In July, the APA participated in the National Council of Child Support Directors’ Employer Symposium in Boston. The agenda included managing lump-sum payments, creating a national employer database, and enhancing communication capabilities.
Lump-Sum Payments
APA members identified payroll processing problems with withholding from lump-sum payments for child support, which include inconsistent reporting requirements among states and delays in response from agencies that may cause a lag in the payment to employees.
Despite the burden on employers and payroll departments to manage lump-sum payments for child support, APA’s position is not to oppose states collecting from these payments to support children and families. Ideally, a state will adopt model legislation developed with APA’s support.
National Employer Database
States identify information on employers and employees for purposes of child support through many federal and state data systems. During the symposium, several states said the process of collecting and storing information is inefficient. Yet, the idea of developing a national employer database all states could use seems daunting. For APA, payroll professionals are concerned a national database would create an added reporting burden for employers.
Enhanced Communication Capabilities
Symposium attendees identified areas of child support in which enhanced communication capabilities are needed. Some employers do not have the computer resources necessary to take advantage of the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement’s Child Support Portal and Communication Center. Better communication is also needed in private cases.
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Alice P. Jacobsohn, Esq., is Director of Government Relations for the APA.