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Financial Institution Data Match Pushes Collections Even Higher
OKLAHOMA CAPITOL --- For the first time, Oklahoma’s child support enforcement collected more than $13 million every month for fiscal year 2003. This amounted to an all-time record of more than $165 million in total collections, beating last year’s collections by more than $22 million.
“Everyone’s working harder than ever to make sure Oklahoma’s children are provided for,” said Ray Weaver, Director, Oklahoma Department of Human Services Child Support Enforcement Division. “But there are three big reasons for this increase is the Financial Institution Data Match and community awareness programs to inform people that interest accrues on unpaid child support and updating child support orders to appropriate levels.”
The Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM) is a centralized, automated computer system that allows child support enforcement to reach accounts of delinquent parents that were previously unreachable.
The FIDM goes into effect when a parent is delinquent on an amount equal to their total payments for 90 days. The FIDM computer system matches information to identify financial accounts held by delinquent parents. Once a match is made, that money is seized and placed toward the back child support payments.
“We’ve collected anywhere from a nickel to upwards of $42,000 at once,” said Weaver. “We’re not only able to collect from people who are hiding resources we’ve never been able to find, we’re also able to collect large sums at once. This is a big help to parents and children who have been waiting on those much needed child support payments.”
The FIDM makes concessions for things like bankruptcy and screens accounts out for personal review automatically.
The FIDM went into effect Sept. 1, 2002 and is required by both state and federal law. Before the FIDM, child support workers had to hand search financial records to try and find these accounts. This took time and manpower and was not always successful.
For more information on the FIDM and other child support questions, contact the Child Support Enforcement Customer Services Call Center toll free at 1-800-608-4724, or click on www.OKDHS.org/childsupport.
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