ALL CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT OFFICES TO CLOSE OCT. 1-4 TO ALLOW FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM

NEW CASTLE (Sept. 27, 2013) - All Delaware Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) offices will be closed to the public from Tuesday, Oct. 1 through Friday, Oct. 4, to implement a new computer system (DECSS: Delaware Child Support System).

Customer service will be available between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. at (302) 577-7171. Individuals referred by the Family Court for purge payments will be served at the local offices during this period. Rita Landgraf, secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services, said the Division of Child Support's temporary closing is necessary in order to allow for a smooth transition of child support cases to the new computer system. "We know the closure may be an inconvenience to some clients, but Child Support has taken many steps to inform the people we serve prior to this date," Landgraf said. "The benefits of the new computer system will be to greatly improve child support's efficiency and level of customer service to the people of Delaware."

Charles Hayward, director of the Division of Child Supper Enforcement, said, "DCSE is replacing a 27- year-old case processing system with a modern child support case processing system. The new system, called DECSS, will provide enhanced case processing and automated interfaces with over 35 public and private agencies, the Family Court, the Attorney General's office, other state child support programs, financial institutions, and public utilities."

The office closure is necessary to convert and validate more than 79,000 cases. DCSE has been working for the past five years on the $77 million system. The system will assist workers in moving their cases through the child support process in a much more automated fashion.

This is the first phase in a two-part conversion. Later in the fall, DCSE will implement separate web-based employer and client portals that will allow for greater communication with the division. Employers will be able to process income withholding and medical support orders electronically. Clients will be able to fill out applications and provide updates on their cases and inquire on activity taking place on their cases and the receipt of recent payments.

All Division of Child Support Enforcement offices will reopen at 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 7.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.