Roberta Coons, OCSE

OCSE regional offices convene annual meetings with child support directors to share updates, discuss important issues, participate in trainings, and network. Prior to the pandemic, these multi-day meetings were in person. We’re excited by the prospect of meeting in person again as COVID allows.

The Region 7 office in Kansas City hosts Tribal Conversations. The OCSE team invites all tribal staff, including caseworkers, fiscal employees, and directors. This allows participants to share information in a large group setting and also join breakout groups based on their work needs. For example, caseworkers can meet with other caseworkers and discuss nuances about how each tribe handles certain issues. It also allows employees to network and develop relationships, so they’re comfortable reaching out to their counterparts with questions, ideas, and best practices. 

When the Tribal Conversations started in 2011, the OCSE Region 7 team developed agendas, organized trainings, and secured speakers. Now each tribal director assigns a staff member to the Agenda Committee, which designs the bi-annual meeting agendas and secures speakers. This allows tribal grantees to prioritize topics that are most important to them.

OCSE has received positive feedback from tribal staff who enjoy the Tribal Conversations. “You get the opportunity to discuss case situations, discover outreach ideas, and learn best practices from other tribal programs encountering the same challenges you find yourself facing,” said Stacy Caudle, the former caseworker turned director of the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas. “These are some of my favorite meetings of the year, and I’ll be happy when we can start meeting in person again!”  

For more information, email roberta.coons@acf.hhs.gov.

Division of State and Tribal Systems, OCSE

Child support enforcement systems look a lot different today than they did in 2008 when a few states were migrating to web technologies. Now, OCSE has certified 15 state system solutions that use modern technologies and no longer rely on mainframes. Seventeen states are currently modernizing by replatforming/refactoring, building from scratch, creating transfer or hybrid solutions using other states’ components, or tailoring solutions using low code/no code techniques. An additional 14 states are in the planning phase, and five states have submitted a streamlined feasibility study for review and approval. 

We also support and oversee multiple Agile projects within the child support community. Two states follow an innovative method of Agile certification that an IV&V vendor can perform, which reduces the time for us to certify a state system. We engage with our state partners and provide a common platform to facilitate transfers and share ideas, technologies, and lessons learned.

Modernization resources

Statistics and data suggest that many legacy child support enforcement systems may be nearing the end of their lifecycles. Following the state systems symposium in February 2019, we completely revamped system feasibility study processes, guides, and templates. We’ve conducted multiple webinars to support the lifecycle process for states and tribes:

• Streamlined Feasibility Study (SFS) 
• Advance Planning Document (APD) 101/201
• Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)
• Procurement and Quality Management
• Federal Certification  

So, how do we anticipate modernization will evolve? Many states already migrated to cloud technologies, use modern languages (Java, C#, and .Net), employ open-source tools (Apache, ESB, Tomcat, WebLogic, OpenSSL, Struts, Linux), and are investigating ways to reduce development and lifecycle costs. More states may also migrate their family support services to statewide enterprise architectures to improve caseworker efficiencies and reduce overall lifecycle costs. Regardless of what comes next, OCSE is here to guide states as they improve their programs through modern technologies.

For more information, email Raghavan Varadachari or Danny Hutchison at OCSE.DSTS@acf.hhs.gov.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

As families and caregivers prepare their students for the new school year, well-child visits and routine immunizations should be on their back-to-school to-do lists. After all, healthy kids are better able to focus on learning .  

Each year, children lose out on valuable time in the classroom because of preventable illnesses, and many kids are also misdiagnosed with learning disabilities when they actually have undetected vision problems . Plus, the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency caused many children to miss out on routine immunizations that provide protection against preventable diseases like measles, mumps, and rubella. Regular well-child visits and preventive care are the best way to make sure kids don’t miss out on learning, but many families continue to lack access to these important services. 

The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign wants to remind parents and caretakers that enrolling in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides access to critical services such as immunizations, check-ups, eye exams, dental care, laboratory and X-ray services, and emergency services. Parents can enroll their child today or, if already covered, call their health provider to schedule an appointment to make sure kids are healthy and ready to learn. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone ages 6 months and older get vaccinated against COVID-19, and everyone 5 years and older should also get a COVID-19 booster, if eligible.

Benefits of Care

With health coverage, students can get the care they may need to fully participate in classroom, after-school, and summer activities. Enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP is open year-round; however, coverage must be renewed annually. Eligibility depends on household size and income and varies by state. For example, children up to age 19 with family income up to $50,000 per year (for a family of four) may qualify for Medicaid and CHIP. Visit the “Find Coverage for Your Family” map on InsureKidsNow.gov to access information in your state or call 1-877-KIDS-NOW (1-877-543-7669). Coverage must be renewed every year — even if no personal information has changed. Parents and caregivers should confirm the address, phone number, and email on file with your state Medicaid office, especially if they’ve moved in the last year. 

Help families start the school year off right by encouraging them to enroll in Medicaid and CHIP so kids and teens can get the care they need to keep learning.

OCSE issued recent guidance to help states and tribes develop and operate their child support programs according to federal laws and regulations:

• Children’s Bureau - OCSE Joint Letter on Updated Child Support Referral Policy (07/29/22)