In my first Voice blog, I mentioned that I prioritize engagement through my three Ps: People, Process, and Performance. My “process pillar” is about being open to revisiting processes to ensure we’re working efficiently and effectively. This month, I’m excited to talk about how we’re educating the community on a new Child Support Portal application that helps streamline processes and improve performance.
Last fall, we rolled out the newest Portal application, the Communication Center, to enhance secure communication between states, employers, and OCSE. It allows users to securely send sensitive information, like personally identifiable information, through messages and files within the Portal without requiring encryption. We developed the Communication Center because some users either don’t have access to encryption tools or find the extra usernames and passwords cumbersome to use.
Engaging programs in the rollout
We held multiple calls to help states and employers activate the Communication Center. Users provided positive feedback and have shown a strong interest in using this new service. They’ve also expressed how easy and efficient it is to send messages, and they’re looking forward to more states and employers joining. As of March, 760 employers and 19 states have activated the Communication Center, with several more planning to join in coming weeks.
The FPLS Support and Employer Services teams also met with states and employers to gather feedback for improvements and share best practices for using this new tool. We reached out to the partners who haven’t activated the Communication Center to encourage them to join, answer questions, and troubleshoot any roadblocks.
We plan to expand this service to more users and look forward to working with additional stakeholders, such as the Social Security Administration and tribal Portal users, to add them soon.
Don’t get left behind! To learn more about how to activate the Communication Center, email the team at FPLSSupport@acf.hhs.gov. They’re available to get you started and train your Portal users. We hope this new application helps your staff work more efficiently and effectively.
Tanguler Gray, Commissioner
This blog gives the commissioner a forum to communicate directly with child support professionals and other stakeholders about relevant topics. The Commissioner’s Voice is reprinted from the April 2022 Child Support Report newsletter.