6.3 - POSSE Case

State Authority:

Wyoming Statute

Wyo. Stat.  § 20-6-104 Child support enforcement generally

Wyo. Stat.  § 20-6-104 Eligibility for services; fees for services

Wyoming Child Support Enforcement Rules

Chapter 3 - Eligibility and Applications for Services

Chapter 4 - General Services

Overview

Intake within the Wyoming CSP involves the entry of information about each of the participants (custodial parent, non-custodial parent, and child(ren)) in the case and then “linking” the participants to a POSSE case.

Policy

Upon receipt of an application for services, the case worker will determine if a case already exists on POSSE before creating a case by checking the following:

• Social Security Number (custodial parent, non-custodial parent, and each child), and

• Name (custodial parent, non-custodial parent, and each child).

Existing POSSE Case

If a POSSE case exists, the case will be updated, re-opened and updated, or changed from Non-IV-D to IV-D as appropriate.  The case worker will:

• Reopen the case, if previously closed.

• Update the case class. 

• Update the case with new information and verify, if appropriate.

• Review for necessary paperwork and documents (e.g. completed paternity questionnaire).  See 6.5 Case Assessment for details.

• If received electronically from EPICS, check key data to ensure it matches information on the DFS Form 543. 

• Check for existing physical file.

New  POSSE Case

If a POSSE case does not exist, the case worker will either tie the participants already on POSSE to a new POSSE case, or if none of the participants is on POSSE, the case worker will add the custodial parent, non-custodial parent or alleged father, and child(ren) to POSSE and tie each of those participants to the new POSSE case.

The following are examples of when a new case should be created in POSSE:

• There is no existing POSSE case with the identical combination of the custodial parent, non-custodial parent, and child(ren).

• If the same non-custodial parent has a child with a different custodial parent, an additional case is formed.

• If the original custodial parent has a child with a different non-custodial parent, an additional case is formed.

• If the child from the original case goes to live with a caretaker (e.g. a grandparent) and the grandparent receives POWER, Medicaid,  or requests services, two new cases are formed with the grandparent as the custodial parent on each case and the mother and father as the non-custodial parent on each case respectively.  See POSSE Help to Transfer Children from one POSSE case to another.

• If the child from the original example is placed in state foster care, two new cases are formed with the State of Wyoming as the custodial parent and both the mother and father as non-custodial parents.  See POSSE Help to Transfer Children from one POSSE case to another.

• If a custodial parent names two alleged fathers for one child, two new cases are created – one for each alleged father.

• If Wyoming receives an intergovernmental referral for an existing case on POSSE, all participants will be transferred to a new Responding POSSE case.

• If Wyoming receives an intergovernmental referral for a custodial parent, non-custodial parent, and child who are not already on POSSE, a new POSSE case is created.

Data Entry

POSSE will be updated with all of the information on the Child Support Application. The POSSE screens to be completed include but are not limited to the following:

• Case Maintenance,

• Person Maintenance – CP and NCP,

• Case Kid Maintenance, and

• Employer Maintenance

In order to meet the data integrity requirements as required by the federal OCSE, case workers will pay particular attention to those POSSE fields related to paternity.  See 6.4 Data Reliability and Appendix 6.B - PEP Data Reliability Review.

Finally, if the case worker believes domestic violence is an issue, refer to Chapter 20 - Family Violence as the safety of the child support participants is of utmost importance to the Wyoming CSP. 

Cross Reference

Appendix 6.B – PEP Data Reliability Review