Fathers' Support Center Reconnecting Fathers and Families
Fathers’ Support Center, St. Louis
AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO THE ENFORCEMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT Child Support Can Be An Effective Tool to Promote Cohesive Family Relations and Economic Stability 16 February 2017
Presented by: Judge Lisl King Williams
THE STATE OF MARRIAGE AND CHILD SUPPORT • In the United States marriage is on the decline particularly among low income individuals without education • For African Americans 73% of children are born to unmarried couples • 70 percent of custodial parents living in poverty do not receive any child support, for African American custodial parents the number is 75 percent
INCOME STATUS OF NCPS • Jobless and low income fathers are a significant share of parents who have child support orders • 1 in 4 parents with child support orders have no income and 31 percent have incomes below $12,700.00 per year
CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS • Regardless of a father’s ability to pay, once an order is in place there are several mechanisms used at the State and Federal levels to enforce payment. – Wage garnishments up to 65% of adjusted income (note these wage garnishments do not fall within the legal safeguards of other wage garnishments in some states) – Interception of Federal tax returns
CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS – Placement of liens on assets – Driver’s license suspensions – Passport revocations – Suspension and denial of professional licenses – Incarceration through contempt of court actions – Felony and misdemeanor charges which can lead to incarceration
AFFECTS OF CHILD SUPPORT ON L0W INCOME FAMILIES AND ASSETS • Often renders low-income fathers to financial insecurity • Limits low-income fathers ability to acquire assets (savings, IRA, house, car) • Currently there is $113 Billion in child support debt in the United States • NCPs with incomes of less than 10,000 owe the most arrears.
• According to OCSE data NCPs earning less than $10,000 per year owe the most in child support arrear
CONNECTION BETWEEN ASSETS AND OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN • Lack of income and assets result in disparate outcomes for children in education • Research shows that children preform better on standardized testing when parents have modest income and assets • Racial disparities in test scores are eliminated where incomes above 185% of the federal poverty level and there are assets
WHAT WE ARE DOING IN MISSOURI • The Fathers’ Support Center, St. Louis (FSC) in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Social Services, Family Support Division (FSD) has developed a plan to assist fathers in meeting their children’s financial and emotional needs by helping them become self sufficient
LONG TERM GOALS • Develop healthy relationships and parenting skills • Maintain employment and increase economic stability for the parent paying support • Prepare fathers to b e emotionally and financially involved with their children to improve child well-being
FSD’S ROLE • Assign one case manager to handle all of the NCPs child support orders • Automatically screen clients for modifications in their child support orders • Reduce collection rate for current support and arrears (excluding civil contempt and criminal non-support cases) • Make accommodations in the enforcement of child support
ACCOMODATIONS IN ENFORCEMENT • Adjust wage withholdings for arrears • Eliminate liens on bank accounts • Avoid drivers’ and professional license suspensions • Issue stays on existing driver’s license suspensions • Enter into a Temporary Payment Plan with the client.
CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES • Execute required releases to allow FSC and FSD to communicate • Execute a Temporary Payment Plan (TPP) • Participate in the establishment of paternity and establishment of child support orders (including genetic testing and service requirements) • Meet the requirements of the FSC Fatherhood Program
TEMPORARY PAYMENT PLAN • Client makes monthly payments to FSD at a reduced rate • For unemployed clients voluntary payments are required until the client becomes employed • Once client is employed a wage withholding will issue for current support • Client must be in compliance with the FSC fatherhood program
TEMPORARY PAYMENT PLAN • FSD may, at FSC’s request, review any enforcement action imposed upon the client for undue hardship
KEY RELATIONSHIP FACTORS • Communication between FSC and FSD • Appropriate staffing of FSC and FSD case managers • Timely completion of required documents
THANK YOU!!! Fathers’ Support Center, St. Louis 4411 N. Newstead St. Louis, MO 63115
314-333-4170 JUDGE LISL KING WILLIAMS
Website: www.fatherssupportcenter.org
AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO THE ENFORCEMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT Child Support Can Be An Effective Tool to Promote Cohesive Family Relations and Economic Stability 16 February 2017
Presented by: Judge Lisl King Williams
THE STATE OF MARRIAGE AND CHILD SUPPORT • In the United States marriage is on the decline particularly among low income individuals without education • For African Americans 73% of children are born to unmarried couples • 70 percent of custodial parents living in poverty do not receive any child support, for African American custodial parents the number is 75 percent
INCOME STATUS OF NCPS • Jobless and low income fathers are a significant share of parents who have child support orders • 1 in 4 parents with child support orders have no income and 31 percent have incomes below $12,700.00 per year
CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS • Regardless of a father’s ability to pay, once an order is in place there are several mechanisms used at the State and Federal levels to enforce payment. – Wage garnishments up to 65% of adjusted income (note these wage garnishments do not fall within the legal safeguards of other wage garnishments in some states) – Interception of Federal tax returns
CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS – Placement of liens on assets – Driver’s license suspensions – Passport revocations – Suspension and denial of professional licenses – Incarceration through contempt of court actions – Felony and misdemeanor charges which can lead to incarceration
AFFECTS OF CHILD SUPPORT ON L0W INCOME FAMILIES AND ASSETS • Often renders low-income fathers to financial insecurity • Limits low-income fathers ability to acquire assets (savings, IRA, house, car) • Currently there is $113 Billion in child support debt in the United States • NCPs with incomes of less than 10,000 owe the most arrears.
• According to OCSE data NCPs earning less than $10,000 per year owe the most in child support arrear
CONNECTION BETWEEN ASSETS AND OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN • Lack of income and assets result in disparate outcomes for children in education • Research shows that children preform better on standardized testing when parents have modest income and assets • Racial disparities in test scores are eliminated where incomes above 185% of the federal poverty level and there are assets
WHAT WE ARE DOING IN MISSOURI • The Fathers’ Support Center, St. Louis (FSC) in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Social Services, Family Support Division (FSD) has developed a plan to assist fathers in meeting their children’s financial and emotional needs by helping them become self sufficient
LONG TERM GOALS • Develop healthy relationships and parenting skills • Maintain employment and increase economic stability for the parent paying support • Prepare fathers to b e emotionally and financially involved with their children to improve child well-being
FSD’S ROLE • Assign one case manager to handle all of the NCPs child support orders • Automatically screen clients for modifications in their child support orders • Reduce collection rate for current support and arrears (excluding civil contempt and criminal non-support cases) • Make accommodations in the enforcement of child support
ACCOMODATIONS IN ENFORCEMENT • Adjust wage withholdings for arrears • Eliminate liens on bank accounts • Avoid drivers’ and professional license suspensions • Issue stays on existing driver’s license suspensions • Enter into a Temporary Payment Plan with the client.
CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES • Execute required releases to allow FSC and FSD to communicate • Execute a Temporary Payment Plan (TPP) • Participate in the establishment of paternity and establishment of child support orders (including genetic testing and service requirements) • Meet the requirements of the FSC Fatherhood Program
TEMPORARY PAYMENT PLAN • Client makes monthly payments to FSD at a reduced rate • For unemployed clients voluntary payments are required until the client becomes employed • Once client is employed a wage withholding will issue for current support • Client must be in compliance with the FSC fatherhood program
TEMPORARY PAYMENT PLAN • FSD may, at FSC’s request, review any enforcement action imposed upon the client for undue hardship
KEY RELATIONSHIP FACTORS • Communication between FSC and FSD • Appropriate staffing of FSC and FSD case managers • Timely completion of required documents
THANK YOU!!! Fathers’ Support Center, St. Louis 4411 N. Newstead St. Louis, MO 63115
314-333-4170 JUDGE LISL KING WILLIAMS
Website: www.fatherssupportcenter.org
