Bush Administration Says Cooperation with Private Agencies in Best Interest of Custodial Parents
National Coalition for Child Support Options Applauds HHS For Protecting Enforcement Options

For Immediate Release
December 23, 2002

Richmond,VA ---- The National Coalition for Child Support Options (NCCSO) announced today that it is very pleased with recent policy clarifications issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Child Support Enforcement (OSCE). Earlier today, OSCE Commissioner Sherri Heller, issued several guidelines to state child support program administrators nationwide asking them to work in cooperation with private agencies in an effort to more effectively address the growing problem of uncollected child support.

The NCCSO has been calling for greater cooperation between state and private child support enforcement agencies. A handful of states have begun interfering with custodial parents’ rights to get help from private agencies -- even when the state agency has been unable to assist them.

"When states are closing the door on one out of two custodial parents, they have a responsibility to ensure that there is another door open someplace else," stated NCCSO President Susan Williams. "With its action today, the federal OSCE is putting some teeth into that statement."

The federal guidelines distributed by HHS Commissioner Heller today referred to a recent GAO report on the practices of state and private child support agencies and cited findings that private agencies are equipped to handle some of the toughest cases. The guidelines demonstrated the OSCE’s position that custodial parents are best served when more resources are available to them.

"My state’s agency completely failed me. Since my child’s father lived out of state, I had a difficult case. I would have never gotten any of my support if I hadn’t hired a private agency, said Margo Johnson, a NCCSO member. "I am happy that the states are able to help some parents, but I think they owe it to those of us they can’t help to make other options available."

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The National Coalition for Child Support Options (NCCSO) is a coalition of more than 3,000 parents, concerned citizens, community and business leaders, attorneys and members of the child support enforcement community who have joined to fight the national epidemic of unpaid child support.

NCCSO advocates enforcement options so that custodial parents have several resources available to them when seeking child support collection assistance. NCCSO membersdo this by reaching out to the media, decision-makers and the general public to educate them about threats to the existence of these options and choices.

For more information, please visit the web site www.childsupportoptions.org or call 1-866-244-1946.