Open letter from the Maryland government
Staff Writer
2008-08-18
.bugnews.bloggieblog.com .
This is an open letter from the Maryland State Government. At this point in time, Streetroachpics.com will just post the letter and provide a follow up down the road.
Dear Mr. Smith:
Thank you for your correspondence to Governor Martin O’Malley regarding the Prince George’s County Task Force to Improve Child Support Compliance. The Governor has received your correspondence, and appreciates that you have shared your concerns and suggestions for improving the child support program. Since the Child Support Enforcement Administration (CSEA) is part of the Maryland Department of Human Resources, the Governor has asked me to respond on his behalf.
I, too, wish to thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts about child support. One of our goals at CSEA is to provide the best possible services to families. As you noted in your letter, the Prince George’s County Task Force was comprised of members with extensive knowledge and experience in the field of child support. You will be happy to know that, as a result, the Task Force looked at all of the issues involved within the Child Support program.
The purpose of the Task Force was to improve the lives of children through greater noncustodial parent (NCP) compliance with their child support order. Therefore, many of the recommendations of the Task Force report include initiatives to assist noncustodial parents in doing so. For example, the report recommends expanding the Noncustodial Parent Employment Program (NPEP) for unemployed and underemployed parents to offer employment that affords these parents a “livable wage”. Another initiative would encourage NCPs to request a review of their child support order for possible modification based on their present ability to pay, and thereby improve compliance. In the end, the Task Force recommended ways to assist both parents in their efforts to improve the lives of their children.
The Task Force was also to consider the option of privatizing child support enforcement services. Through its analysis, the Task Force concluded that “after considering other variables, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each respective child support enforcement operation …there is no empirical evidence showing an advantage of Privatization over Public-run operations.”
The Prince George’s County Task Force to Improve Child Support Compliance was required by law to send its report to the Governor and General Assembly. The Task Force report does not require the Governor to vote on its findings. But I, Secretary Brenda Donald, along with Governor Martin O’Malley will take into consideration the recommendations of the report.
On behalf of Governor O’Malley, I thank you again for your correspondence. In the future, please do not hesitate to contact me regarding any programs or services administered by the Department of Human Resources.
Sincerely,
Brenda Donald Secretary