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Department
of Human Services Families
First Online Policy Manual Child Support Cooperation |
Revised: |
26.7 |
PROCEDURES |
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The Families First child support
cooperation and assignment requirements, good cause process and penalties
must be explained to the applicant/recipient at the time that the Personal
Responsibility Plan is presented to him/her.
In addition, a Tennessee Child Support Handbook will be given to the
caretaker for future reference. If the individual is receiving child support, the caseworker will
document the amount of child support paid, up to the monthly current court
ordered obligation, on the eligibility and case management system screen for
unearned income. The income will remain
on that screen as long as the absent parent continues to pay the child
support, even after the money is being sent to the state. This will ensure that the income is
budgeted properly at application or if an income change is subsequently
reported. The Budget Effective Date on
the absent parent screens will prevent the income from being counted in the
ongoing Families First and Food Stamp budgets. Upon approval of the Families First benefits, the information provided
about the absent parents and good cause is transmitted to Child Support
Services by the eligibility and case management system when the appropriate
information is entered on the eligibility and case management system absent
parent screens. Any changes to this
information after approval will also be transmitted electronically to Child
Support Services. In addition, the
eligibility and case management system notifies Child Support Services when
the Families First case is closed at the end of the adverse action period so
that they can notify the caretaker about the status of the child support case
and notify the court that current child support should be sent directly to
the caretaker. Individuals seeking child support for children who do not receive
Families First benefits can obtain child support services through IV-D Child
Support Services. The address and
telephone number for the appropriate |
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