Child Support Employer Webinar

About the Program

Category: Information Technology (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

Employers play a critical role in the County of San Diego’s Department of Child Support Services’ (DCSS) efforts to secure financial support and health insurance coverage for children and families. Mandated court ordered child support deductions via an Income Withholding Order (IWO) by employers accounted for nearly two-thirds of the $177 million collected in San Diego during Fiscal Year 2010-11. In order to more effectively educate employers in what can be a complex process, the department developed a live, online webinar presentation to describe employers’ responsibilities when receiving the IWO. Although a number of child support agencies, including San Diego, had previously conducted in-person employer workshops, San Diego became the first local agency in California to use current webinar technology to communicate with employers in October 2011. Employers could thus access this training from their office computer. By using the live, online webinar presentation, the department was able to increase employer participation by 60%, provide a more effective training experience and cut costs by eliminating facility rental and printing expenses. As measured by a post-webinar online survey, participant response to the presentation was so positive that the department is scheduling future webinars for this group.