Collaboration Makes a Difference

A Look Inside OCSE - Story Series

Publication Date: December 10, 2019
Current as of:

Introduction

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OCSE regional offices host periodic trainings on financial management and federal reporting to ensure states and tribes comply with federal regulations and to help our grantees address program challenges and meet performance standards. This is one of many activities regional staff offer, working directly with state, local, and tribal child support offices.

Diverse tasks

Regional offices play an essential role in implementing, monitoring, and evaluating activities associated with planning and administering the child support program. Here are examples of routine tasks:

  • Perform timely and accurate reviews of state and tribal plans and OCSE waivers

  • Monitor state and tribal submissions of federally required reports and provide technical assistance as needed

  • Conduct research of child support enforcement statutes, regulations, and legislative history

  • Conduct site visits with grantees, and track and identify technical assistance activities with child support agencies

Each quarter, we analyze grantee-submitted statistical reports and offer recommendations or appropriate corrective action proposals for program improvement when needed.

We collaborate with our OCSE colleagues in the Office of Audit and Division of Federal Systems to provide child support grantee agencies with the best technical assistance on federal financial reporting. The data in these reports must be accurate so regional program specialists can provide effective strategies for improving state and tribal performance.

Assistance

We also schedule visits with state and tribal programs to meet with senior leadership and discuss best practices and challenges. Besides this work, we analyze and communicate new statutory and regulatory policy requirements and objectives.

Staff provide policy interpretations and share education on child support core services in response to public inquiries. We even find time to collaborate with program officials across jurisdictions about strategies and OCSE activities to help guide families toward self-sufficiency.

Overall, regional staff are subject matter experts. We serve as facilitators and technical leads on special projects involving shared program information, issues, and challenges child support offices experience in a multitude of areas, including financial reporting, urban jurisdiction, and intergovernmental matters.

About the Author

Tasha Brown is a program specialist in Region 4. For more information, contact the OCSE program specialist for your region.

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