Research Findings on Making Child Support Safe for Victims of Domestic Violence

DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER

DCL-01-26

Date: MAY 22, 2001

TO: ALL IV-D DIRECTORS

RE: Dissemination of Research Findings on Making Child Support Safe for Victims of Domestic Violence in Four Study States

Dear Colleague:

This memorandum disseminates the executive summary of the "Making Child Support Safe: Coordinating Child Support and Public Assistance Agencies in Their Response to Domestic Violence  (PDF)" study funded by the Office of Child Support Enforcement. A brief summary of the report's major findings appears below:

1. Tapping the expertise of specialized staff can help address domestic violence concerns. Three types of specialized staff to assist domestic violence victims are specialized public assistance caseworkers, child support staff, and external domestic violence experts.
2. Supporting local cross-training efforts can deepen understanding among agencies.
3. Tying information systems together can help protect client safety.
4. State sponsorship of domestic violence providers' participation in policy planning adds expertise to the process.
5. Local staff participation in planning or reviewing policies and procedures helps to address operational concerns.

If you have any questions or would like to have the full report, please contact the OCSE Division of Planning, Research, and Evaluation.

Sincerely,

Frank Fuentes
Acting Commissioner
Office of Child Support Enforcement