Indiana preparing to step up child support enforcement against out-of-state parents

Oct. 12--A federal grant awarded to the Indiana Department of Child Services aims to improve child support collections on behalf of Hoosier kids who have a parent living outside Indiana.

The $170,000 award to the DCS Child Support Bureau (CSB) will fund caseworker training in customer service skills, software use, communications and case processing efficiency across jurisdictions.

"We're incredibly excited to have been awarded this opportunity to learn and grow," said DCS Director Terry Stigdon.

"This will provide helpful insight to enable CSB and county child support offices to implement well-tested case-processing tools, while also driving important policy decisions to help even more families statewide."

The grant was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Child Support Enforcement, which provides money for programs that seek to ensure children have the financial support of both parents, regardless of whether they live together.

"We will use what we learn from this grant to continue our role as a national leader in child support enforcement innovation and continue to positively impact child support for all Hoosier children," said CSB Director Adam Norman.

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