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News from www.hcjfs.org |
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A recap of some of the items recently posted on the agency's Web site |
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Child Support
Customers Can Receive e-Notification of Payments
e- Quickpay is a type of Mastercard debit card designed specifically for Ohio child support recipients. Approximately 28,000 child support cases in Hamilton County are paid via the card. Across the state, 350,000 custodial parents and caretakers have the cards. Customers can receive an e-mail notification of a deposit by calling 1-800-503-1283 and speaking with a customer service representative. They can also choose the option by signing into their account at www.e-quickpay.com. There is no charge for the service. "According to the state, on average, each child support recipient makes 13 contacts per month to determine if new deposits have been made into their accounts, so we see this new option as a time saver that will ease the frustration of the parents we serve," said Moira Weir, director of the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services, which includes the Child Support Enforcement Agency. "It is especially nice to be able to offer this benefit during National Child Support Month." Customers who receive child
support payments via Direct Deposit and want to switch to e-Quickpay
to take advantage of this benefit can do so by completing an e-Quickpay
enrollment form. Approximately 19,000 parents and caretakers in
Hamilton County receive Direct Deposit payments. The forms are
available by visiting
www.e-quickpay.com
or calling 946-7387
(SETS). Management Partners Inc. is leading the agency through a process that will include a Strategic Planning Open House in late October for people to comment on proposed goals and strategies. The process also includes a two-day workshop with managers, an employee survey and small-group interviews--as well as an environmental scan that explores Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT), mandates, demographics and trends of clients, partnerships, budget trends and other significant data. Strategic action goals
are to be refined in November and action plans in December. The plan
is to be finalized by mid-January. The Family and Adult Assistance (FAA) sections of the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services recently started the call center as part of customer service improvements.
Agency, partners win two Ohio best practice awards In the Library Initiative, Hamilton County JFS clients can drop off paperwork at 41 Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County branches. Library staff fax verification documents to the agency, saving clients time and money. The Sheriff Commissary Account Seizures program helps increase collections on hard-to-enforce child support cases involving parents frequently in jail. The agency created a partnership with the Sheriff’s Department to seize assets from jail inmates’ commissary accounts. More than $17,000 has been collected.
“I must say, I was quite surprised,” Ashmore said. “I’m extremely grateful to the directors throughout the state who thought I deserved this award. I don’t do things for the recognition – I do it for the good of the people.” The association represents Ohio's 88 county Departments of Job and Family Services directors. It communicates key issues and solutions regarding the delivery of social services to Ohio policymakers, legislators and other decision makers. The association created the President’s Award to recognize non-agency directors who have “provided invaluable service to the association and improve the quality of services county Department of Job and Family Services’ provide to the clients and communities, as well as strengthened the job and family service network.” John Fisher, director of Licking County JFS and current OJFSDA president, presented the award to Ashmore and three other honorees for “continually going above and beyond in their support and dedication to the Directors' Association.” “On numerous occasions, Jim has responded to requests of the association to take part in meetings and ad hoc committees with state officials and advocacy groups to represent the county perspective," the association stated. "He is highly respected by his peers and a tremendous resource to the county job and family service system.”
Child Support Amnesty Efforts
Successful To mark National Child Support month, Hamilton County’s Department of Job and Family Services offered amnesty throughout the month to more than 14,000 county residents who have had their driver’s licenses suspended for failing to pay child support. In the last week of the month, the county offered amnesty to some 3,000 county residents with child support-related warrants from the Juvenile and Domestic Relations courts. Nearly 150 drivers participated in the program and more than 250 with warrants participated. More than $33,000 was collected, but, just as importantly, those who participated are now re-engaged in the payment process. "Some people simply agreed to start paying and got
plugged back into the system so we know where they are," said Moira
Weir, director of the Department of Job and Family Services.
"Obviously, the most important thing for us is making sure these
children get the financial support they need, so sending someone to
jail or taking away their ability to drive to work is a last resort
for us. We want to work with them and encourage them to make their
payments." |
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Published monthly by HCJFS Communicatiions |
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