February 2023 Child Support Report

COMMISSIONER'S VOICE: Preventing Relationship Violence

Commissioner Tanguler Gray

Person at a laptop visiting the Love Is Respect website

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, a time each year when we shine a light on this important public health concern that harms far too many young people. Data shows that 1 in 3 U.S. teens will experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse in a relationship before they become adults. This heartbreaking statistic should move us all to do what we can to raise awareness and prevent relationship violence. OCSE is encouraging programs to promote healthy relationships through grant programs.

Economic Mobility and Responsible Parenting Demonstration Grants

Since 2020, OCSE has awarded Section 1115 grants to 15 states and two tribes to educate and motivate young adults to postpone parenthood until after they complete their education, start a career, and have a committed relationship. Grantees are required to include information on preventing relationship violence and provide resources to help those who’ve experienced it. You can read about some of these efforts from Iowa, Missouri, and the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.

This grant also helped fund Kentucky’s Empower You program, which seeks to support healthy relationships by raising awareness of the many ways violence manifests itself. It defines violence to include not only physical violence but also emotional, financial, and relational violence. Empower You includes curriculum that focuses on the impact of manipulation and coercion.

An essential component is consent that encourages autonomy, a sense of self-determination, and comfort in establishing boundaries. Empower You has learned through its work with youth that we must be mindful of unintended consequences when talking about consent. It’s possible that a topic that raises awareness for some may inadvertently trigger or retraumatize others. This may be true for youth who have histories of violence and victimization or those in foster care or other out-of-home placements. 

As we recognize Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, Empower You shares tips for service providers working with youth to end teen dating violence:

  • Train workshop facilitators to provide “trigger warnings” before covering content that might cause anxiety or discomfort.
     
  • Develop partnerships with clinicians who have the relevant expertise and cultural humility to support youth who may be triggered.
     
  • Offer to accompany youth who are referred to a therapist or other mental health professional to their first appointment to facilitate engagement.
     
  • Share resources like Love Is Respect , which helps disrupt and prevent unhealthy relationships and intimate partner violence. You’ll learn more about Love Is Respect later in this issue in an article from the Family Violence Prevention & Services Act Program.

I’m always so inspired by the tireless work of our grantees and all they learn—and share—through the course of their projects. You'll get the latest news from other states and tribes in this demonstration grant by subscribing to Child Support Report. 

How You Can Support Young People and Prevent Teen Dating Violence

Family Violence Prevention & Services Act Program

Have any questions or just need to talk? love is respect advocates are here 24/7, 365 days a year. Text "LOVEIS" to 22522. Call 1.866.331.9474. TTY 1.800.787.3224. Chat loveisrespect.org

Throughout Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, advocates, service providers, and youth workers share information about community-based and digital services for teens, young adults, parents, and friends to help someone who is in an unsafe relationship. It’s also an opportunity to begin a conversation with young people about healthy relationships, boundaries, warning signs of dating abuse, and how to support one another. 

For over 38 years, ACF has administered the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act Program, which funds 1,600 local programs and 252 tribal programs. It’s the primary federal funding stream dedicated to supporting emergency shelters and related assistance for survivors of domestic violence and their children. These important services include victim advocacy, crisis counseling, safety planning, support groups, and referrals to health care, mental health services, legal aid, and housing assistance. The program serves 1.3 million people each year, including over 330,000 children and youth. You can listen to our Success Stories podcast that talks about how advocates and services providers are helping survivors every day.

Our program also funds Love Is Respect , a project of the National Domestic Violence Hotline , which offers phone, text, and online services to help teens and young adults learn about healthy relationships and dating violence. The project also helps parents, teachers, service providers, clergy, and law enforcement understand how to address abuse among the young people they serve.

Here are things you can do to support young people and healthy relationships: 

Prevent

  • Learn to recognize signs of dating violence, stalking, and digital and emotional abuse, including demeaning text messages, dangerous threats, and more.
  • Share the Love Is Respect quiz with someone who wants to learn if they are in a healthy relationship.
  • Share information with a young person, parent, or community partner about healthy relationships . 

Promote

Respond and support

  • Provide Love Is Respect as an immediate resource for anyone who might be experiencing dating abuse or has questions about healthy relationships. Youth can text “loveis” to 22522 or call 1-866-331-9474 to chat with an advocate.
  • Contact your local domestic violence program to find out how you can support youth and young adults in your community. To identify your local program, contact your state domestic violence coalition.

Learning about teen dating violence and how you can support someone experiencing it helps protect youth and promote healthy relationships.

2022 Was a Good Year for the Passport Denial Program

Division of Federal Systems, OCSE

Graphic of Passport Denial collections

The Passport Denial Program allows states, through the State Department, to deny a noncustodial parent’s passport if they owe more than $2,500 in past-due support. Child support agencies submit information on parents who meet the criteria for passport denial, and OCSE forwards those names to the State Department to reject their passport applications. The State Department can also revoke a passport when the parent surrenders it for service — for example, to add pages.

To release the passport, the parent must work with the state (or states, if they are eligible in multiple states) that certified them. The state — not OCSE — decides the payment arrangements that the parent must meet.

2022 collections nearing pre-pandemic levels

International travel restrictions and COVID safety concerns reduced Passport Denial Program collections. In 2020, states reported just under $16 million, a 52% drop from the $33 million they reported in 2019. This is the largest year-over-year decrease since the program began. 

But as travel began to increase in 2021, so did Passport Denial collections. By the end of 2021, reported collections totaled $24 million, a 51% percent increase over 2020.

In 2022, collections were nearly back to pre-pandemic levels. In March 2022, states reported over $5.1 million, the largest one-month amount for the Passport Denial Program. By the end of the year, reported collections totaled almost $34 million, 41% higher than 2021 and 112% higher than 2020.  

State success stories in 2022

In 2022, states shared 4,700 passport denial success stories. These are some of the largest and most interesting collections:

  • Illinois: $1,930,000 to leave Asia (the largest payment ever reported!) 
  • Ohio: $156,000 
  • New York: $95,000 to travel to Asia
  • Louisiana: $66,500 to go on vacation
  • North Carolina: $35,500 to travel for business
  • Oregon: $20,000 to watch child play in an international soccer championship 
  • Colorado: $17,200 to travel to South America to run in a race
  • Michigan: $16,200 for business travel
  • Kansas: $16,000 to attend a family funeral 
  • District of Columbia: $13,000 for business travel

Passport denial pays off

States have reported collecting more than $561 million through the Passport Denial Program since 1998. State child support agencies, the State Department, and OCSE’s Passport Denial team work together to ensure noncustodial parents can get their passports quickly and efficiently once they’ve met state-determined payment arrangements, including lump sum payments and the issuance of income withholding orders, to provide money that families may not otherwise receive.

For more information about the Passport Denial Program or to share a story, email the OCSE Passport Denial team at scollections@acf.hhs.gov or visit the Passport Denial Program webpage.

Alerting Families of Important Medicaid Renewals

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Graphic that reads: Make sure your mailing address is up to date. Check that your state Medicaid office has your current mailing address.

In March 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services temporarily waived certain Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) requirements to prevent people from losing their coverage during the pandemic. 

Beginning February 1, states can restart Medicaid and CHIP eligibility reviews. If a state review finds that someone no longer qualifies for Medicaid or CHIP, that person could lose their coverage as early as April 1, 2023.  According to some estimates, up to 15 million people  (PDF) could lose their current coverage during this “unwinding” process. Now is a critical time to remind families enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP to update their contact information with their state Medicaid office so states can reach them with vital renewal information.

The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign is committed to informing families about these upcoming changes so kids continue to have access to health coverage. We encourage child support professionals to use the resources at Medicaid.gov/unwinding to learn more about the unwinding process. You can also help remind families to update their contact information by sharing these social media posts:

  • Now that things are getting back to normal, your #Medicaid renewal will be too. Ensure your state knows where to send your letter. Update your address today: [DIRECT TO STATE MEDICAID/CHIP PROGRAM WEBSITE OR Medicaid.gov/renewal]
     
  • Have #Medicaid coverage? If so, listen up! Renewals may have been on pause due to #COVID19, but they’re making a comeback. Be sure your state knows your current address so you receive your renewal letter: [DIRECT TO STATE MEDICAID/CHIP PROGRAM WEBSITE OR Medicaid.gov/renewal]
     
  • Due to #COVID19, #Medicaid renewals were paused, but they’re coming back! Don’t wait - update and stay covered! Be sure your state Medicaid office has your current mailing address NOW: [DIRECT TO STATE MEDICAID/CHIP PROGRAM WEBSITE OR Medicaid.gov/renewal]
     
  • Do you have #Medicaid or #CHIP? Remember to update your contact information with [INSERT STATE MEDICAID PROGRAM] so you don’t miss out on important Medicaid and CHIP renewal information. Get started today: [DIRECT TO STATE MEDICAID/CHIP PROGRAM WEBSITE OR Medicaid.gov/renewal]

You can find guidance, toolkits, and resources to share with families in your community at Medicaid.gov/unwinding .

Medicaid and CHIP provide critical health care services for kids and teens, including preventive and emergency care, dental care, vision care, immunizations, mental and behavioral health care, and more. Reminding families to renew their coverage helps children retain access to important services and promotes good overall health so kids can focus on being kids.

How to Take Advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit

IRS

Photo of workers with text reading: Four of five eligible workers claim the Earned Income Tax Credit. Are you missing out? www.irs.gov/eitc

For more than 40 years, the Earned Income Tax Credit has made life better for millions of workers. If you qualify and claim the credit, you could get as much as $6,935 from the IRS. Unfortunately, 1 in 5 eligible workers miss out on this credit.

It’s easy to find out if you qualify. Use the EITC Assistant to answer questions about yourself and other family members. Eligibility depends on several factors, including income and family size. If you or someone you know earned less than $59,187 from wages, running a business, or from Form 1099, check out this easy-to-use tool. If you don’t have a qualifying child and earned under $16,480 ($22,610 married filing jointly), find out if you qualify for a smaller credit worth as much as $560. You can also see what other tax credits are available. 

Help filing your taxes

It’s easy to find free tax help to prepare and file your taxes. Use the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance locator to find a volunteer site near you. You can also prepare and e-file your own taxes with brand-name software using IRS’s Free File . 

Child support programs can promote the Earned Income Tax Credit to eligible working parents by using this IRS social media toolkit .

Resource Alert: Lived Experience Starter Kit

Engaging people with lived experience—whose voices often go unheard—can help child support and other human service practitioners inform and improve their programs. Read OCSE’s Lived Experience Starter Kit to learn how to elevate these voices.

Policy Recap

OCSE issued recent guidance to help states and tribes develop and operate their child support programs according to federal laws and regulations:

About Child Support Report

Child Support Report is published monthly by the Office of Child Support Enforcement. We welcome articles and high-quality digital photos to consider for publication. We reserve the right to edit for style, content and length, or not accept an article. OCSE does not endorse the practices or individuals in this newsletter. You may reprint an article in its entirety (or contact the author or editor for permission to excerpt); please identify Child Support Report as the source.

January Contreras    
Assistant Secretary for Children and Families             

Tanguler Gray
Commissioner, OCSE                                                                       
Crystal Peeler
Director, Division of Customer Communications                                 		 Andrew Phifer
Editor, CSR.Editor@acf.hhs.gov                                                                               

Read other editions of Child Support Report