Submitted by Bill Paine

The federal Office of Child Support Enforcement officially ap-proved the Suquamish Tribe’s Child Support Enforcement Office (SCSEO) for federal funding on January 7, 2011. This approval also allows the Tribe to begin processing child support cases. The SCSEO is now work-ing on finalizing operational details before it begins processing child support cases in two ways. The SCSEO has the ability to establish, modify and enforce child support obligations, and has jurisdiction to attach the wages of employees who work for the Suquamish Tribe, Suquamish Tribal Council or any of its agencies, enterprises, or businesses to enforce the payment of their child support obligations. In addition, the State of Washington’s Division of Child Support will be incrementally transferring established child support cases to the SCSEO that involve a parent who is a Suquamish tribal member and/or for a parent who is an employee of the Suquamish Tribe, Suquamish Tribal Council or any of its agencies, enterprises, or businesses.

If you would like to begin the child support process and open a new case or wish to have your case transferred from the State of Washington to the SCSEO, you may call Barbara Lawrence-Piecuch at 360-394-8621. If you are in need of child support services and have questions about the process, Barbara and other staff members in the SCSEO are ready to assist you. The SCSEO’s office is located in the Safe Havens building at Suquamish Village, 18490 Suquamish Way in Suquamish, Washington, 98392; (360)-394-8424.

On October 1, 2008, the Suquamish Tribe received a federal child support grant to plan, design and establish a child support enforcement program.  We are pleased to note that this funding is for a two year span in the amount of $500,000.  The Tribe has hired Bill Paine as the Child Support Program Manager.

In these two years, we will be designing a program that specifically serves and benefits Suquamish tribal members.  There will be public meetings announced in the near future to give tribal  members a chance to discuss  items that the tribal community would like to see included in the program.  Please check the newsletters for announcements on when and where those meetings will be held.

At the end of our two year planning grant, we will begin processing tribal child support cases under the Tribe’s own child support program.

During the next two years while the Tribe is setting up its child support program, the State’s Division of Child Support will continue to assist tribal members’ child support cases. Dian Speer from the Fife Office is the Tribal Liaison assigned to Suquamish cases. Dian is available to help establish child support orders, modify an existing child support order, or for collecting child support. Dian will be at Safe Havens every second Monday of the month from 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM.

On any other business day, you can contact Bill Paine at Safe Havens to answer your questions or provide help with your child support issues; his phone number is 394-8646.