Do you have international child support cases and spend a lot of time, money, and effort preparing 2007 Hague Child Support Convention forms in other languages? You should consider International Forms, or iForms, an application on the Child Support Portal that helps state agencies generate Convention forms to send to foreign partners. Seventeen states are already using it!
And did you know that British Columbia, Ontario, and Manitoba recently joined the Hague Convention? Since Canada is the largest partner for most states, this is a great time to register for iForms, so that you can use it to create Convention forms for those Canadian provinces.
Why should states use iForms?
The iForms application reduces translation costs for agencies by allowing caseworkers to generate forms in multiple languages. It also decreases training costs by populating state and foreign partner information automatically to help caseworkers complete the form quickly and correctly.
How does iForms work?
iForms follows a familiar process for caseworkers — create case, choose application, and complete forms. Caseworkers are presented with the specific forms for the selected type of child support application. Standard information for the state child support agency, like office address and SDU information, is prepopulated on all forms automatically. Data that appears in multiple forms like parties’ name, date of birth, and address is entered once and populates all forms. Once the caseworker fills out the form, it can be translated into multiple languages, downloaded, and sent to foreign partners. The iForms application also has a flexible design to accommodate state preferences like individual case assignment or team-based case management.
What training resources are available?
OCSS has training materials for iForms Administrators and Caseworkers, including instructor’s notes. These materials are available in the Resource section within the iForms application. OCSS is also considering additional training for those who missed last August’s webinar.
If you have questions about iForms or would like training materials, email CSportal@acf.hhs.gov.
Tanguler Gray, Commissioner
This blog gives the commissioner a forum to communicate directly with child support professionals and other partners about relevant topics. The Commissioner’s Voice is reprinted from the March 2024 Child Support Report newsletter.