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of these meetings and the respective roles each agency plays. Similarly, in Washington state’s pilot program with the Washington Corrections Center (WCC), a child sup- port enforcement officer meets with eligible individuals to help them complete the required modification paper - work. According to the state child support office, staff are meeting with about 97% of incarcerated fathers who are eligible for a modification within two weeks of their incarceration at WCC. They believe this has resulted in greater modifications of support orders. These examples highlight how departments of corrections can consider facilitating in-person connections between incarcerated parents and child support offices. During times when in-person communication is not possible, such as due to COVID-19, departments of corrections may want to consider partnering with child support offices to facilitate and cover the costs of having incarcerated parents connect with child support staff through phone or video. Building and maintaining relationships with child support To successfully share data on incarcerated parents and connect these parents with child support staff, a partner- ship first has to be established between corrections and your state or county child support office. Strategies for building and maintaining partnerships with child support and other relevant agencies in your community include: –– Holding regular gatherings and keeping the dialogue open. Keep an open line of communication with partners through regular meetings or conver- sations, as meeting regularly can be important for sustaining partnerships over time. Both formal and informal opportunities are important and can be as simple as gathering for shared trainings or informa- tion sessions. For example, the District of Columbia hosts “partner mixers” for partners across agencies and sectors. –– Teaching your partners about what you do. Upon embarking on a new partnership with an agency with a different focus, try to learn about them and their agency in addition to sharing about your agency. Provide a mini presentation to new partners (or even old ones) to help them understand what you do, the information you do and do not have on the indi- viduals in your facility and bridge the gap between

organizations. Sharing with partners about your work, the individuals you serve, and your mission helps partners identify opportunities for working together. –– Finding shared goals. Approximately 20% of in- carcerated individuals have child support orders that were established before their incarceration, mean- ing correctional facilities and child support offices are serving many of the same people. 8 Emphasizing your mutual populations and goals, such as having parents avoid recidivism upon release and sup- port their children, can help establish and sustain these partnerships. As one child support agency put it, “Whatever we have in common, I am willing to work with you on.” Shared goals are important because they help find commonalities and highlight opportunities to work together in the future and al- low for more concrete collaboration. Potential shared goals of corrections and child support: – Reduce rates of recidivism – Increase formal employment among parents upon release – Facilitate parents supporting their children

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