseminate best practices and to
establish a central clearinghouse/electronic resource center,
utilizing the Internet, that would enable States to access and
utilize relevant information easily and timely.
Response: Electronic Resource Center and Best
Practices
On September 30, 1997, OCSE awarded a contract to
Intermetrics/Arist to design and implement a central electronic
resource center to enable States to access model forms and
legislation, best practices, publications, training curricula,
etc., to expedite the exchange and networking of Federal and State
information. This electronic resource center will include State
informational resources; incorporate materials available through
the National Reference Center, and will build on OCSE current
networks such as the Web site.
OCSE is also developing an Intranet site to provide timely
information directed to State child support agencies. The Intranet
site will provide an integrated approach for interactive business
processes with child support enforcement partners to include
on-line updating of program information and electronic rule-making.
OCSE is also currently developing the capability toproduce CD-ROMs
and other electronic tools to disseminate information after
piloting with selected States and plans to make current and future
OCSE publications available on the Web site.
OCSE developed and disseminated in the spring a directory of
experts. In addition, OCSE disseminated in FY97 a Compendium of
State Best Practices. The next update is scheduled for
dissemination in the fall of 1997, based on input gathered
throughout FY 1997.
OCSE over the past several months has been developing a vehicle
to produce a series of monographs dedicated to helping frontline
workers understand various subject areas in child support. Some of
the monographs will be available (electronically and hard-copy) in
FY 1998.
OCSE is finalizing implementation guides begun in FY 1997 to
provide guidance to States on major welfare reform provisions.
Distribution:
TA Needs: Assistance requested includes policy guidance
in the form of policy interpretation, case scenarios, diagrams and
flow charts, and systems guidance in the form of systems standards,
cost-benefit analysis and system development analysis.
TA Activities/Plans:
- Policy Clarification: On October 21, 1997, OCSE issued an
Action Transmittal (OCSE-AT-97-17) which included policy
clarification, Q&A's and case scenarios.
- Assistance was provided to Arizona, the first State to submit a
Technical Assistance Request. The assistance included staff
training, addressing distribution related systems enhancement and
development needs. The Arizona experience will be transferred
through conferences and dissemination of a "train the trainer"
manual in early 1998 to reach a larger audience.
- Systems Support: ACF contracted with BDM International on May
28, 1997, to assist ACF in revising the OCSE Financial Distribution
Test Deck to reflect Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) child support distribution scenarios
over a quarter. Several States who volunteered to assist ACF in
this endeavor are currently testing the Revised Financial test deck
program. The contractor will also create a general systems design,
and a detailed systems design for State child support financial
management subsystems. The contract is for six months. ACF is
requesting a no cost extension in order toprovide more technical
assistance in using the revised Financial Distribution test
deck.
- Best Practices and Resource Materials: OCSE will identify best
practices and collect resource materials (see Electronic Resource
Center section above). Information to be distributed includes
systems development strategies and technologies, staff training
materials, instructional guides to employers, informational
materials to court clerks and legislators, and general program
information to clients.
Centralized Collections and Disbursement:
TA Needs: Assistance requested includes guidance on
systems specifications, assessment of systems enhancement needs,
utilization of automated procedures (e.g., EFT/EDI), and
cost-benefit analysis.
TA Activities/Plans:
- Policy Clarification: OCSE has established a workgroup which
developed policy on the exemption process. An AT (AT-97-07) was
issued May 15, 1997. In addition, we issued an AT-97-13 dated
September 15, 1997 which addresses statutory requirements and
provides answers to questions received to date.
- A national conference is being planned for December 3-5, 1997,
in Atlanta, Georgia, to bring together States having centralized
collections experience with those States in the planning and
development stages.
- Best Practices and Resource Materials: OCSE will identify best
practices, collect resource materials and develop a matrix giving a
profile of States' development efforts and status. This information
will be shared with the child support community (see Electronic
Resource Center Section above). Materials to be distributed include
instructional guides to employers, informational materials to court
clerks, and general program information to clients.
New Hire Directory and Case Registry:
TA Needs: Assistance requested includes systems
requirements, implementation strategies, instructional guides,
staff training, standardized forms and formats, utilization of
technologies such as image scanning and electronic transfer,
strategies for gaining assistance of local courts, and strategies
for integration of local court systems. A comprehensive plan for
delivering technical assistance would reach all stakeholders
including Federal agencies, State child support agencies, State
EmploymentSecurity Agencies, courts, employers, and payroll
associations through regional and national conferences, forums,
workgroup meetings and publications.
TA Activities/Plans:
- System Support: OCSE will provide guidance on system
specifications and telecommunications protocols. On-site assistance
will be provided to targeted States to determine their system
modification needs and to assist with implementation.
- Public Education: OCSE has produced the following materials to
inform and obtain cooperation from stakeholders -- a video and
brochure entitled "New Hire Reporting" on August 20, 1997; a
pamphlet entitled "Increasing Financial Support for Our Nation's
Children" on December 1, 1996; and a pamphlet entitled "New Hire
Reporting: Answers to Your Questions" on May 31, 1997. The OCSE Web
site was expanded to include a section on Federal Parent Locate
Service information and New Hire Reporting.
- Federal Parent Locate Service (FPLS) Information Line: OCSE
implemented an information line on October 1, 1997, to provide FPLS
stakeholders with a common point of contact from whom they may
request information or assistance. The Information Line will
immediately respond to inquiries, assist with problem diagnosis,
and distribute information to the FPLS stakeholder community.
- Operational/Policy Guidance: OCSE issued Q and A's on New Hires
(AT-97-04, dated March 12, 1997). A proposed rule governing
procedures for States to report quarterly wage and claim
information to the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) and on
reporting case information to the Federal Case Registry was issued
in AT-97-18. OCSE issued "Employer New Hire Reporting, A Guide to
Implementation" published on April 24, 1997, updated June 1997 and
an NDNH Guide to Data Submission published August 27, 1997.
- Targeted Training and Stakeholder Support: OCSE will conduct
multiple training workshops at State, regional, and national child
support conferences and will present information at conferences
hosted by employer groups and other stakeholders. For example, OCSE
is providing TA to Federal agencies and State Employment Security
Agencies to ensure the successful transmission of new hire and
quarterly data. In addition, OCSE has conducted a training
conference on employer outreach in June and ADP training in
September and presented at various National Child Support
Enforcement Association conferences and American Payroll
Association meetings.
- Support activities to CSE agencies have been initiated with an
assessment of each State's technical assistance requirements.
Examples of technical assistance to be provided include legislative
support, system development expertise and the design of State
specific informational material. A State report element matrix was
published in the brochure entitled "New Hire Reporting" on August
20, 1997.
- A comprehensive plan is being developed to provide technical
assistance to the Courts to assist them in submitting data to the
State Case Registry.
Enforcement:
TA Needs: Priority areas are assistance with:
establishing and imposing interstate liens, establishing expedited
procedures and administrative subpoena authority, gaining access to
records from State and local governments and private entities, and
instituting financial institution matches.
Other enforcement areas identified include: initiating the
changes required in the income withholding process, collecting
child support from Federal employees, revoking and suspending
licenses, developing work programs for delinquent non-custodial
parents, and interfacing with credit bureaus.
TA Activities/Plans:
Interstate:
TA Needs: These are improving the timeliness and quality
of FPLS information, training on new UIFSA forms, and finalizing
and training on the forms for interstate liens, subpoenas and
withholding, accessing law enforcement networks, training on
CSENet, standardizing (if possible) and training on mediation and
enforcement remedies, developing information on locate resources
and techniques, and establishing standards and accountability for
interstate services.
In addition to interstate issues, a number of States identified
concerns regarding Native American cases including best practices
on Tribal wage withholding, categorization of Native American cases
so States are not held as accountable for collection, model
State/Tribal cooperative agreements and identification of Federal,
State and Tribal resources to improve services to Native
Americans.
TA Activities/Plans:
- Training on Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA), both
general and advanced is being planned for State and regional
conferences, and by other national child support organizations such
as NCSEA. Training for Judicial Officers is ongoing under contract.
An update to the Attorney/Judicial workbook is planned.
- A "Locate Handbook" is being developed for distribution and
should be available this fall. It will be a detailed compilation of
procedures, resources, ideas and phone numbers. It will include the
latest on Expanded FPLS, skip tracing, new ideas and what is
available from the Law Enforcement/Motor Vehicle networks.
- UIFSA Forms were issued via OCSE-AT-97-06, dated May 1, 1997.
Also, mandated forms for interstate subpoenas, liens and income
withholding were issued in OCSE-AT-97-03, dated March 6, 1997. A
best practices compendium is being developed in cooperation with
the UIFSA Workgroup which will be used to identify model programs.
The workgroup will also be asked to come up with a consensus
approach on accountability of responding States.
- The "One-State Interstate" Retreat members met in Providence,
RI, April 1997. The results of that retreat will be used to develop
uniform approaches on interstate administrative enforcement, liens,
subpoenas, discovery and service of process procedures. The members
will reconvene to make recommendations on case closure
criteria.
- UIFSA/Interstate meeting was held on October 28-30, in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. This OCSE meeting will have breakout
sessions on various aspects of interstate enforcement including
liens, forms and UIFSA.
- OCSE is determining the feasibility of creating (or using an
existing) database to update the Interstate Referral Guide to
include such information as a responding State's criteria to
enforce a case, who the contact is, etc. This information would be
kept current by the State. It will also be a platform to exchange
information and provide for the resolution of problems.
- The Native American Workgroup will be exploring issues related
to State/Tribal cooperation as well as identification/dissemination
of best practices. OCSE is developing a handbook entitled "Handbook
for Child Support Enforcement: New Protections for Native American
Children" which will include the basic child support requirements,
new welfare reform requirements and provisions for Tribes and
Native American organizations and describe the OCSE Native American
Program. The handbook will be used by Tribes and Native American
organizations and will also assist child support staff at Federal,
State and local levels to work with Tribes and Native American
organizations.
- The Child Support Enforcement Network (CSENet) has translated
the UIFSA forms into CSENet transactions to permit States to
electronically transmit UIFSA information to other States. The
functional requirements for CSENet UIFSA requirements were
finalized and were mailed to all States. Acceptance testing will
begin in mid-July with rollout to States in October 1997. A revised
version of the CSENet Interface Guidance Document is also being
reviewed by the CSENet technical workgroup and revised User's,
Operations and Program Maintenance Manuals are being developed as
well. CSENet user training is being developed and workshops planned
to introduce the new CSENet software planned for the fall. A CSENet
workgroup was held in Topeka, Kansas on November 6-7, 1997.
- The CSENet technical workgroup will work on issues related to
expanding query transactions, edit and error standardization, and
hardware/software upgrade needs.
Those recommended Valid Transactions edits have been distributed
for comment to all CSENet users.
- The Child Support Enforcement Network (CSENet) users are also
working with the Federal Case Registry and Quick Enforcement
workgroups to determine the feasibility of designing CSENet
transactions that don't transfer
- jurisdiction but request and provide information regarding
child support cases between States.
- OCSE has contracted for development of a UIFSA Forms macro in
Word Perfect to assist States in generating the UIFSA forms from
data residing in mainframe systems.
Paternity Establishment:
TA Needs: These are improving national outreach efforts
to the public, parents, child support, hospital and vital
statistics staff; facilitating interagency collaboration among
vital records, hospitals and child support agencies; improving
interface between judicial/legal community and child support to
expedite paternity establishment, introducing genetic test results;
and improving collaboration among child support, welfare, foster
care, medicaid and food stamp programs staff.
TA Activities/Plans:
- Interagency agreements. Early in 1998, the Technical Assistance
Branch (TAB) will issue a paper describing model interagency
agreements that State IV-D agencies have established with vital
records agencies and hospitals. It will also describe some
innovative practices and clarify the kinds of activities, tasks,
and staffing arrangements that qualify for FFP. This is a project
of the Paternity Establishment Workgroup (PEW).
- On April 10, 1997, OCSE issued IM-97-03, designating national
organizations that accredit laboratories doing genetic testing for
paternity.
- With input from PEW members, OCSE drafted an NPRM on new
statutory requirements governing voluntary paternity establishment
services and identifying the types of entities other than hospitals
and birth record agencies that States may allow to offer voluntary
paternity establishment services. The NPRM is in the Executive
Branch clearance process.
- With input from PEW members, OCSE drafted a notice (which is in
the Executive Branch clearance process) responding to the statutory
requirement that the Secretary specify the minimum requirements of
an affidavit to be used for the voluntary acknowledgement of
paternity.
- In October, OCSE's Division of State and Local Assistance
(DSLA) has begun a process to get a vehicle for
developing/producing two videos: (1) an outreach video for parents
and the general public on the benefits of voluntarypaternity
acknowledgment and (2) a technical video for use in training
hospital and other health personnel on their role in offering
voluntary paternity establishment to new parents. Expected
completion by early 1998.
- Information gathered from the Midwest Forum on Paternity
Establishment held April 23-25 in Chicago, the Region IV Forum in
June, in Atlanta and the August Region III Forum in Baltimore is
being used to identify paternity issues that need TA responses from
OCSE regional and central offices. Information is also being used
in TA best practice dissemination to States. Issuances will be
on-going.
- As a project of the PEW, DSLA is working on a matrix of
essential characteristics of State paternity programs and
compliance provisions under OBRA '93 and PRWORA. State profiles
will be produced and issued early in 1998.
- As a joint project of the PEW and the Interstate Workgroup,
staff are developing issues and proposing solutions for improved
case processing in interstate paternity establishment. Findings
will be incorporated into the UIFSA referral companion.
- Model laws and procedures, and model operational practices for
enhancing parental cooperation in paternity establishment are being
collected by the PEW with dissemination projected for Spring
1998.
- DSLA will work with the Paternity Establishment Workgroup,
regional offices, and national child support organizations, to plan
a national technical conference on paternity establishment
tentatively scheduled for Spring 1998.
Systems and Management:
TA Needs: These include automation, reporting procedures,
quality assurance/audit, including criteria for State
self-assessment, expedited procedures, review and adjustment,
management information tools and customer service strategies.
TA Activities/Plans:
- One of the major technical assistance needs requested by
- States in the management and systems area (as well as expedited
procedures; review and adjustment and customer satisfaction) was
for OCSE to identify models and best practices and to facilitate
the exchange of information (see Electronic Resource Center above).
In addition, OCSE plans to help States provide more information,
forms, and training electronically.
- In the management area, a workgroup of Federal and State
representatives has been created to develop a mechanism and
methodology for States to use in fulfilling the PRWORA requirement
for annual self-assessment and reporting to the Secretary. The
workgroup has identified potential areas for analysis and reporting
to determine 1) compliance with Federal regulatory requirements, 2)
the relationship of compliance with performance and the goals of
the strategic plan and 3) efforts in the arena of customer service.
The workgroup has identified the criteria to address in the report
and is exploring reporting methodologies.
- The workgroup is also meeting with other States to explain the
proposed approach for self-assessment and get their comments.
Various technical assistance methods will be used to help States
build the needed internal skills and capacities to design/review
their State assessment process.
- OCSE awarded a contract to BDM, International, on September 30,
1997 to review the current organization and procedures used by
several States to currently evaluate the effectiveness of their own
IV-D programs. The objective of the review and subsequent
evaluation of these State operations and procedures will be to
develop several models that could be offered or transferred to
States that have not yet developed a self-assessment
capability.
- OCSE plans to provide technical assistance to help States
improve their case processing/case management efficiency.
- To improve reporting and data integrity, the Definitions
Workgroup met in June to begin to develop new reporting forms and
standardized data definitions for use in all reporting under the
IV-D program. The Workgroup is finalizing a revised reporting form
which will be submitted for Executive Branch clearance shortly. The
Workgroup has also recommended creation of a short term Financial
Reporting Workgroup to provide an opportunity for State input into
the redesign of financial reporting forms. This group is being
formed and the first meeting will be held within the next couple of
months.
- In the systems area, a top priority for FY 1997 has been to
assist States in getting systems certification. ACF systems staff
is also helping States regarding systems issues related to welfare
reform provisions; e.g. distribution and case registry. For more
details on systems related efforts, please see the specific topic
areas in this summary.
- Technical workshops on a variety of OCSE systems issues were
conducted at an ACF User's Group in Topeka, Kansas, November 2-5,
1997.
|
Print
Giving Hope and Support to America's Children