The Support Enforcement Tracking System, Ohio's statewide child support computer system, will undergo programming changes in order to comply with federal requirements. The changes are mandated as a part of federal welfare reform legislation (the Personal Responsibility Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996).

The changes involve a complete restructuring of SETS' financial operation. When complete, SETS will correctly process past-due payments to former welfare recipients, an issue that was identified earlier this year.

The programming changes and systems testing will begin this weekend and work will continue around-the-clock until complete. While the changes are being made, SETS will not be operational Oct. 1 and 2. The system is scheduled to operate in "read-only" mode Oct. 3 and 4, which will enable county child support enforcement agency caseworkers to access system data. The work will impact the processing of payments. Child support payments received through Sept. 28 will be processed as normal. Payments received on or after Sept. 29 are not scheduled to be processed until Oct. 5.

"We recognize the burden this process will place on families whose payments are delayed," ODJFS Director Tom Hayes said. "We'll be working 24 hours a day to get done as quickly as possible and meet these federal regulations."

There are 900,000 child support cases in Ohio. Total collections were $1.82 billion in State Fiscal Year 2001. Ohio has the sixth largest child support caseload in the nation, but leads the country in the distribution of current support.

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For more information, contact Jon Allen, ODJFS Communications, (614) 466-6650.