Hochul Hears Sighs for Relief and Independence; Sets August as Child Support Awareness Month

For many domestic abuse victims and their children, relief means getting away from the abuser PLUS having protections in place that provide for ongoing child financial support.
Albany is listening and has turned up the volume on these cries for help.
This week, Gov. Hochul issued a proclamation recognizing August as Child Support Awareness Month “to create visibility for New York’s Child Support Program — which has played a vital role in the lives of more than half-million youth statewide. The action also coincides with the Governor’s ongoing pilot program and listening sessions aimed at making the child support process safer for domestic violence survivors in New York.
The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence agencies are in the first year of coordinating a federally funded pilot program – the Safe Access for Victims’ Economic Security demonstration – to develop and test new approaches to ensure all New Yorkers can safely pursue child support.
Based on a national program, New York’s Safe Access for Victims’ Economic Security demonstration has partnered with local domestic violence programs in 12 counties to establish Impact Expert Advisory Groups to gather feedback from survivors on how to improve access to child support services. “We must also recognize the important role child support can play in helping the survivors of domestic violence achieve financial independence,” said Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Acting Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn. “The work being undertaken by the Safe Access for Victims’ Economic Security demonstration will lay the foundation for enhanced safety and economic stability for survivors.”

For survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, sometimes the system of service cannot be safely accessed. “This is especially true of child support services,” said Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Executive Director Kelli Owens in the OTAH press release.
Administered by OTDA, New York’s Child Support Program annually assists in establishing parentage and right-sized child support orders for more than 525,000 children and youth under the age of 18. Last year alone, the program collected and disbursed more than $1.65 billion in child support.
“Financial abuse is one of the most common forms of domestic and gender-based violence and many abusive partners have learned how to manipulate child support systems in their favor,” adds Owens. “The SAVES program will allow child support services to become more accessible to survivors and will ultimately increase the number of survivors who seek out child support services.”
Experts from OTDA and OPDV are working collaboratively with local partners and others to develop and implement comprehensive policies and procedures for enhancing safety when establishing parentage; implementing child support and visitation orders; modifying and enforcing existing orders; connecting survivors to essential support services; identifying and mitigating disparities in access caused by victimization; and adopting case management strategies to guide interactions with parents who have used violence. New York City and the other selected counties will then implement these changes to test their effectiveness and make further adjustments as needed.

New York is one of 13 sites nationwide to be awarded funding through the Safe Access for Victims’ Economic Security demonstration grant from the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The award is providing the state with more than $1.5 million over five years to help bolster safe access to child support and related services for victims and survivors of domestic violence.
The goal of the sessions is to gather feedback from survivors on safety risks associated with the child support process and suggestions for improvements to that process, including current child support forms. The focus of the advisory group is strictly on impact experts’ experiences with the child support system.
For the past 30 years, OPDV has remained the country’s only Cabinet-level agency dedicated to the issue of gender-based violence. The agency’s mission is to improve New York State’s response to and prevention of domestic and sexual violence with the goal of enhancing the safety of all New Yorkers in their intimate relationships through policy, programming, and public awareness. OPDV also works with local providers to ensure the statewide service delivery system is survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive. New York State’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline provides free, confidential support 24/7 and is available in most languages: 800-942-6906 (call), 844-997-2121 (text) or @opdv.ny.gov (chat).
Visit www.ovs.ny.gov/connect to find a victim assistance program in your community.
– Bernice Elizabeth Green