New Child Support System Now Available Statewide and Receives Federal Certification

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Marilyn.Matheus@dss.sc.gov

803-898-7858

NEW CHILD SUPPORT SYSTEM IS NOW AVAILABLE STATEWIDE AND RECEIVES FEDERAL CERTIFICATION

September 19, 2019 – Columbia, SC – After more than two decades, the Palmetto Automated Child Support System (PACSS) and the centralized State Disbursement Unit (SDU) are, finally, fully operational statewide and federally certified. That’s worth celebrating for so many reasons but, most importantly, because it means a better way of serving children and families in South Carolina and the end of substantial federal penalties.

The federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) commended South Carolina on this significant achievement of meeting the statewide child support system requirements. OCSE also noted in its certification letter that the entire South Carolina team did an outstanding job during functional and statewide reviews.

Tim Mose, Director of the DSS Child Support Services Division (CSSD), extends a huge thank-you and congratulations to the entire CSSD Team; PACSS Project Director Jimmy Earley and the PACSS Team; the Clerks of Court; project partners – Conduent and vendors; the SCDSS Information Technology (IT) Team and all other agency units that supported this endeavor. “I am so grateful for the hard work, preparation and dedication of this team in making this a reality,” Mose said. “Our collective efforts have made a positive and powerful impact on so many children and families!”

One in every five children in South Carolina is served by DSS Child Support Services. Services are available at DSS regional offices around the state and available to anyone, regardless of income. Now, with full implementation of PACSS, the SDU is managing payments for more than 250,000 child support cases, including private child support and alimony cases formerly paid through the court.

The new system includes many features that benefit both custodial and non-custodial parents (NCPs) of children receiving child support.

• Cases are processed faster from the time an individual applies for services.
• Improvements help with locating non-custodial parents (NCPs) to establish child support orders and with enforcing orders.
• Immediate income withholding boosts collections and gets support to families faster.
• Employers, other states, and NCPs send payments to one location, the State Disbursement Unit, rather than individual Clerks of Court.
• When a child support payment is made by an NCP that has more than one child support case, the system distributes payments to ensure children in all current, obligated cases receive support. ### 
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• Learn more about the new child support system online at https://dss.sc.gov/child-support/ which includes answers to frequently asked questions.