HHS NEWS

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Oct. 10, 1997
Contact: Michael Kharfen
(202) 401-9215

HHS AWARDS GRANTS TO TEST INNOVATIONS TO CHILD SUPPORT

HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala announced today the award of $1.5 million in demonstration grants to states for funding of innovative projects to improve the nation's child support enforcement program.

Twenty-five grants were awarded to 17 states. These are, in most cases, initial grants of multi-year projects.

"Under the new welfare law, states and the federal government now have the toughest measures ever enacted to ensure that parents support their children," said Secretary Shalala. "Even with record advances in the child support enforcement program, including a 50 percent increase in child support collections and a doubling of paternity establishments since 1992, we need to do more.

"The Clinton administration is committed to giving states the opportunity and necessary flexibility to test innovative approaches to help America's children," added Secretary Shalala.

After an extensive consultation effort with states, the child support enforcement and research communities, HHS identified key areas to encourage innovation. The projects will test cooperation with child support requirements by applicants for and recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families; new models for coping with domestic violence in the context of child support enforcement; models of collaboration between child support enforcement, Head Start and Child Care programs at the state and local levels; collaborations to facilitate family preservation between child support and child welfare programs; reviewing and adjusting child support orders; determining the effect of child support collections on welfare recipient income; and, models for making the child support enforcement program responsive to the needs of low-income noncustodial fathers to encourage greater parental responsibility.

"The child support enforcement program has made a difference in millions of children's lives, but there are many more children in need of support," said David Gray Ross, deputy director, HHS office of child support enforcement. "We are very excited about the opportunity to learn new ways to improve the child support program."

The demonstrations require an evaluation. Grant amounts awarded are 29 percent of the total project's budget and are matched with 66 percent federal funds for child support expenditures and 5 percent of state funds. The total funds are in excess of $5 million.

A listing of grant recipients follows.

New approaches around noncooperation with child support requirements:

Illinois $56,150
Minnesota 59,600
New York 187,640

New models of cooperation with child support enforcement requirements and coping with domestic violence:

Massachusetts $34,078
Missouri 38,896

Child support enforcement, child care and Head Start collaboration:

Alaska $30,491
Connecticut 66,862
Illinois 63,318
Maryland 22,030
Minnesota 46,110
Mssouri 29,015

Child support enforcement collaboration with child welfare:

South Carolina $17,998

New arrangements for reviewing and adjusting child support orders:

Alaska $63,069
Maine 67,294
Oklahoma 38,382
Vermont 72,500

The effect of child support collections on welfare recipient income:

Minnesota $29,000

New models on noncustodial parents and their relationship to child support enforcement:

California $72,500
Colorado 72,500
Maryland 78,677
Massachusetts 72,500
Missouri 43,738
New Hampshire 24,928
Oregon 72,500
Wisconsin 72,500

###

Note: HHS press releases are available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.dhhs.gov.