Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 006 - Department of Finance and Administration › Division 25 - Office of Child Support Enforcement › Rule 006.25.12-002 - Policy Manual

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND
  INFORMATION
On January 4, 1975, Congress enacted Public Law
				93-647. The law amended Title IV of the Social Security Act by creating
	 a new Part D, "Child Support and Establishment of Paternity." Part D imposes
	 obligations on the states in order for their federal grants under Title IV to
	 continue at an unreduced level, and it establishes conditions of eligibility
	 for Transitional Employment Assistance (TEA) recipients. Title IV-D, as
	 amended, authorizes the enforcement of child support obligations owed by
	 noncustodial parents to their children, locating parents, establishing
	 paternity, and obtaining child support and medical support. These objectives
	 are based on the belief that all children are entitled to have their parents
	 identified and to receive support from both parents.
1.2
AUDIENCE
The Office of Child Support Enforcement Policy Manual is the official
	 statement of policy used by staff in implementing the Child Support Enforcement
	 Program in Arkansas.
1.3
PURPOSE
The purpose of the Child Support Enforcement Policy Manual is to set
	 forth agency policy utilized in the implementation of the Child Support
	 Enforcement program.
1.4
PREPARATION OF THE MANUAL
Policy for the Child Support Enforcement Policy Manual is developed and
	 promulgated pursuant to State law.
NOTE: The codification of general and permanent rules, as
	 published in the Code of Federal Regulations by the executive departments and
	 agencies of the Federal Government, as well as Federal and State Law,
	 supersedes policy set forth in the Arkansas Office of Child Support
	 Enforcement's Policy Manual.
The OCSE policy manual will be available on the OCSE website at
www.childsupport.arkansas.gov
until it is superseded. The superseded manual will be retained in agency files
	 for three years as required by State law.
1.5
STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM
Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) is state-administered and
	 state-operated within the Division of Revenue, Department of Finance and
	 Administration (DFA). Other sections of DFA that provide support services for
	 OCSE include Administrative Services, Information Services, Personnel
	 Management, Driver Services, Motor Vehicle, Revenue Legal Counsel, State Income
	 Tax, State Procurement, Accounting, Budget, Intergovernmental Services, and
	 Employee Benefits.
OCSE is the single and separate organizational unit responsible for
	 administering the IV-D Program under the State Plan. The unit, supervised by
	 the Administrator of OCSE, consists of Central Office support staff, field
	 staff, and Arkansas Child Support Clearinghouse staff.
1.6
OCSE CENTRAL OFFICE
The Central Office for OCSE includes the Administrator and Management
	 Staff who are charged with responsibility for specified areas. Operational
	 functions are performed by Finance and Administration, Information Systems,
	 Policy, Program Review, Communication and Outreach, General Counsel, Customer
	 Service, Collections, and Program Support. The function of Central Office staff
	 is to provide the necessary support services for field staff and to administer
	 the program at the state level.
1.7
FIELD STAFF
Under direction of the Operations Manager, Field Managers are
	 responsible for supervising the Regional and Extension Office Supervisors.
	 Regional and Extension Office Supervisors are responsible, under the direction
	 of the Field Managers, for supervising the field staff. The field staff are
	 responsible for locating noncustodial parents and obtaining the information
	 necessary to initiate administrative procedures to enforce orders or support
	 legal action pursuant and limited to the purpose of the IV-D Program. The field
	 staff work closely with the legal staff to ensure appropriate information is
	 available to support the necessary legal action to collect child and medical
	 support or establish paternity. OCSE attorneys do not represent either the
	 custodial party or noncustodial parent, but rather the State's interest in
	 seeing that children are provided for financially.
1.8
THE ARKANSAS CHILD SUPPORT
  CLEARINGHOUSE
OCSE operates a centralized state disbursement unit for processing all
	 child support payments for Title IV-D cases and payments remitted through
	 income withholding in non-Title IV-D cases. The unit operates under the
	 supervision of the Arkansas Child Support Clearinghouse Manager.
Services provided by the Arkansas Child Support Clearinghouse are
	 limited by federal regulation. Persons who do not have an open enforcement case
	 (i.e., those who have a payment processing case) will receive the following
	 services:
* Update the custodial party's address upon written request.
* Respond to inquiries regarding lost, stolen or destroyed checks
	 issued by the Clearinghouse.
* Provide payment histories upon the request of either party.
* Respond to calls regarding payments received and disbursed.
* Pursuant to federal rules, OCSE will provide a new income withholding
	 notice redirecting payments to the Arkansas Child Support Clearinghouse based
	 upon a request from an employer and after notice to the obligor and
	 obligee.