On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Paternity/Child Support on Thursday, February 22, 2018.
In an effort to reduce spending, the Department of Health and Human Services is asking for funds for technology upgrades. Since 1995, each state has been legally required to have a system in place for child support collection and enforcement. Some states have struggled to do so. Individuals in Missouri may be interested to learn more about the proposed federal program and its potential impacts for payment monitoring.
The DHHS has asked for $63 million to fund a Child Support Technology Fund. This money would go toward building a IT system to monitor and enforce support payments at the state level. The IT program would then be made available for all states to use.
This option is appealing because many states have struggled to develop a working system and stay in compliance with the law. Also, when states develop these programs, often the cost is reimbursed in part by the federal government. A one-off expense could eliminate additional costs of developing separate programs for each state. If the states all use a similar program, individuals who pay child support in different states would still know what to expect from the program because it would be the same from state to state.
If the budget funding is approved, then each state would have a structure in place to collect and enforce child support payments. This is good news for the custodial parents who depend upon child support for their children’s well-being. When child support is ordered, sometimes it can be difficult for one parent to collect the payments, and the parent may need some outside help to get them. In Missouri, many people choose to consult with a family law attorney for more help with these types of issues.
Source: gcn.com, “A shared service for child support enforcement?“, Troy K. Schneider, Feb. 13, 2018
