Idaho collects more than $200 million in child support payments a year, on average. The chart below is a point-in-time snapshot for March 2015. Organized by county, it shows the number of children involved in child support orders in Idaho, what percentage of the total county population those children represent, and the total of child support payments collected. The amount of child support received by each child varies.
The clock started ticking today…
Our agency has received official notification this evening from the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement that Idaho has 60 days to bring its child support program into federal compliance.
The Idaho Legislature adjourned Saturday, failing to pass legislation to meet minimum federal requirements for working on child support cases with foreign countries. Failure of that bill prompted the federal government to issue a formal notice in its intent to disapprove Idaho’s state plan Tuesday evening.
Idaho now has 60 days to correct the problem. If not, access to child support enforcement tools and funding will discontinue on July 1st.
Loss of federal tools would severely hamper state’s ability to collect child support payments
A lot of discussion has focused on the federal money the state might lose if the child support issue is not fixed during the next two months. It is serious money, but the real impact to children and families would come from the loss of federal tools the Idaho Child Support Program relies on. Here are some of the tools Idaho would no longer be able to access and a description of what they are used for:
Wage Withholding: The most important tool the state uses to collect child support payments from non-custodial parents who don’t voluntarily make their payments is wage withholding. The increase in collections by wage withholding is due, in part, to improved accuracy, ease of paternity testing, and the new-hire reporting system. In FFY 2014, $105.8 million was collected using this tool, accounting for 61 percent of all the state’s child support collections, as shown in the chart below.
20 states have enacted child support legislation
A number of people are wondering which states have enacted the child support legislation that the Idaho House Judiciary, Rules and Administration committee tabled on Friday afternoon. Here is a map posted by the Uniform Law Commission. If you visit their website, you will find a complete list of states.
Gov. Otter expresses concern about child support implications
Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter issued the following statement today regarding the impact of legislative action on Senate Bill 1067 shortly before the Legislature adjourned its 2015 session:
“I am concerned that some members of the House Judiciary and Rules Committee put Idaho’s child support system at serious risk by killing Senate Bill 1067 in the waning hours of the 2015 legislative session. We are analyzing the impacts of the committee’s actions and what they mean for the 400,000 people who depend on Idaho’s system.”
Fed says DHW Child Support Program has 60 days to come into compliance
The Department of Health and Welfare’s executive leadership team conferenced first thing this morning with Vicki Turetsky, commissioner for the federal Office of Child Support and Enforcement (OCSE). The topic— what will happen to the Idaho Child Support program after the Idaho Legislature’s failure to approve a bill allowing the state to meet minimum federal program requirements.
Commissioner Turetsky was very clear in her response—she will send out a letter by the end of the week giving Idaho 60 days to correct the action and meet federal compliance. If Idaho does not fix it, the state will receive a second notification letter that all federal child support funding ceases and access to all enforcement tools will be turned off. This would affect every one of the 155,000 child support cases the Idaho Child Support Program handles, which will impact more than 400,000 Idaho children and parents. Continue reading “Fed says DHW Child Support Program has 60 days to come into compliance”
Idaho’s Child Support Services: An FAQ
Question: What’s going on with the Child Support services I receive?
Answer: Friday afternoon, the House Judiciary, Rules, and Administration Committee tabled key Child Support Legislation (known as UIFSA) that governs how Idaho works with other other states in the U.S. and foreign countries to collect and distribute Child Support Payments. This means that the legislation did not pass, and as a result, Idaho’s Child Support Program no longer meets federal requirements.Idaho expects the federal government to take steps to impose financial sanctions against Idaho’s Child Support Program. Department of Health & Welfare leadership is meeting with top officials from the Federal Child Support Program this week to determine what will happen next and when actions will be taken. Continue reading “Idaho’s Child Support Services: An FAQ”
Idaho’s ability to collect child support payments in question after committee votes to table bill
The future of Idaho’s Child Support program is uncertain after members of the House Judiciary, Rules and Administration committee voted Friday afternoon to table Senate Bill 1067. The bill would have allowed the state to meet minimum federal requirements for working on child support cases with foreign countries.
“This is new territory for us,” said Richard Armstrong, director of the Department of Health and Welfare, which manages the state’s child support program. “We’ll work with our federal partners to determine the total impact, but this vote will make it nearly impossible for us to enforce child support like we should, so Idaho’s children are taken care of. The bottom line is that Idaho families may not receive their support money because we will not have the tools we need to make sure those payments are made.” Continue reading “Idaho’s ability to collect child support payments in question after committee votes to table bill”
Live poultry (including those cute little chicks) commonly carry Salmonella bacteria
Easter is coming up quickly, and with that holiday and the fact that it’s spring, many of us may be thinking about buying chicks or ducklings for gifts or to replenish backyard flocks. It’s important to remember that all poultry commonly carry Salmonella bacteria and to take precautions so you and your family don’t get sick. Continue reading “Live poultry (including those cute little chicks) commonly carry Salmonella bacteria”
If you work with a social worker, tell them thank you today.
March is Social Work Recognition Month, according to House Concurrent Resolution No. 9, which is winding its way through the legislative process. It’s a good time to recognize and give a quick “thank you” to the more than 300 social workers at the Department of Health and Welfare.
DHW social workers do a variety of work in several of the department’s divisions, including Family and Community Services, Behavioral Health, Licensing and Certification, Medicaid and Welfare. They come into contact with extremely vulnerable Idahoans who are seeking help, often in difficult circumstances. Continue reading “If you work with a social worker, tell them thank you today.”
DHW Voice 