From collaboration to triumph: The journey of tribal child support

Everyone likes to read a great story with a happy ending, particularly when children are involved.  Now in its 49th year, the nation’s Title IV-D child support program has many such stories. One of the best is that of the Tribal Child Support program.  

In 1996, Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act, which included funding for tribes to operate Title IV-D Child Support programs. Today, there are 61 federally recognized tribes and tribal consortia across 22 states working on behalf of tribal children. In fiscal year 2022, these tribes collected $51 million dollars in child support. Of this amount, 97% went to families. 

This program’s success was not the result of luck, nor did it happen overnight. It is a story of planning, collaboration and hard work. The Chickasaw Nation was one of nine tribes involved in a pilot program for the child support enforcement initiative. They hosted the first Tribal Child Support Enforcement Training Conference in 2001, which focused on the requirements of the interim rule for tribal child support enforcement.  

Based on the conference’s success, the National Tribal Child Support Association (NTCSA) was created. It continues to be a forum for education and collaboration, as well as discussion of regulations and best practices. The 2024 NTCSA Annual Training Conference will be held in Cherokee, North Carolina from June 16-20.  

Sandy Cloer, NTCSA President, is looking forward to the conference. 

 “This year’s program includes an emphasis on fatherhood,” she said. “We have two exciting speakers from national conferences, Willie Bell and Kenneth Braswell, scheduled to share their expertise. And Judge Ashleigh Parker of North Carolina, a highly regarded motivational speaker, is also on the program.” 

There will be many more sessions, all of which are available online at  https://supporttribalchildren.org/. 

The Conduent team will be on hand to learn from the speakers and to share information about our company. Alex Camacho and Zach Steed will be staffing the Conduent table in the Exhibit Area. 

The future of child support in tribal programs is bright. Each year additional programs are added to those who are federally certified and services are provided for more tribal children. 

The goals of all child support programs are the same. All recognize that welfare and the future of children are important. As states, counties, tribes, territories and countries work together for children, we can look forward to more success stories. 

Ready to discover how Conduent Child Support Services can help your agency deliver reliable, efficient and secure payments to parents while reducing costs and improving processes? Learn more now or contact an expert at Conduent.com