Child Support Enforcement: Timely Action Needed to Correct System Development Problems
IMTEC-92-46
Published: Aug 13, 1992. Publicly Released: Sep 14, 1992.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Health and Human Services' oversight of states' efforts to develop automated systems for child support enforcement programs, focusing on the Office of Child Support Enforcement's (OCSE) actions.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Office of Child Support Enforcement | The Director, OCSE, should require states to implement needed corrective actions for federally funded systems when problems are first identified. |
Closed – Implemented
The HHS Office of Child Support Enforcement believes that its actions have been timely, but it also acknowledges that it has the authority to suspend projects, and will do so in the future, if warranted. The agency will be the subject of a follow-on review, so GAO will close this recommendation.
|
| Office of Child Support Enforcement | In those instances in which major problems endanger the system's success or prevent it from meeting federal program requirements, the Director, OCSE, should use existing authority to suspend further federal funding until the state can demonstrate that it has corrected the problems. |
Closed – Implemented
The HHS Office of Child Support Enforcement believes that its actions have been timely, but it also acknowledges that it has the authority to suspend projects, and will do so in the future, if warranted. The agency will be the subject of a follow-on review, so GAO will close this recommendation.
|
| Office of Child Support Enforcement | The Director, OCSE, should establish and implement a policy requiring the systems division to pursue resolution of system deficiencies identified by the office of audit, as part of its oversight of states' development of automated systems. |
Closed – Implemented
HHS has taken action to address improved collaboration between OCSE audit and system divisions.
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Topics
Audit reportsChild support paymentsCost sharing (finance)state relationsInformation systemsIntergovernmental fiscal relationsLaw enforcementState-administered programsFederal fundingData automation