NEW DIRECTIONS IN CHILD SUPPORT: HOW CHILD SUPPORT AND ASSET BUILDING ARE CONNECTED Jennifer Burnszynski acf.hhs.gov 

What is the Child Support Program?  The child support program enforces the responsibility of parents to support their children when they live apart.  The program is jointly funded by Federal, state, county and tribal governments under title IV-D of the Social Security Act.  “One of highest rated block/formula grants of all reviewed programs.” (OMB) 2

Child Support is a major antipoverty program 3 Serves 1 in 4 children and 1 in 2 poor children – and both parents – throughout childhood. Collects $30 billion annually; with 95% paid to families. Lifts one million people out of poverty each year.

Child support is a 40% of income for poor families who receive it. 4 Mothers ’ earnings Child support income Other income

CSE Core Mission: Locate Parents Establish Paternity Establish Orders Collect Support ChildSupportPrevention Engagement of Fathers from Birth EconomicStability Family Violence Collaboration Healthy Family Relationships Health Care Coverage Child Support is a family-centered program that emphasizes partnerships

6 Locate Non-custodial Parents Child support has highly computerized information to locate parents. Establish Paternity Legally identifies a child’s father. Necessary when a child is born out of wedlock. Benefits to child include:  access to Social Security benefits, pension and retirement benefits  medical insurance and health information  important interactions and relationships with both parents. CSE Core Mission: Locate Parents Establish Paternity Establish Orders Collect Support Child Support Program Core Mission

7 Establish Orders States must have guidelines to determine how much a parent should pay for child support. Collect Support Most support is collected through income withholding. When support is past due, the following can occur:  Report debt to credit reporting bureau  Suspend licenses  Intercept tax refunds, lottery winnings  Deny renewal of passports  Seize bank accounts  File liens on personal property CSE Core Mission: Locate Parents Establish Paternity Establish Orders Collect Support Child Support Program Core Mission

8 Family-Centered Child Support Innovations ChildSupportPrevention Engagement of Fathers from Birth EconomicStability To prevent the need for child support services by promoting responsible childbearing and raising awareness– especially among teens– of the financial, legal, and emotional consequences of parenthood. To improve child support and child well-being outcomes by positively engaging with fathers early on, encouraging fathers to be more involved in their children’s lives, and helping them overcome obstacles to supporting their children. To increase the economic stability of custodial and noncustodial parents.

9 Healthy Family Relationships Health Care Coverage Family Violence Collaboration To improve child support and child well-being outcomes by helping parents build healthy relationships with their children and with each other. To assist in securing health care coverage for children and their parents. To reduce the risk of family violence by working collaboratively with domestic violence organizations and child welfare agencies.

Why Partner with the Child Support Agencies?  Child Support Agencies and AFI programs have much in common:  They serve similar clients; and  They have similar goals.  Child Support Agencies can help AFI programs reach their goals. 10

Our goal is to help families by promoting family self-sufficiency and child well-being. Child support can help AFI programs improve the financial well-being of low-income families. 11 Child Support and AFI share a similar mission

The Child Support Program can help AFI programs reach new clients Partnering with child support can help AFI programs broaden their reach to low- income fathers, who typically are not eligible for many public services. 12

Partnering with Child Support can Help AFI clients Most AFI participants are single parents and thus eligible for or already in the child support program. Partnering with child support will enable you to help your clients work through their child support issues. 13

Building Assets for Fathers and Families  The Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) and the Office of Community Services launched the Building Assets for Fathers and Families (BAFF) initiative which is intended to improve the economic stability of children and families in the child support program.  OCSE funded seven child support programs across the country to work with AFI grantees to provide asset-building services to families in the child support program. 14

Building Assets for Fathers and Families WHAT IS IT DOING?  Designing specialized financial education curricula (including child support);  Training child support and AFI program staff in each other’s programs;  Establishing referral procedures for child support customers;  Providing financial education, debt management, credit repair, and EITC services to child support customers;  Helping child support customers get banked and offering IDAs and other asset-building accounts. 15

BAFF Projects vary, but often Child Support Programs are:  Referring child support customers to AFI programs  Providing workshops on the child support program to AFI staff and customers  Offering enhanced child support services to AFI customers, which can include:  Child support debt reduction programs;  Reviews of child support orders;  Suspension of enforcement actions;  Participating in case management;  Providing case-specific information to AFI programs. 16

BAFF’s Ultimate Goal Connect low-income custodial and noncustodial parents to asset-building services so that they are in a better position to be able to save money and provide reliable support for their children. 17

Resources  US HHS Homepage:  ACF Homepage:  Child Support Homepage:  Promoting Child Well-Being & Family Self-Sufficiency Child Support Fact Sheet Series:  State Links: 18