Inside this Issue
Note from Sharon Santilli, CSLN Program Administrator: Looking Back on 2020 & Ahead to 2021 │ CSLN Expands its Services to Assist State Agencies during Pandemic │ 2020 CSLN Partnership Awards and the John F. Murphy Memorial Award │CSLN is Nearing $2 Billion in Child Support Collections! │ CSLN Team Member Spotlight Feature
Note from Sharon Santilli, CSLN Program Administrator: Looking Back on 2020 & Ahead to 2021
Sharon Santilli, CSLN Program Administrator and Rhode Island IV-D Director
The coronavirus pandemic continues to cause uncertainty and restlessness in our homes and within our communities across the nation. We are living in an age simply unlike any other. Despite the daily obstacles we continue to experience, this is also a time that is bringing out the best in many people, from healthcare workers battling COVID-19 on the frontlines to the essential workers at every level of the supply chain. On behalf of everyone here at the Child Support Lien Network (CSLN), we would like to extend our deepest appreciation to the healthcare workers rising to the challenge of tending to those in need, and to the teachers and frontline workers providing essential services to our communities. 

When the pandemic first surfaced back in March, CSLN management and staff took immediate action, deploying a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) compliant with state security requirements, enabling our employees to continue operations and ensure a secure environment while continuing to help states with child support recoveries. Today, we forge ahead with these same safeguards in place and to date are fortunate to report that we have not experienced any major interruptions to our business due to the virus.

This past year presented some unprecedented challenges for the child support community. Time and time again, I have witnessed what the passion and dedication of so many child support professionals can do to triumph when met with precarious times. Without their commitment, thousands of children would not have received the financial relief they need and deserve, especially now. I would like to extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to the Rhode Island child support staff and to all of our member state staff for their perseverance and devotion to the child support community.

As the nation's largest child support consortium, CSLN has had the privilege of facilitating and promoting the partnership between the insurance industry and our many member states to collect past due child support. Since its inception in 1999, CSLN has concentrated on partnership, innovation, and value as core components to further drive its mission, while developing new solutions to meet ever changing business needs. CSLN’s focus on these components could not have been any stronger than in 2020 while exploring new ways to deliver quality service.

This past year also brought unique challenges to the program - these challenges, presented by the pandemic and resulting state budgets cuts, only fostered our will to help. Participation from the insurance industry steadily increased after a decline in the late spring and early summer. Our message to CSLN state members assured them we would continue to provide quality service and are available to assist in any way we could. In addition, CSLN launched a turn-key Lump Sum Payment Module designed to unlock additional collections for state agencies and to better assist both child support offices and employers in the intercept of lump sum payments in a matter of months.

Since the beginning, collaboration has played a vital role in the success of this dynamic and essential public / private consortium with our member state child support partners, the insurance industry, and the employer community. As the host state, Rhode Island takes pride in hosting and nurturing the mission of the Child Support Lien Network. I want to take this opportunity to commend the child support professionals who continue to work diligently, making financial support for so many families across the country a reality.

We are all in this together and the CSLN team is always here to assist you. We encourage you to reach out at any time. In the meantime, please stay safe and healthy, and thank you again for all that you are doing.

Sincerely,

Sharon A. Santilli
IV-D Director, Rhode Island

CSLN Expands Its Services to Assist State Agencies during Pandemic
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring our employees’ safety and the continued operations of the Child Support Lien Network (CSLN) along with providing quality services to states on behalf of the children and families, have remained our top priorities. CSLN understands that states are facing budget challenges and are stretching their operational and technical resources to meet the current demands of today’s environment. But experience has taught us that significant challenges also present opportunities and foster innovation, especially when leveraging our existing processes. Accordingly, CSLN has positioned itself to better support state and district agencies by offering solutions that are custom tailored to complement existing workflows while maintaining cost-effective, turn-key implementations.

The following is a brief summary of some of our current initiatives:

Electronic Generation & Issuance of Liens and Income Withholding Orders

CSLN currently generates liens and income withholding orders on behalf of many state child support members at no additional cost to the state and is encouraging states not already leveraging these complimentary services, to reconsider doing so.

As child support professionals are aware, the timely issuance of these notices, particularly on claims with periodic payments, is critical. Providing a rapid response with the issuance of lien documents ensures that families receive regular child support payments as well as potential lump sum payouts. CSLN works collaboratively with our insurance partners to execute secure, and timely, automated delivery methods. Over 80% of the forms CSLN generates are delivered through electronic means to the insurance companies, often reaching the adjuster the very same day the match is released to the state.

Consider taking advantage of this option as you explore new ways to increase collections and optimize staff resources to pursue insurance liens, without impacting the bottom line. In our experience, agencies that opt in to the CSLN forms processing solution are realizing an even greater cost savings than before. Just give us a call and we will work with you to make it happen.

Lump Sum Payment Module

CSLN recently announced the introduction of its Lump Sum Payment Module, designed to expedite, and streamline the process of intercepting lump sum payments from employers [or income payers] to employees on behalf of state agencies for past due support. Using a newly developed data match application and interactive lookup feature, employers are now able to quickly identify employees who owe child support and receive electronic documents within 24 hours prior to issuing lump sum payments.

As you may already be aware, state agencies stand to greatly benefit from this new avenue of collecting support. Immediate feedback from employer data supported by system alerts, quality assurance on all matches reported, and the automatic generation and issuance of electronic IWOs and / or liens, are just some characteristics of this solution’s ability to cut costs and enhance state collections potential.

For CSLN members, this solution can be used as an optional service integrated with your existing system with a simple modification to our current interstate agreement. For those who are not already partnered with CSLN, this tool can be leveraged with equal efficacy as its own web-based service.

Download the one-page CSLN Lump Sum Payment Module data sheet here.

Existing Optional Services

Many state agencies are already leveraging CSLN’s existing optional services such as Life Insurance Intercept, Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM), and Real Property services. Learn more about these services by clicking here.

CSLN understands states have limited resources to aid their child support efforts. Offering valuable collection tools through a web-based system allows CSLN to assist states by delivering services that result in the maximum cost / benefit ratio to its partners. CSLN also appreciates and recognizes that amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, budgets continue to be squeezed, and it is critical to find new ways to do business more efficiently. With this in mind, please let us know how we can support you.

To learn more about how CSLN can support you and your team or to request a system demo, please contact Ann Murray, CSLN Project Manager, via email at amurray@childsupportliens.com.
2020 CSLN Partnership Awards and the John F. Murphy Memorial Award
When the pandemic first hit, event organizers around the country found themselves scrambling and ultimately, faced with two [inevitable] options: go virtual or reschedule. We witnessed this with countless events scheduled to take place in 2020, and firsthand with Rhode Island’s Annual Child Support Conference and its Child Support Lien Network (CSLN) Partnership Awards, where the latter was chosen. Despite circumstance, CSLN still plans to recognize organizations, agencies, and individuals in the insurance industry and child support community who have demonstrated a true dedication to their work during the 2020 calendar year.

In collaboration with the State of Rhode Island Office of Child Support Services, CSLN is seeking nominations for its 2020 CSLN Partnership Awards. These awards will be presented in concert with the 13th Annual CSLN Partnership Awards this year.

To nominate a child support agency, insurance company and/or an individual whose distinguished accomplishments deserve recognition, please fill out and submit the linked survey before February 28, 2021.
CSLN Is Nearing $2 Billion in Child Support Collections!
The Child Support Lien Network (CSLN) was launched in 1999 by the State of Rhode Island as a resource to implement the State’s child support insurance claim intercept law. CSLN was shaped and molded with valuable input from state officials, insurance professionals and members of the insurance trade association. As you can see in the below table, 80% of the 30 state members presently aligned with CSLN have been participating in this successful consortium for more than 10 years! We appreciate each valued working relationship and look forward to continued partnership with each state or district child support office.
To learn more about CSLN State Members, click here.

When CSLN began in 1999, claims handlers and adjusters were granted access to perform a search right on the CSLN website to quickly determine whether a claimant owed past due child support in Rhode Island before issuing payment on the claim. The rapid results allowed insurance companies to move forward in the claim process without skipping a beat. Today, over 1,800 insurance companies are affiliated with CSLN and its 30 state members, and the daily electronic data match process has taken the place of the lookup function. Although less than 1% of an insurer’s claim volume is linked to past due child support cases, the insurance industry’s cooperation with CSLN has led to nearly $2 billion in collections for participating child support agencies. In addition to this remarkable life to date milestone, below is a quick glance at a few other significant child support collections resulting from a single insurance claim just this past year.

Congratulations to all contributing parties for making a significant difference in the lives of countless families through these individual collections! 
CSLN Team Member Spotlight Feature
Every so often we like to give readers a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes at CSLN . In this issue, we will learn a bit more about some of CSLN’s veterans, three to be exact, all of whom celebrated their ten-year anniversary with the consortium just this past year. 

Having spent the past decade working for CSLN, Allison Lewis, Ryan Hill, and Sharon Auger all bring a wealth of child support experience and industry knowledge to the program, providing benefits to both CSLN state and insurance members. These individuals and their respective colleagues comprise an experienced team, knowledgeable in child support directives as well as the challenges states are facing in meeting their goals while striving for excellence day in and day out.

Get to know more about Allison, Ryan, and Sharon, below.
What does your job entail? Assisting team members with inquiries, providing support to CSLN Project Manager, testing enhancements to CSLN system, acting as a liaison between clients and the CSLN technical team.

What are three words you would use to describe your role? Analysis, Collaboration, Implementation.

What is a common question you get from customers? "How do I find out if a claimant owes past-due child support?" Insurance company representatives can simply go to our public website (www.childsupportliens.com) and click on the register button. Once approved, they will receive an email with their unique Login ID that is needed to access the CSLN Secure Online Lookup site.

What do you like most about working for CSLN? It feels good to be a part of an organization that is involved in helping so many children and families get the support they need.

What are the values that drive you? Dependability, Commitment, Honesty

What is your favorite quote? “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou
What does your job entail? Batching the incoming insurance claims to their proper batch for outreach, calling on and processing said claims, and general customer service to insurance companies and even custodial and non-custodial parents that may call for a variety of reasons.

What are three words you would use to describe your role? Integrity, dedication, and empathy.

Do you have a favorite memory from work? Not a memory per se, just a feeling. After a phone call helping either an adjuster, custodial parent or even non-custodial parent, hearing the appreciation in their voice that they were heard and feel like there will be some sort of resolution to the issue at hand. The feeling that only comes with helping others.

What is a common question you get from customers? "How did you find out about this claim?" A number of adjusters are not even aware their companies are registered with CSLN for this claims process. Most of them upon hearing the information are excited to know their company is participating to help children and families in need.

What do you like most about working for CSLN? Knowing that the phone call I just hung up from can make a huge difference in someone's situation and life.

What do you do when you are not working? Spend time with family and friends as well as my dog, 5 cats and Charlie the Chinchilla.
What does your job entail? My job has many components; I assist the CSLN team daily to contact insurance companies to assist the participating states in our network with collections on past due child support by insurance claims. The other components are Real Property and FIDM. For Real Property I research properties that Non-Custodial Parents own to confirm that they still own the property before assisting the state to place a lien on the property. And for FIDM (Financial Institution Data Match Program) I assist the state to place a lien on the bank account of a Non-Custodial Parent.

What do you like most about working for CSLN? The ability to help so many families get the support that they need.

How would you describe your day job to a child? When parents get divorced the parent that does not spend 100% of the time with the child has to give that parent money to help get things that the child needs (like clothes and food). Sometimes the parent that has to give the other one the money doesn’t pay. I help the parents that don’t get the money get it from insurance claims.

What are the values that drive you? The children. There are so many children out there that either have no food or are homeless. I take pride that we help so many families that are struggling without the child support that is due to them get that support that they desperately need.

What is your favorite quote? “There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.” – Mister Rogers

What do you do when you are not working? I enjoy spending time playing ball with my puppy and working on projects around my house.
Do You Have a CSLN Success Story to Share?
Do you have a success story from CSLN to share? We all love to hear good news or an interesting fact or update! Let us include your story in an upcoming newsletter. Please send your article ideas to contact@childsupportliens.com.
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