In September 2016, OCSE awarded Section 1115 grants for the PJAC project (PDF) to five state child support agencies in Arizona, California, Michigan, Ohio, and Virginia, and awarded a grant to Georgia to manage the evaluation (PDF) of the project.
The five-year demonstration project will allow grantees to examine whether incorporating procedural justice principles into child support business practices increases reliable child support payments. The goals are to increase reliable payments, reduce arrears, minimize the need for continued enforcement actions and sanctions, and reduce the inappropriate use of contempt.
Perceptions of Fairness in Child Support
Explores potential disparities in parent and staff experiences in the child support program.
Response to COVID at Three PJAC Sites
Describes how employment, earnings, and unemployment insurance patterns changed for a sample of PJAC parents after the onset of the pandemic.
PJAC Video Series
In these short videos, PJAC professionals describe how applying the five procedural justice principles—helpfulness, understanding, respect, voice, and neutrality—helps them provide better child support services to parents.
Top PJAC Resources
Peer Learning Sites
In August 2020, OCSE invited child support agencies to integrate procedural justice principles into their child support procedures. Below are Child Support Report articles from the participating sites.
- Using Procedural Justice to Reform Driver’s License Suspension in Minnesota (August 2022)
- Texas Makes Online Modifications Easier Using Procedural Justice Principles (June 2022)
- Giving Parents a Roadmap for Success (May 2022)
- Peer Learning Sites Use PJAC Lessons to Address Local Challenges (March 2022)
Provides a series of research briefs that share lessons learned from the Procedural Justice-Informed Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC) demonstration project
Podcasts
- Helping Families Thrive: Principles of Procedural Justice
Ohio child support directors Susan Brown (Franklin County) and Rob Pierson (Stark County) share their experiences in the PJAC demonstration project. - A New Approach to Child Support
This podcast features the PJAC project and ways procedural justice approaches are used to improve child support services. - NEW: Bringing Procedural Justice Principles to Child Support Programs
Leigh Parise of MDRC talks with OCSE's Michael Hayes and Tanya Johnson, Melissa Froehle (Minnesota Child Support Enforcement), and Maria Lasecki (Brown County Child Support in Wisconsin) about the role of procedural justice in child support and PJAC's Peer Learning initiative.
DOJ resources to reform practices for assessing ability to pay as part of enforcement efforts to collect fees and fines
An organization designed to improve relationships and increase trust between minority communities and the criminal justice system
Provides a link to the Center for Court Innovation, advancing procedural justice through programs, research, and assistance