Automated system
tracks child support
A new state computer system
By Craig Gima
is handling about 2,000
test cases
Star-BulletinFor James Flagg, a divorced father who lives with his 12-year-old daughter in Wisconsin, Hawaii's new KEIKI child-support computer system makes it much easier for him and his ex-wife to keep track of payments.
"It's basically just as simple as calling your bank for a balance inquiry," he said.
Flagg's child support case is one of about 2,000 test cases now being processed through the state's new $35.7 million computer system.
His daughter's case went online May 1. The rest of the state's more than 95,000 cases will be entered into the system in the first week in July.
"Her mother is in a different country, and I'm in a different state," Flagg said.
The couple lived in Hawaii while Flagg was in the military. She lives in Korea now and pays monthly child support.
The computer system and a 24-hour automated phone system mean that Flagg is able to call and get information on child support payments without worrying about the time difference.
"I'm able to check on it, and she's able to check on it," he said. "I don't have to worry about a busy signal."
Michael Meaney, the administrator of the Child Support Enforcement Agency, said Hawaii "will have one of the better automated systems in the country."
But when the system finally goes online for all of the state's cases, it will be three years late and $22 million over budget.
Meaney blames the system's original contractor for the delay and cost overruns.
The state in 1996 canceled its contract with Network Six, a Rhode Island-based computer systems developer, and sued the firm in an attempt to recover some of the costs.
A new contractor, Lockheed Martin, was brought in last year to finish getting the system online.
At the Child Support Enforcement Agency's offices at the Dole Cannery, all of the more than 300 state and county employees involved in collecting child support are being trained on the system. The training has been going on for several months.
In an adjacent office area, 95 computer programmers are writing software to run the system and working on any bugs.
Paul Sumrall, the KEIKI project manager, said the switch to the new system will be done at one time rather than gradually so the state does not have to pay to run two systems.
Meany believes people who pay or receive child support will not notice changes in the collection and distribution process, except that it will be easier to get information on payments on the phone using a personal identification number.
The KEIKI system will automatically update check payments and new job information.
If a person falls behind, the computer will send out letters and keep track of the status of payments.
Drivers and professional
By Craig Gima
licenses can be suspended
for delinquency
Star-BulletinNonpayment of child support led to the suspension of 17 professional and 393 drivers licenses as of June 17.
Under a law that went into effect Jan. 1, the state Child Support Enforcement Agency now has the authority to go after the drivers and professional licenses -- even the hunting and fishing licenses -- of deadbeat parents.
Those who are more than three months behind on payments can have their drivers licenses revoked.
After six months the agency can go after professional licenses. Licenses also can be suspended for nonpayment of health insurance mandated by courts or for failing to comply with a subpoena or warrant related to paternity or child support proceedings.
"It's one more tool to get people to live up to their responsibilities," said Michael Meaney, administrator of the Child Support Enforcement Agency.
"Our job is not to go out and take people's licenses away," he added, saying the agency would prefer that parents live up to their responsibilities.
Because of privacy rulings, the agency cannot release the names of those whose licenses have been suspended, said public information officer Bob Norton.
In the last six months, the agency has sent letters to nearly 700 parents informing them that their licenses could be taken away.
From those letters, about 130 people have written or spoken with the agency to negotiate a repayment agreement, and 92 agreements have been reached.
In addition, publicity about license suspension may have led to a record increase in child support payments in December, the month before the law went into effect.
An estimated 19,000 cases in Hawaii are delinquent.
About $354 million in payments is outstanding.
In fiscal year 1997 the agency was able to collect about $85 million.
The state's collection rate of about 20 percent is average for the nation.
"A lot of times we're like the IRS," Norton said.
"We take people's money, and we're also giving it to the people they hate the most."
But, he said, "the victims here are the children. A lot of people lose sight of that."
