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ACTS (Automated
Collections and Tracking system) - This statewide computer system tracks
CSE participant and case activities, stores participant and case
information, and performs automated activities to assist CSE caseworkers.
ACTS receives data from and shares data with more than thirty (30)
state, federal, and private agencies. This system helps to locate
more noncustodial
parents, establish more child
support orders, and collect more child support. AFDC
(Aid for Families with Dependent Children) - This Public Assistance program was
replaced by TANF.
DSS
used this program to provide financial assistance to qualifying
households for the maintenance of minor children. This document is used in the establishment
of paternity for a child who was born out of wedlock. The mother
and alleged
father sign this document to acknowledge
that they are the parents of the child(ren) in question. It can
be signed in the hospital at the time of birth or at other locations. A man who has been named as the father
of a child born out of wedlock, but has not been established as
the legal
father. Sometimes referred to
as the "putative father". If paternity testing confirms
that he is the biological
father of the child, the alleged
father is re-designated as the noncustodial
parent in the case. AOC
(Administrative Office of the Courts) - This agency is responsible for the
activities of the courts and local Clerks
of Court. See Noncustodial
parent (NCP). When a noncustodial
parent has
not paid all or part of the child support obligation that
the court has ordered him/her to pay, he/she is considered to be
"in arrears". The unpaid amount accrues as an "arrearage".
Arrearages are considered to be unadjudicated until the court
confirms the owed amount; then that amount is considered an adjudicated
arrearage. Clients who are receiving Public Assistance
are required to sign this document, which assigns their right to
receive child support to the Department
of Social Services (DSS). Basic
child support obligation - This is the amount of money used to
meet basic subsistence needs of food, clothing, shelter, medical,
transportation, and educational needs of a child, not extraordinary
expenses. It is determined based on the North Carolina Child Support
Guidelines.
This amount is calculated based on the combined income of both parents
and the number of children being counted. (The guidelines count
only the children for whom support is sought, not all of the children
that the parents might be supporting.) This is the natural or "birth"
father of a child. See alleged
father and legal
father. An individual who is assigned responsibility
for a number of CSE cases. See responsible
worker. See NCCSCC. The custodian
or caretaker for the minor child(ren), who is receiving CSE services. The collection of child support obligations
is a core service that is provided by the CSE agency. A written document filed in court to
initiate a legal action. The willful disregard of a court order. Child Support Enforcement (CSE) is
a nationwide program. In N.C., the Department
of Health and Human Services,
Division
of Social Services administers
the CSE Agency. CSENet
(Child Support Enforcement Network) - This nationwide communications network
links individual state CSE systems together and allows states to
exchange formation regarding paternity, location, establishment,
collection, and enforcement activities. Custodial
parent (CP)/ custodian - The person with physical custody or
with whom the child lives; this can be a parent, a relative, or
someone else. See Client. The condition when the noncustodial
parent is behind in his/her child
support payments. DHHS
(Department of Health and Human Services) - This agency administers social programs
for the State of North Carolina; it was previously known as the
Department of Human Resources (DHR). Child support payments that are obtained
directly from the noncustodial
parent's wages. The amount of the noncustodial
parent's income that remains after
deductions for federal, state and local taxes, Social Security,
and involuntary retirement contributions. The distribution of child support payments
is a core service that is provided by the CSE agency. Collections
from the payor
are directed to his/her case(s). DMA
(Division of Medical Assistance)- The agency within DHHS
that is responsible for the administration of the state medical
assistance program. An extended factor genetic test that
assists in determining the paternity of a child born out of wedlock.
See Paternity
testing. DSS
(Division of Social Services) - The Division of Social Services (DSS)
was designated by N.C. DHHS
to be responsible for the CSE program. County departments of social
services (also referred to as DSS) administer Public
Assistance programs. Some counties
have placed their CSE programs under the authority of county DSS. EFT
(Electronic funds transfer) - This is the movement of funds between
financial accounts through electronic means rather than paper documents
or hard currency. CSE can enter into agreements with employers and
other agencies to transfer funds electronically. With prior approval,
CSE can use EFT to make
direct deposits
to the bank account of child support recipients and
automatic bank drafts
from the bank accounts of child support payors. EIS
(Eligibility Information System) - This system maintains all of the data
that is related to a household's eligibility for Public
Assistance. EIS shares this data
with CSE through the EIS/ACTS interface. The enforcement of child support orders
is a core service that is provided by CSE. A variety of remedies
are used to enforce compliance with the order. The establishment of child support
orders is a core service that is provided by CSE. Caseworkers seek
to obtain a court order that requires the noncustodial
parent to provide financial support
for his/her child(ren). Foster Care provides financial assistance
for the care of children whose families cannot take care of them
adequately. North Carolina pays for this care through two programs:
N.C.
Foster Care (IV-E) and State
Foster Home Fund (SFHF). FPLS
(Federal Parent Locator Service) - An automated system devised and operated
by OCSE
with the purpose of searching federal government records to locate
noncustodial
parents. See Paternity
testing. A valid reason for failing to cooperate
with CSE's efforts to pursue child support payments from a noncustodial
parent. A request to claim good
cause is made to the Public Assistance worker. If it is granted,
CSE must decide whether to pursue support without assistance of
the custodian or close the case. Public
assistance programs provide financial
assistance grants to qualifying households. This money is generally
in the form of a TANF/
Work
First check or a Foster
Care payment. A standard method for setting child
support obligations based on the
income of the parent(s) and other factors as determined by state
laws. A method of collecting child support
in which an employer or other payor deducts the amount that is owed
from the noncustodial
parent's wages and remits it to
NCCSCC. A CSE case in which the involved parties
reside in different states AND a request for assistance is forwarded
to the other state's child support agency. "IV-A" refers to Title IV-A
of the Social Security Act. It is the federal law that provides
for the TANF
program. "IV-D" refers to Title IV-D
of the Social Security Act. It is the federal law that provides
for the CSE
program. "IV-E" refers to Title IV-E
of the Social Security Act. It is the federal law that provides
partial funding for N.C. Foster
Care cases. A man recognized as the legal father
due to marriage to the mother, by voluntary acknowledgment, or by
court order. See alleged
father and biological
father. A claim upon property to prevent its
sale or transfer until a debt is satisfied. Locating noncustodial
parents is a core service that
is provided by CSE. When CSE obtains an NCP's
residential or employment address, that person is considered to
be located. Means to obtain a paternity or support
order by serving an individual in another state when this state
has jurisdiction. MAO
(Medical Assistance Only) - A type of CSE cases in which Medicaid
is the only form of public
assistance that the client (or
child) is receiving. County departments of social services
(DSS)
provide this medical assistance program to households that meet
its eligibility requirements. The Division
of Medical Assistance (DMA) supervised
this program. The legal provision for an obligation
to provide health insurance coverage for a child. Motion
and Order to Show Cause - Court papers served on the noncustodial
parent requiring an appearance
in court before a judge to show why he/she should not be held in
contempt for failure to make court ordered child support payments. MPI
(Master Participant Index) Number - ACTS
assigns a unique MPI number to identify each participant in the
CSE computer system. This number also serves as financial account
number for that participant. NCCSCC
(North Carolina Child Support Centralized Collections) - The NCCSCC operation processes child
support payments for deposit into the State Treasurer's bank account
and transmits payment information daily into the ACTS
system. ACTS then distributes and disburses checks to child support
recipients. Failure of a Public
Assistance (PA) client to cooperate
with the CSE agency in the establishment of paternity and/or support.
Noncooperation could result in a reduction of the client's PA grant. The parent who does not have primary
custody of a child but who is responsible for paying financial support. Non-Public Assistance (NPA)
case - A case in which the child does not
receive public assistance in the form of TANF
or Medicaid. The amount that the responsible parent
is to pay as support and the manner in which it is to be paid. The "obligee" is the person
who is owed child support. See payee. The "obligor" is the person
who owes child support. See payor. OCSE
(Office of Child Support Enforcement) - The federal office that regulates child
support enforcement programs in the states. Visit this link for
more information about the
Federal Child Support
Enforcement Program. Establishing the paternity of child
who are born out of wedlock is a core service that is provided by
CSE. CSE determines who is the father of the child either through
voluntary acknowledgment or paternity
(genetic) testing. The procedure for obtaining scientific
evidence to aid in establishing a child's parentage. CSE agencies
use extended factor genetic tests, such as human leukocyte antigens
(HLA) or DNA tests to assist in determining paternity. The "payee" is the recipient
of a child support payment. See obligee. The "payor" is the person
who is responsible for providing a child support payment. See obligor. Past Paid Public Assistance (PPPA)
is the sum of financial assistance that a client
has received on behalf of his/her children from DSS. The Personal Responsibility and Work
Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) provides a number
of requirements for employers, public licensing agencies, financial
institutions, as well as state and federal child support agencies,
to assist in the location of noncustodial
parents and the establishment,
enforcement, and collection of child support. Financial assistance that is provided
through the Department
of Social Services (DSS) to households
that meet the eligibility requirements. A specified amount of money that the
noncustodial parent pays to the Clerk of Court to avoid a jail sentence. See alleged
father. Health insurance coverage that is available
through the employer or other group health insurance is considered
reasonable in cost. An enforcement remedy for an Interstate
case where a court order is enforced in the noncustodial
parent's state. The cancellation or revocation of an
admission of paternity that was made by signing the Affidavit
of Parentage. Either parent can
rescind paternity by filing a motion with the Clerk
of Court. The individual to whom CSE
has assigned a caseload or specific set of tasks or duties. SFHF
(State Foster Home Fund) - A program that is funded by the State
of North Carolina and its counties to provide for the needs of minor
children whose families cannot take care of them. Children in SFHF
Foster Care must be evaluated to determine if they are eligible
for Medicaid.
Most are found eligible, but if they are not, their cases are referred
to as "DSS custody" cases. Also see Foster
Care. Outlines special needs of the child(ren)
such as physical and emotional health needs, day care costs, or
needs related to the child's age and changes in custody status. TANF (Temporary Assistance
to Needy Families) - This public
assistance program replaced the
AFDC
program. In N.C., TANF is administered through the Work
First Family Assistance (WFFA)
program. The seizure of a noncustodial
parent's federal or state tax
refund to apply towards past due child support. UIB
(Unemployment Insurance Benefits) - Financial assistance received by an
individual during periods of unemployment. The benefit amount is
based on the individual's previous earnings. This law by which Interstate
cases are processed was adopted by all states in 1996. It superceded
URESA. The Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement
of Support Act (URESA) was an act that provided for the establishment
and enforcement of child support orders across state lines. URESA
was superceded by UIFSA
in 1996. Unreimbursed public assistance (URPA)
is the portion of Public
Assistance paid to the client
which has not been reimbursed through child support collections.
VSA
(Voluntary Support Agreement) - Obligors can sign a voluntary agreement
to provide support for their children without a court hearing; however,
once the judge signs a VSA, it is becomes a court order. WFFA
(Work First Family Assistance) - "Work First" is the program
through which N.C. administers the federally funded TANF
program. Work First payments are made to custodians
(most often a parent) on behalf of dependent children on or about
the first day of each month. Back
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