This report from MDRC provides an evaluation of the state of Kansas' Child Support Savings Initiative (CSSI) which was created to help parents pay off child support debt while contributing to their children's future higher education costs. It encourages parents to make direct deposits into 529 accounts, and in return, they receive matching reductions in their child support debt from the state. The search showed a common finding: that it is difficult to engage low- and middle-income families in saving money, as they already face other financial burdens. This is explored in depth in the report.

This resource from the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse highlights a rural community partnership between a fatherhood program and local child support agency. In this case study, authors describe the development of a partnership in Merced County, California and lessons learned.

This blog post from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is the fourth installment of the “Self-Sufficiency Series: Solutions from the Field” and highlights Children First SHARP (Supporting Parents, Holistic Case Management, Access to Employment, Reaching Goals, Positive Parenting), an evidence-based model for serving noncustodial parents; this is a collective, one-stop approach between Goodwill Industries, the Kenosha County Child Support Agency, and several other community partners. Services provided include assistance with job searches and resume building, work supports, and a weekly Children First Job Club that facilitates peer support and networking.

This report from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation is one in a series of reports to be produced from the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) project, which seeks to use a behavioral economics lens to examine programs that serve poor and vulnerable families in the United States. This report presents findings of a project done in collaboration with the Washington State Division of Child Support, in which a behavioral intervention was used to increase the number of incarcerated noncustodial parents who requested modifications to their existing child support orders, thereby decreasing the amount of arrears they accrued while incarcerated. The impact of the intervention was found to be statistically significant.

This is the final report following the conclusion of the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) project sponsored by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE); the goal of the report was to learn how tools from behavioral science could be used to deliver program services more effectively and, ultimately, improve the well-being of low-income children, adults, and families. The report outlines the findings from 15 human service agencies, all of which saw statistically significant changes in outcomes in at least one measured intervention. The domains covered within the 15 sites were child care, child support, and work supports.

This brief is part of the Parents and Children Together (PACT) evaluation and summarizes the experiences of fathers interviewed during the first two rounds of in-depth interviews for the project. Themes from the interviews are explored, as well as how fathers provide for their children outside the formal child support system, and implications for further research are given.

This report from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation examines the earnings of justice-involved men over the course of their incarceration and release. The study analyzed state administrative and survey data to compose a picture of the men's earnings, their involvement in child support, and how it affected their children and partners.

This factsheet from the Office of Child Support Enforcement discusses how employers can most effectively interact with the more than 560 federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native tribes in the U.S. It covers family structure, frequently asked questions around payments, and basics of tribal government structure. It also includes contact information for further questions.

A virtual roundtable was held on November 30, 2017 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. EST, co-presented by the Office of Family Assistance, the Office of Child Support Enforcement, and the Family and Youth Services Bureau. Via plenaries and breakout sessions, the roundtable  defined family violence, explained good cause, and highlighted examples of excellence across the nation.

The Opening Plenary Session was titled, "Family Violence and Accessing and Applying for Public Benefits and Work Supports: Challenges and Solutions," and was led by Dr. Janet Mickish, Lead Trainer and Manager of Staff Development, Colorado Department of Human Services and Krista Del Gallo, Public Policy Manager, Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV).

The Plenary was followed by 4 breakout sessions to include:

• Breakout Session #1: Discussion Around Building Good Relationships with DV Coalitions and Programs
• Breakout Session #2: Promoting Disclosure and Safety for Victims Accessing Child Support
• Breakout Session #3: Establishing Good Cause
• Breakout Session #4: Family Violence with Native American Populations

The roundtable closed with a plenary titled, "State and Local TANF/Child Support Programs of Excellence," led by Meghan McCann, National Conference of State Legislatures; Amber Harchuk, Temporary Assistance to Domestic Violence Survivor’s (TA-DVS) Policy Analyst and DHS Domestic Violence Co-Located Advocates Program Coordinator; Belit Burke, Self-Sufficiency Program Administrator, Oregon Department of Human Services; and Traci Underwood, Program Coordinator, Economic Justice Project, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.