Extending Child Support Cooperation Requirements: The State Perspective

Single parents are required to cooperate with child support enforcement activities to be eligible for some public assistance programs, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Medicaid. But for other assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, states have the flexibility to design policies that best meet the needs of their residents. Given renewed interest in expanding mandatory cooperation requirements, Mathematica and the National Conference of State Legislatures hosted a webinar on March 14, 2019, from 2 to 3 p.m. focused on using research and lessons from the field to better inform policy considerations about this topic.

Throughout this discussion, webinar attendees (1) heard the state perspective, (2) gained a better understanding of the key policy features of child support cooperation requirements, (3) learned about existing research and new research called for in the recently enacted 2018 Farm bill, and (4) reviewed challenges, and potential solutions for those challenges, among states implementing cooperation requirements.

Our expert presenters included the following:

• Lauren Antelo, Office of The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (moderator)
• Meghan McCann, senior policy specialist, NCSL
• Rebekah Selekman, researcher at Mathematica
• Erin Frisch, Title IV-D director for Michigan and director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Support
• Representative Peggy Webb, Montana State Legislature

About Mathematica

Mathematica is the insight partner that illuminates the path to progress for public- and private-sector changemakers. Reimagining the way the world gathers and uses data, we uncover the evidence that offers our partners the confidence and clarity they need to find out what can be done, how to make it happen, and where to go next. Our 1,200+ experts dive into urgent social challenges with rigor and objectivity to surface evidence and understanding that weathers the toughest tests. Mathematica. Progress together.

About NCSL

The National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan legislative research organization that serves legislators and legislative staff in all 50 states and the territories. NCSL is committed to the success of all legislators and staff with a mission to:

• Improve the quality and effectiveness of state legislatures.
• Promote policy innovation and communication among state legislatures.
• Ensure state legislatures a strong, cohesive voice in the federal system.