Press Release - Friday, January 31, 2025
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Child Support Program Marks 50 Years of Serving Illinois Families
Illinois' Child Support Services Program provides critical, free assistance to Illinois families that can help them create a stronger financial future
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is marking a milestone year for the Illinois Child Support Services program, celebrating 50 years of helping children in the state get the financial and family support they need to thrive. The Illinois program enters its next decade with a mission that has evolved since its inception to focus more holistically and comprehensively on the families it serves, with additional supports for parents and a new payment pass-through policy.
"The Child Support Program has been a key part of promoting the wellbeing of Illinois's youngest residents over the past five decades," said Acting HFS Director Elizabeth Whitehorn. "We're incredibly proud of the advancements that have been made to not only provide for these children, but to support their entire families and help them to thrive. These personalized solutions will continue to promote better outcomes so our youth can look forward to brighter futures."
"The Family Resource Connections program is a shining example of the work being done by HFS to revolutionize child support in this state," said HFS Division of Child Support Services Administrator Bryan Tribble. "The Department is fully committed to initiatives that will result in better outcomes for the families we serve, keeping the wellbeing of all involved front and center in these efforts moving forward."
In Illinois, HFS is the designated agency that administers the Child Support Services program. The Child Support program was created in 1974 when the United States Congress amended the Social Security Act to create Title IV-D to enforce the child support financial obligations of non-custodial parents.
The Illinois Child Support Services Program's mission is to improve the lives of children and create a more stable and successful future for them in the state of Illinois. Over time, it has evolved and grown to include services aimed at helping entire families, including parents who pay support.
At the national level, Child Support programs shifted from a punitive to a more collaborative approach in part because of the United States Supreme Court's 2011 Turner v. Rogers decision. As a result of that decision, cases are no longer referred for contempt simply because support payments are not being made. Rather, case workers conduct a deeper investigation into the child support payer's circumstances and, if a true inability to pay is discovered, no contempt referral is made.
In Illinois, under the Pritzker Administration, efforts to create a collaborative Child Support program include the creation of Family Resource Connections, a groundbreaking initiative that looks to foster positive change by providing personalized solutions to families, including helping make connections to career opportunities, training and other services for parents.
In July 2024, a new practice began to pass through all child support collected on behalf of Illinois' low income families who are current or former Temporary Assistance for Need Families (TANF). With this change, Illinois became the first state in the nation to unconditionally ensure all families receive 100% of the child support that is paid, aiming to put more money into the households of families who need it the most.
In 2021, another major change was made regarding how HFS' Division of Child Support Services assesses and collects statutory interest on unpaid child support. For many years, interest was automatically assessed in all cases with past due balances. Under the amended rule, the parent who receives support can determine whether interest establishment is ultimately the best course of action for the family. Following this policy change, HFS has seen a noticeable decrease in child support customers asking for interest establishment.
As the Division of Child Support Services marks this 50th anniversary milestone, it is also looking to the future of the child support program and how it can continue to find ways to better serve families. The Division is developing an increasing presence in the community by cultivating relationships with both judicial and community organizations that aid families in crisis, with plans to continue to expand its innovative offerings and approaches to meet all Illinois families where they are and connect them to resources and opportunities.
You can learn more about the Illinois Child Support Program and its initiatives here.
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