OHIO

DELAWARE COUNTY:

CASE MANAGEMENT IN CRIMINAL NON-SUPPORT CASES

Goals:

• To provide intensive case management of those obligors convicted of criminal non-support.
• To improve coordination and communications among the Child Support Agency (CSEA), the Adult Parole Authority (APA), Adult Court Services, the County Prosecutor's office and the Courts.

Strategic Plan: Supports Strategy 2 of the National Child Support Strategic Plan.

Description:Delaware County CSEA has initiated a practice in which all criminal non-support cases (felonies and misdemeanors) are monitored and enforced by one case manager. This caseload has typically contained cases where enforcement of the order has been a challenge and establishing a reliable pattern of payment from the obligor has been difficult.

The probation case manager receives cases from the CSEA's case managers upon receipt of the court order of sentencing in the criminal matter. From that point, cases are monitored on a regular basis, with extensive follow-up and consultation with the APA and Adult Court Services. In addition to intense monitoring of the obligor's terms of probation, Adult Court Services provides job readiness classes to improve the employability potential of the probationary obligors. In addition, the criminal court sets these cases for "status hearings" every three to six months. This practice furthers communication with the obligors regarding the Court's, the CSEA's, the APA's and Adult Court Services' expectations about payment of child support. The CSEA also insures that the APA and Adult Court Services have current obligor payment history records by sending payment histories once a month.

Results: Collections in this caseload have grown steadily since the practice started in June, 2002. In the month of May, 2002, the CSEA collected 39.5% of the total monthly obligation due (current and arrears) in the caseload. Two and a half years later, in February, 2005, the CSEA collected 59% of the total monthly obligation due. This collection percentage varies from month to month.

When this practice began in June, 2002, the caseload was 134. In February 2005, the caseload count for the criminal caseload was 231.

Location:Delaware County is a semi-rural county.

Funding:Funding is accrued through IV-D expenditures and a IV-D contract with Adult Court Services.

Replication Advice:Consult Delaware County CSEA for information to be included in the IV-D contract.

Contacts:

Susan Brown

Director

Wendy Shannon

Enforcement Supervisor

Phone: (740) 833-2720

(800) 490-9534