Reduce the number of child support obligations that cannot be met because of an unemployed noncustodial parent.

In September 1986, Circuit Court Judge William O. Carr was concerned about absent parents appearing in his court who were not meeting their child support obligations due to unemployment. He initiated a discussion with Maryland’s Department of Economic and Employment Development (DEED) about what could be done to address the problem.

The result was an agreement that the court could order noncustodial parents to participate in job search and counseling activities through DEED’s Job Service. This was the beginning of the Absent Parent Employment Program (APEP) in Maryland. Initially, APEP interviewed noncustodial parents, assisted in their job searches and provided liaison between individual noncustodial parents and the Bureau of Support Enforcement (BOSE).

The program expanded in 1988 when Maryland’s Department of Human Resources committed state funds to the project. In 1991 DEED became the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR). APEP’s goal remained the same through these transitions: assist noncustodial parents to obtain employment, thus enabling them to meet their child support obligations. Doing so improves collection rates for delinquent obligations and reduces state public assistance costs.

Most participants are referred to APEP through the monthly show-cause court session. If the reason for non-payment of child support is unemployment, the judge can order the parent to the program. The program also accepts volunteer participants. Anyone with a Harford County child support order is eligible to participate.

APEP’s staff of two counselors are present in the courtroom and can perform initial intake for the program. An appointment is made for the parent to report to the APEP offices at the Maryland Job Service.

The initial visit to the APEP office includes review and signing of program guidelines, assessment of the parent’s skills and experience, and discussion of employment barriers and child support concerns. The parent is expected to visit the office weekly until he or she finds a job. Each participant is expected to complete at least four applications for employment each week and to submit a worksheet detailing the search activities he or she has undertaken during the week. APEP staff spot check with employers to verify that applications listed were actually submitted. Failure to participate as required may result in a bench warrant.

APEP staff attempt to convey their dual role: monitoring the parent’s job search efforts for the court and the Bureau of Support Enforcement and assisting the parent in finding a job. APEP counselors discuss job search strategies, application and interviewing techniques, help create resumes and make referrals to prospective employers. Parents are taught to use the CareerNet computer system within the Job Service to identify job opportunities available both locally and nationwide.

Counseling during weekly office visits may reveal other areas where the parent needs help. APEP staff refer parents to rehabilitation services, education/GED services, visitation programs, support modification programs, job skills training programs and work credit programs.

APEP tracks parents’ progress and keeps the Bureau of Support Enforcement informed of their status. When necessary, APEP staff testify in court about the parent’s progress in finding a job. Once the parent gets a job, the employment is verified. Information on the new employer is forwarded to the Bureau of Support Enforcement so that a wage lien may be sent to the employer directing child support withholding.

APEP is successful in saving taxpayer dollars and in improving collections from once delinquent noncustodial parents. Prior to APEP the only real option in Harford County for dealing with noncustodial parents who failed to pay child support as ordered was contempt and a stint in the local detention center. Average length of stay: two weeks, average cost per stay at $61 per day: $940. In its 10 years of operation APEP estimates that the county has saved over $1,222,000 in incarceration expenses for the 1,300 non-custodial parents referred to the program.

In addition, the program has been extremely successful in achieving its key mission. Eighty percent of program participants were employed in 1997, 81 percent in 1998, and 86 percent in 1999. This has translated into significant child support contributions by APEP participants: approximately $220,000 in 1997, $250,000 in 1998 and $214,000 in 1999.

Rural Harford County, Maryland. The project was replicated, on a demonstration basis, in Prince George’s County, Maryland, a suburban county next to Washington, DC.

State appropriated funds are used for this program.

APEP’s staff list three elements which have been keys to program success:

Another example of inter-agency cooperation is the Annual Child Support Workshop attended by all workers in the Harford County Child Support community. Agency heads review the past year’s progress, speakers are invited to discuss relevant child support issues, workgroups brainstorm about solutions to current challenges, and people get to know each other.

The goal of this initiative is to improve office performance by probing the state's child support computer system (using a series of ad-hoc reports) for cases inappropriately coded or eligible for closure utilizing the revised case closing regulations. The initial effort focused on determining if: (1) custodial parents wanted to pursue child support; (2) children with paternity established were properly coded within the computer system; (3) Social Security Numbers not in the computer system for noncustodial parents were available from other sources; and (4) certain “locate” cases met the criteria for closure.

System staff at the state central office provided the ad-hoc reports

10/1/98 - Present

The project began in Montgomery County Maryland. Montgomery County is a metropolitan jurisdiction with over 21,000 child support cases. The project is currently being implemented in smaller jurisdictions in Maryland.

Labor to support this initiative was provided by staff from a local temporary agency. The temporary staff costs are estimated at $ 15,000. This included state and regular federal matching funds.

The project is simple to administer and can be completed with little disruption to regular staff routines. States with high numbers of former TANF cases will see the greatest results. The modest costs of performing this initiative can be recovered through increases in federal incentives earned by the state.

Brian D. Shea Director Montgomery County OCSE 51 Monroe Street (Suite 811) Rockville, Md. 20785

Phone: (301) 610-4603 E-mail: Bshea@CSEA.DHR.STATE.MD.US