CODES/REFERENCES

Title IV-E of the Social Security Act Section 471(a)(17)

REQUIREMENTS

The Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) shall:

1. Take all appropriate steps, including cooperative efforts with the state/tribal agencies administering the plans approved under Titles IV-A and D, to secure an assignment of support on behalf of each child receiving foster care maintenance payments under Title IV-E.
2. Refer parents of children entering foster care to the Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) for a determination of their financial obligation to their child in foster care.
3. Work collaboratively with DCSS to obtain payment histories on non-custodial parents and information through the Federal Parent Locator Service.
4. Refrain from referring parents to DCSS in the following situations:
   
    
   1. The child is in the permanent custody of DFCS.
   2. The children have been returned home at the time the eligibility determination is completed; i.e., children were returned home at the 72-hour hearing.
   3. Children receive Adoption Assistance benefits.
   4. The parents are unknown.

PROCEDURES

The Social Services Case Manager (SSCM) will:

1. Enter the parent’s demographic information into the Person Detail page in Georgia SHINES.
2. Inform the parents of their continuing obligation to support their child in foster care. Discuss the following:
   
    
   1. Their financial responsibility for expenses incurred by the state in serving their child.
   2. Their responsibility for providing health care coverage (if available and/or reasonable in cost).
   3. Cooperating with DCSS to determine their obligation based on applicable child support law, including being subpoenaed to court if they fail to cooperate.
3. Notify the Revenue Maximization (RevMax) Specialist (RMS) of an existing juvenile court order for support and upload the court order into External Documentation in Georgia SHINES. NOTE: DCSS agents must usually establish a new support order through Superior Court.
4. Enter a newly named putative father in the Person Detail page in Georgia SHINES.
5. Notify RevMax via a Notification of Change (NOC) in Georgia SHINES of a new putative father to refer to the DCSS. Notate in the comments section that a new non-custodial parent has been added to the person detail page (see Forms and Tools: SHINES Job Aid- Child Support Referral Process in Georgia SHINES). NOTE: DCSS will only consider one putative father at a time.
6. Notify RevMax via a NOC in Georgia SHINES of the following information to exchange with DCSS:
   
    
   1. An updated Person Detail page for an alleged parent.
   2. Effective date of child’s return home.
   3. Effective date of termination of parental rights or voluntary surrenders.
   4. Employment status of the parents and any changes.
   5. Funding eligibility status of child.

The RMS will:

1. Refer the parents to the DCSS via Georgia SHINES as part of the eligibility determination for medical assistance and IV-E, if there is no existing juvenile court order for support.
2. Refer any new alleged parent to DCSS, once notified via NOC in Georgia SHINES.
3. Review funding determination and enter the correct funding source in the Eligibility Summary Page in Georgia SHINES any time changes are reported.

The Social Services Supervisor (SSS) will:

1. Review the case record in Georgia SHINES to ensure:
   
    
   1. Parents are referred to DCSS.
   2. Completion of the NOC in Georgia SHINES when a new putative father is identified or when changes to the parents’ or child’s situation become known.
2. Provide guidance to the SSCM, as needed.

PRACTICE GUIDANCE

Child Support Collections

All child support collected is processed through the DCSS computer system ($TARS) for accounting and distribution purposes. In IV-E cases, federal regulations require that a certain portion of child support payments be remitted to the federal government. When DFCS has custody, funds are forwarded to the county department for the child to be utilized for the child’s care. Any remaining funds may be deposited in a restricted funds account for the child (see Field Fiscal Services Financial Part 2 Manual 2403 Financial Section II: Restricted Funds - Children regarding restricted funds).

DCSS is dependent on the SSCM for sharing critical updates that may impact the collection and or distribution of any collected payments. For example, an active child support case involves an absent father on whom the court has terminated parental rights and the child has been adopted. Upon notification by the SSCM via Georgia SHINES interface that rights have been terminated and the child has been adopted, collection activities for current support from that parent will cease; however, DCSS may continue collection until any amount in arrears is

satisfied.

Federal Parent Locator Services

Federal Parent Locator Services are beneficial to DFCS in locating absent parents and identifying extended family members of a child for whom DFCS is making placement and/or permanency plans. DCSS may share the following information with DFCS on a custodial parent, non-custodial parent or putative father:

1. Person’s name.
2. Person’s address.
3. Social Security Number.
4. Employer’s name.
5. Employer’s address.
6. Federal Employer Identification Number.
7. Wages, income and benefits of employment, including healthcare coverage.
8. Type, status, location and amount of any assets or debts owed by or to, any such individual.

NOTE: When locating a relative for title IV-E/IV-B program purposes, DCSS may only share the first six listed above.

Paternity

In conjunction with a case that has been referred for full DCSS services where paternity is an issue, DCSS will arrange and pay for DNA testing. However, if the putative father tested is the biological father, he will be required to pay for the testing. Any other need by the county department to establish paternity; e.g., in preparation for filing a Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) petition, identification of a placement resource, etc., will require DFCS to schedule and pay for the testing.

The SSCM should notify the putative father of his responsibility to contact DCSS regarding paternity testing while simultaneously notifying RevMax of the need to refer the father to DCSS.

Payment Histories

Documentation of the payment history of parents may be useful information in preparing for a review, building a case for TPR or documenting evidence for a court hearing.

FORMS AND TOOLS

Child Support Referral Process in Georgia SHINES – Job Aide