RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF INCREASED COUNTY CHILD SUPPORT FUNDING

Background: Sauk County administers the Child Support Enforcement Program on behalf of the state, providing services to Sauk County residents including paternity establishment, obtaining child support and health insurance orders for children, and enforcing and modifying those orders. It is understood that parents who provide financial and emotional support to their children enhance their children’s well-being, economic security, and success. Sauk County’s Child Support Agency ensures that parents take responsibility for the care and well-being of their children, supports the involvement of parents in their children’s lives, and provides services to both custodial and noncustodial parents. Wisconsin’s Child Support Program is incredibly cost-effective, collecting an average of $6.20 in support for every dollar invested in the program and during 2019, county child support agencies in Wisconsin collected $935 million in child support and established 98,405 health insurance orders for Wisconsin children. However, an abrupt federal interpretation change in June 2019 eliminated $4.2 million in federal birth cost recovery matching funds for Wisconsin. In addition, state funding for county child support services has failed to keep up with county agency costs, which have steadily increased due to growing caseloads, inflation and new federal regulation. As a result, Wisconsin’s Child Support Program has fallen from second in the nation for collecting current support to fifth in the nation and Wisconsin’s decreased performance has led to the state losing out on an estimated $70,000 in potential federal incentive payments between Calendar Year 2019 and 2020. Wisconsin’s strong performance in child support is at risk without additional state funding. A diminished performance by county child support agencies would result in reduced federal funding to Wisconsin and decreased federal funding would lead to less funding for Sauk County’s child support agency. This could lead to reductions in child support staff, child support services, and reduced child support collections. The economic security and social service programs provided by Sauk County Child Support Agency are needed by Wisconsin children and families now more than ever due to the economic downturn caused by COVID-19. Any new state investments in child support are amplified by a generous federal match, as every $1 of state GPR invested in the Child Support Program generates roughly $2 in federal matching funds.