DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER

DCL-04-22

ATTACHMENT:  Case Closure Cover Letter
Case Closure Guide

DATE: June 4, 2004

TO: ALL STATE IV-D DIRECTORS

RE:  Release of Automated Systems For Child Support Enforcement: A Guide For Automating Case Closure

Dear Colleague:

I am pleased to release the Automated Systems For Child Support Enforcement: A Guide For Automating Case Closure. The Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) has prepared this Guide to support your efforts to increase the efficiency and accuracy of case closure in your Child Support Enforcement (CSE) systems.  

Case closure automation can help you reduce case closure errors, ensure actions are taken in a timely manner and uniformly across cases, reduce or eliminate backlogs so states can concentrate on cases requiring worker determination, and reduce data management demands by eliminating duplicate and outdated cases.

In the Guide, you will find these practical tools for case closure automation in compliance with Federal case closure criteria at 45 CFR 303.11.  

              • Requirements Matrix mapped to 45 CFR 303.11 and annotated for potential automation opportunities
              • Process flowcharts showing one possible implementation of 45 CFR 303.11 requirements
              • A generic template for Case Closure Intent Notices
              • A case closure automation case study from the State of Virginia
              • A Case Closure Automation Discussion Guide

If you have any questions or comments about the Guide, please contact Ms. Robin Rushton, Director, Division of State and Tribal Systems, Office of Automation and Program Operations, OCSE at (202) 690-1244 or email: rrushton@acf.hhs.gov.

Sincerely,

Sherri Z. Heller, Ed.D.
Commissioner
Office of Child Support Enforcement

cc: Federal Regional Administrators
     Federal Regional CSE Program Managers