To create an interactive web application to give Virginia child support customers another way - in addition to the telephone, an appointment, or correspondence - to access their updated child support payment and case information.

The Virginia Child Support Enforcement Program serves over 558,000 children which is one-quarter of the Commonwealth's child population. Virginia is committed to finding better, more technologically advanced ways to serve this population. The State already had an automated interactive voice response system which contained information about child support to serve customers. That system served as a launch pad for the Internet project.

The automated voice response system handles approximately 700,000 calls each month. Of those 700,000 calls, 70 percent are from customers who are requesting payment or other information not requiring human intervention. The interactive web application provides customers with the same information provided by the automated voice response system; which consists of the last six payments and selected case information, such as information on court dates and enforcement actions. The information comes directly from the State's automated mainframe system. The application was placed on the Internet without announcement in early May 2001 in order to test the application. Child support staff were encouraged to visit the Web page to familiarize themselves with its content and to resolve any quirks in the application. Minor technical problems were encountered and quickly resolved. Almost immediately, the public also accessed the site. During the initial pilot, daily visitors to the unannounced site were in the 200-400 range.

The new Web application was publicly announced by a Gubernatorial press release and related press conference in late June 2001. Immediately after the formal announcement, visits to the site almost tripled and the numbers are steadily increasing. Initial feedback from child support customers has been very positive and appreciative for this additional way to access their case information.

This is a statewide application, centrally monitored by child support and communications staff in the headquarters office in Richmond, Virginia.

The minimal costs involved were absorbed within existing operations. It is encouraging to note that the State's outside information technology (IT) agency was enthused with the potential for this new application and at this time is not assessing a charge for this additional initiative.

Key to the success of this initiative was involvement of the appropriate staff at the outset. In Virginia, that expertise came from a variety of internal and external sources. Staff who worked on this project included internal child support, communications, and audit staff, as well as information technology professionals from both within the Department and from the State's IT agency. The Office of the Attorney General also provided valuable information which was incorporated in the approach. Involvement of staff from these sources proved invaluable in working through related design, technical, systems security, privacy, and confidentiality issues.

States interested in providing customers another way to access updated payment and case information will find this a valuable addition to their customer services offerings.

It is imperative that the appropriate expertise be involved at the outset to ensure that important issues are addressed in advance. For example, it is critical to the integrity of the process and to the outcome that all issues surrounding privacy and confidentiality, as well as systems security, be resolved. Equally important is ensuring connectivity and the ability to handle capacity and the volume of visitors. The inability to address the latter will increase customer frustration and exacerbate already taxed phone systems.

Phyllis Sisk, Program Manager, Virginia Division of Child Support Enforcement, Virginia Department of Social Services, 730 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219

Phone: (804) 692-1501; E-mail: pjs900@dcse.dss.state.va.us