What Works

Gain Employment, Maintain Support (GEMS) 

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Child Support collaborated with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and Michigan Works! Southwest to conduct a pilot program aimed at providing occupational training, employment assistance, and supportive services to noncustodial parents within the child support program. 

• Evaluation Report (PDF)
  Summarizes key findings from the GEMS program

National Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration (CSPED)

In 2012, OCSE awarded Section 1115 grants to California, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin to test the efficacy of child support-led employment programs. The goal of this five-year project was to increase reliable child support payments among noncustodial parents who are unable to pay child support. OCSE also awarded a grant to Wisconsin to manage the evaluation of CSPED.

• Highlights from CSPED Implementation Reports
  Summarizes key findings from the CSPED participant characteristics and final implementation reports
   
• Highlights from CSPED Impact and Benefit-Cost Reports
  Highlights key findings from the CSPED final impact finding and benefit cost analysis reports
   
• Report on CSPED Evaluation Participant Characteristics
  Describes the characteristics of participants in CSPED evaluation
   
• CSPED Final Implementation Report
  Describes the implementation of the CSPED
   
• Final Impact Findings from CSPED
  Describes the impact of the CSPED for those with past-due child support
   
• Final Impact Findings from CSPED: Technical Supplement Report
  Provides details on evaluation design, data sources, analytic methods, outcome variables for impact of the CSPED
   
• CSPED Findings from the Benefit-Cost Analysis
  Provides a benefit-cost analysis of the CSPED