The CAO responsibilities are:
1. Tell cash assistance applicants/recipients about:
The support enforcement process
Cooperation requirements
Good cause provisions
What happens when a person does not cooperate without good cause
55 Pa. Code §153.44(b)(2)(i)(C)
Appeal rights and procedures.
2. Complete a Certificate of Cooperation PA/CS 643A, and give it to the applicant to take to DRS to comply with support requirements to establish parentage and a support order if the DRS personal appearance requirement has not been waived in the household's county of residence by the Secretary of Human Services. Advise individuals who must make a personal appearance that most DRS do not see individuals without an appointment.
3. Authorize electronic image generation of the Application for Support Services, PA/CS 643 in eCIS if one of the following is true:
The Secretary of Human Services approved the court personal appearance waiver or
The CAO receives the Certificate of Cooperation PA/CS 643A from the DRS showing that the applicant cooperated with support requirements.
4. Follow the good cause determination process. See Section 131.6 Good Cause.
5. Apply sanctions when a noncooperation notice or court order is received from the DRS or BCSE:
Lower the grant by 25 percent when cash assistance (TANF) recipients do not cooperate with support requirements.
Authorize cash benefits and lower the grant by 25 percent when eligible cash assistance applicants do not cooperate with support requirements. This means that all mandatory budget group members in a TANF budget group must be eligible and must cooperate with RESET requirements. They must work or participate in work-related activities. See Appendix D, Eligibility Status for Noncooperation with Support Requirements and Mandatory Participation in Road to Economic Self-Sufficiency Through Employment and Training (RESET).
6. Enter information about medical resources into eCIS and the Third- Party Liability (TPL) screens.
7. Use the automated interface between eCIS and PACSES to let the DRS know the date and reason cash assistance is discontinued, and demographic information changes.
8. Complete a PA 189 Overpayment Referral form upon discovery that a recipient has received and kept support payments assigned to the State. See Section 150.31 Support Payments for treatment of support payments paid to and kept by a sanctioned or ineligible person
At each redetermination, the CAO must:
System generate an Application for Support Services PA/CS 643, if necessary.
Include a discussion of support and third-party resources.
Review the recipient’s responsibilities and the progress of support activities.
Check the case record to be sure that all required forms and actions were completed and processed.
Review the circumstances where there is a waiver of cooperation due to good cause. Determine if the household remains eligible for good cause if circumstances have changed. Child support cooperation may be required.
The DRS provides child support and spousal support services required by federal and state law and regulations. The Title IV-D Cooperative Agreement between the DHS, the DRS of the court of common pleas and the county commissioners specifies the DRS responsibilities. The DRS is the local Title IV-D agency in each county. The DRS responsibilities are:
Receive Application for Support Services PA/CS 643 or Certificate of Cooperation PA/CS 643A for self-referrals and individuals referred by DHS or other agencies or jurisdictions.
Complete the PA/CS 643A to certify the applicant/recipient’s cooperation with support requirements.
Locate non-custodial parents and absent spouses and their income sources and assets, whenever possible.
Help people file and process support complaints according to Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure, for reasons including:
Trying to establish paternity by agreement
Asking for a court order for genetic testing
Referring the matter for further judicial proceeding.
Establish medical support orders requiring health care coverage required by federal and state statutes
Assess the child’s or spouse’s financial needs and the legally responsible relative’s ability to provide medical and financial support and establish a medical and financial support order according to the Support Guidelines in the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 1910.16-1.
Enforce financial and medical support orders against non-custodial parents.
Refer cases to other states or other county DRS for services.
Provide services for cases from other states and county DRSs.
Provide legal services to help plaintiffs receive support.
Return the PA/CS 643 to the CAO with court order information.
Notify the CAO and the BCSE if a client does not cooperate without good cause in establishing paternity or securing financial and medical support.
Notify the CAO when a named putative father is excluded by genetic testing.
Notify the CAO when it is found that a recipient has received and kept financial or medical support payments assigned to the state
The Bureau of Child Support Enforcement (BCSE) is the State Title IV-D agency responsible for supervising the Title IV-D Child Support Enforcement Program. The BCSE responsibilities are:
Conduct training sessions for DRS staff about changes in Federal and State statutes that change DRS procedures
Conduct compliance audits of the DRS to make sure that DRS operations comply with Federal and State Title IV-D child support enforcement statutes and regulations according to Title IV-D Cooperative Agreement requirements.
The BCSE Division of Field Operations (DFO) is the primary contact for CAOs for support issues. There are three BCSE DFO Area Offices, with an assigned Child Support Enforcement Specialist for each CAO. See Appendix E, Bureau of Child Support Enforcement Area Offices.
The BCSE DFO responsibilities are:
Coordinate communications between the CAO and DRS.
Develop and provide training for the CAOs and DRSs.
Resolve CIS/PACSES interface issues.
Represent DHS at hearings where assignment of support is an issue.
Updated May 3, 2024, replacing February 8, 2013