CT_March-April_2022_Mag_Web

n Child Support

collect information from them to initiate a modification. Corrections can be crucial in facilitating this communi- cation. For example, in a pilot program in Washington state, child support caseworkers who identify a parent on their caseload is incarcerated work with corrections to visit the incarcerated parent to confirm their information and help them complete the paperwork necessary for a modification. More than two-thirds of state child support agencies (42 states and territories) have established formal partnerships with justice agencies including local and state-level corrections departments. In fact, more than two-thirds of state child support agencies (42 states and territories) have established formal partnerships with justice agencies including local and state-level corrections departments. 3 For ex- ample, in Minnesota, child support has staff co-located in the Department of Corrections who focus on outreach and education for incarcerated parents. They conduct presentations and share information on the steps associ- ated with modifications. In Colorado, all incarcerated individuals receive a postcard during the intake process, which asks them if they have a child support order, the length of their sentence and whether they would like to seek a modification. These postcards are then sent back to the child support office in batches every two weeks. Additionally, in Colorado, office of child support staff received permission to bring a laptop and phone into the corrections facilities and meet with incarcerated parents individually to answer questions about their cases as part of their pre-release planning. The Colorado Depart- ment of Corrections (DOC) coordinates the meetings and ensures the parents are appropriate candidates for modi- fication. The child support agency has a memorandum of understanding with the DOC that outlines the purpose

Manual updates to share data can include lists or reports generated by the states’ department of corrections on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Other states access state corrections data through a non-public website or portal. For example, in California, child support staff have look-up access to the Department of Corrections Strategic Offender Management System, which contains data on incarcerated individuals housed in California state correc- tional facilities. Through a manual search, case managers can obtain information on incarceration status, date of incarceration and release dates (planned and actual). De- partments of corrections without similar data sharing in place may want to connect with their state child support offices to see how data could be shared to support mutual interests around increasing child support modifications for incarcerated parents. If there is already some form of data sharing in place, it may be helpful to reconnect with child support offices to assess how well the data elements being shared and method for sharing the data is meeting what is needed for child support modifications. Access to parents Once an incarcerated parent with a child support order has been identified, in most states, child support agencies need to connect with the parent directly in order to inform them about their right to file for a modification or to

32 — March/April 2022 Corrections Today