“A Conversation About Collaboration in Child Support,” written by APA staff is featured in the “Process Improvement” column of the December 2020-January 2021 Child Support Report, a monthly e‑newsletter published by the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE).
The article focuses on two issues that have engaged leaders from state child support enforcement agencies, payroll professionals with APA, and OCSE’s Employer Services team—collecting child support from independent contractors and improving compliance with new hire reporting.
Collecting From Independent Contractors
More states are passing laws on new hire reporting and withholding for child support from independent contractors. Employers must adapt procedures to ensure compliance. “Contractors are generally paid through employers’ accounts payable departments, which are not prepared to manage new hire reporting or withholding for child support,” APA said. “Payroll departments cannot easily process these contractors because systems are designed to consider employee withholding for taxes, benefits, and child support, which are generally not provided to independent contractors.”
Improving New Hire Reporting
Employers are required to report new hires. However, state child support directors say that new hire reporting rates remain low. One possible solution identified by APA is to simplify new hire reporting to allow employers to report through OCSE’s Child Support Portal. Another solution is to standardize reporting elements.
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Alice P. Jacobsohn, Esq. is Director of Government Relations for the APA.