STRATIFICATION
•
The aim of stratification is to segment
non-custodial parents based on their
ability and willingness to support their
children, and to use this segmentation to
better support non-custodial parents who
lack the ability to pay while making more
effective use of traditional enforcement
measures where appropriate.
• Stratification involves the assessment and
treatment of non-custodial parents based
on selected criteria. We recognize that
NCPs have:
• Different motivations for making child
support payments
• Different financial abilities to pay support
• Have different service needs
Variables for Stratifying Cases
• Stratum 1: Paying Cases – “Willing and Able”
• Paying Cases generally have a higher motivation to pay
and higher ability to pay. For these cases we would
continue to monitor to ensure ongoing compliance. The
intent is to jump on these cases as soon as there is an
indication that there MAY be a problem. We employ the
strategies from the Getting Results: Collection and
Negotiation Training to the cases in this stratum, and
then refer them as necessary for contempt action if that
is unsuccessful.
TARGET CASES: Paying Cases
“Willing and Able”
Monitor to ensure ongoing compliance
Early intervention for missed payments
Stratum 2: Targeting Cases – “Unwilling but
Able”
These cases have a low motivation to pay yet a
higher ability to pay. We take traditional enforcement
actions on these cases.
TARGET CASES: Not paying as ordered
“ Unwilling but Able”
Traditional enforcement
Collection Calls
Stratum 3: Active Monitoring Cases –
“Unwilling and Unable”
These cases include NCPs who are incarcerated,
receiving public assistance or disability, filed
bankruptcy or for whom we need to find an
address and/or employer. We will monitor these
cases for a change in status, locate and
automated enforcement.
Active Monitoring - “Unwilling and Unable”
• Monitor for change in status, locate,
automated enforcement
• Bankruptcy, incarceration, disability,
receiving benefits
• Stratum 4: Teaming Cases – “Willing and
Unable”
• For these cases, we make referrals to community
services to help the NCPs overcome barriers to
payment. The intent is to begin developing a
relationship with the NCP to bolster his ability to
support himself and his children, and to develop a
willingness to communicate and cooperate with
the child support staff.
Teaming Cases “Willing and Unable”
• Referrals to community services to help overcome barriers
to payment
• High “touch” required
• Stratification mainly changes who handles what cases,
introduces a greater emphasis on early intervention and
direct contact with the NCP, and also adds the element of
supportive services for the NCPs in Stratum Four. How
you handle traditional enforcement will not change, and
your reliance on ACTS to record all activities will also not
change.
• Stratification must complement ACTS, policies and
procedures. Therefore, Specialists’ focus on quality case
reviews and critical state worklist items must be preserved.
Where ACTS does not support the recording of actions in
a trackable and auditable fashion, we have developed
macros as part of document generation activities to record
those activities.
• Moving Cases from One Stratum to Another
• We are preserving the segmentation of
cases in ENFA and ENFJ status. Cases
move to ENFJ when referred by an ENFA
worker. At this point initial collection
activities have proved ineffective, or the
case requires review and modification
activities
PAYMENT REMINDER LETTER
Send Payment Reminder Letter. Payment Reminder letter is designed to
open lines of communication with an NCP who the Program Specialist was
unable to contact by telephone. This NCP has been identified as not “paying
as ordered”.
Generate A Call Me Letter with the following text:
One goal of Onslow Child Support Office is to help parents who have
difficulty making child support payments. We are concerned that you are not
making your payments in full or have missed a payment. Please call us at
910-938-3563 within 10 days to discuss how to get back on track. Payment
options are: check or money order to: NC Centralized Collections, PO Box
900006, Raleigh, NC 27675-9006 or online at www.NCCHILD SUPPORT
.COM. Payments must include your name, SSN and/or MPI #. If you have
had a significant change in your financial situation, a modification of your
order may be warranted. Please let us help you meet your responsibility for
your child(ren).
COMMITMENT LETTER
•
Send an NCP Commitment Letter. The purpose of the NCP Commitment
letter is to reinforce with the NCP that a payment commitment has been
made, to memorialize the terms of the commitment (payment amount and
date-certain for payment) and to notify the NCP of the potential
consequences of failing to fulfill the commitment.
•
Generate a Call Me Letter and enter the following text:
In my recent phone call with you, you made a commitment to pay
$_________ by __________. This is a reminder of the commitment. Failure
to make this payment on or before ___________ may result in legal action
being taken on your case. There are two payment options for your
convenience: 1) check or money order to: NC Centralized Collections,PO
Box 900006, Raleigh, NC 27675-9006 or 2) online payment at
www.NCCHILDSUPPORT .COM.Please include your name, SSN and MPI
# listed above when submitting payments. I look forward to hearing from
you. Thank you for your assistance and
COLLECTION LETTER
Send the Collection Letter. The purpose of the Collection Letter is
to alert the NCP that s/he is not in compliance with her/his support
obligation; to communicate that the office is willing to work with him,
but also to inform him of the possible negative consequences
resulting from that noncompliance.
Generate a Call Me Letter with the following text:
You are behind in making your child support payments. This letter is
to remind you that you are responsible for making sure your child
support gets paid – even if your employer has been ordered to
deduct child support from your paycheck. If you are having trouble
making your payments, please ask us for help. When your support
is not paid on time, you run the risk of having a legal action filed
against you in court or other action taken, such as license
suspension. Please, do what’s right for your child(ren) and yourself.
Contact me at the number below.
THANK YOU LETTER
The purpose of the Thank You Letter is to reinforce positive behavior
when NCP complies with the commitment terms or brings case
into compliance without court action in response to the Reminder
or Collection Letter
Generate Call Me Letter with following text:
Thank you for your recent child support payment. Your prompt payment
shows your commitment and concern as a parent. We at Onslow
County Child Support applaud you for this effort. Please remember
consistent and timely payments benefit your child(ren) the most, at this
vital time in their life.
We are here to help you. Please call us in the future if you need
assistance at 910-938-3563.