The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) entered into its second consecutive contract with YoungWilliams for operation of its Davidson County Child Support Office in Nashville, Tennessee covering the 20th Judicial District. YoungWilliams’ Project Manager, Keith Baker, will continue to provide leadership to this project.
Lori Bengston to Serve as Secretary of the National Child Support Enforcement Assocation
Lori Bengston, YoungWilliams' Nebraska Call Center Project Manager, has been elected Secretary of the National Child Support Enforcement Association (NCSEA). Lori served on the NCSEA Board of Directors for two consecutive terms from 2007 to 2013 and was re-elected to the board in 2016.
Over the years she has remained active in NCSEA committee work by co-chairing the Professional Development Committee, NCSEA U, Policy Forum Planning Committee, Organizational Development Committee and the Membership Committee. She has also served on the Finance, International, and Web-Talk Committees.
YoungWilliams Receives Tennessee Award for Customer Focus
The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) presented its 2017 Customer Focus Award to the YoungWilliams-operated Nashville child support office, which provides services to Davidson County residents. YoungWilliams was nominated for “maintaining the trust of customers, partners, and the public by demonstrating excellence in service delivery, results, and effective fiscal stewardship.”
As part of its focus on customers, YoungWilliams created a resource center for parents to access information about employment, continuing education, child care, parenting classes, upcoming job fairs, and affordable mediation for parenting scheduling. The resource center, which is adjacent to the waiting room, is furnished with a desk, laptop, partner agency publications, and a list of useful websites. The attractive family-friendly office also contains a children’s play corner and private meeting spaces for parents to discuss child support matters with YoungWilliams case specialists.
In partnership with its government clients, YoungWilliams delivers services to families in child support and health and human service programs across the United States. Its recently released 2017 infographic illustrates the breadth of services YoungWilliams provides:
Managed over 545,000 cases
Collected over $820 million in child support
Receipted and disbursed over $420 million child support collections
Answered over 500,000 calls in its health and human services contact centers
YoungWilliams has been a friend and sponsor to the National Child Support Enforcement Association (NCSEA) for over a decade, contributing time, talent, and financial support of the organization.
NCSEA President, Diane Potts, stated, “We recently launched our new corporate partnership program, and YoungWilliams’ was one of the first firms to sign on. YoungWilliams has been a consistent member, sponsor, and exhibitor, and can be counted upon to contribute in other ways. YoungWilliams personnel always step forward to serve on committees, present at conferences, and attend educational events.”
Pew Charitable Trusts Interviews YoungWilliams President Rob Wells
YoungWilliams President Rob Wells has been interviewed by the Pew Charitable Trusts for an article entitled, “Gig Economy Gives Child Support Scofflaws a Place to Hide.” The article explored barriers with respect to collecting child support through wage withholding from on-demand car services such as Uber and Lyft, and other members of the new economic model known as the “gig economy” where workers are independent contractors who free-lance to transport passengers, make deliveries, or provide short-term lodging.
YoungWilliams Recognized as a Top Ten Colorado Law Firm
The American Institute of Family Law Attorneys recognized YoungWilliams’ El Paso County Child Support Services legal team as one of the top ten family law firms in the state of Colorado. In order to qualify for this prestigious rating, a law firm must attain the highest degree of professional achievement in family law, and have an impeccable client satisfaction rating.
The firm operates under a contract with El Paso County to provide child support services in compliance with Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act on behalf of the county. This entails establishing paternity, and establishing, enforcing, and modifying child support obligations. The YoungWilliams’ legal team, headed by Christina Eigel, includes three staff attorneys and eight legal assistants.
112 YoungWilliams Attorneys Form Professional Association
YoungWilliams has launched its own bar association to promote high professional, ethical, and educational standards among its 112 attorneys who serve its government clients in child support programs across the United States. Facilitated by YoungWilliams’ attorney, Ellen Rutledge, the association provides a forum for interaction and professional development of YoungWilliams’ legal staff.
The YW Bar Association trains attorneys through continuing legal education sessions, an online attorney education website, and regular webinars. The specialized website serves as a virtual gathering point for attorneys to meet, share ideas, collaborate, and keep abreast of legal trends, federal and state statutes, regulations, policies, and case law, and features a wiki library for child support and family law. YoungWilliams attorneys are able to update the content with recent legal decisions and activities that impact their profession, and interact through discussion boards.
YoungWilliams Celebrates Child Support Awareness Month
YoungWilliams joins its public partners in recognizing August as national Child Support Awareness Month, a time to honor parents for the important role they play in their children’s lives. It is also the time to spread the word about the child support program and the services it provides. All states and U.S. territories participate in the national child support program. In 2016, this program served over 15.6 million children with collections totaling $28.8 billion. As the nation’s largest private sector child support service provider, YoungWilliams is proud to be part of this important national effort, managing 554,000 cases and collecting nearly $840 million last year in collaboration with its state and local government partners.
New Hanover County Awards Fourth Consecutive Contract to YoungWilliams
Completing its competitive procurement process, the New Hanover County Commission selected YoungWilliams to operate its child support program. YoungWilliams has been a continuous partner to New Hanover County since 2004, when it began managing the child support office located in Wilmington, North Carolina. The new contract period commenced July 1, 2017. The YoungWilliams’ office manages about 6,800 cases, and collected nearly $13 million last year.
