Making Child Support Safe: Coordinating Child Support and Public Assistance Agencies in Their Response to Domestic Violence

Examines what communities in Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, and Oregon have done to improve the coordination of response systems for domestic violence victims in the child support system, focusing on interagency strategies that child support and public assistance agencies use to improve this process. Finds that staff with special skills or training in dealing with domestic violence are needed; furthermore, cross-training can help agencies work with each other more effectively. Better integration of computer-based information systems across agencies can also be helpful.