Transforming Systems Across NYS
The New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance/Division of Child Support Services partnered to make child support services safer and more accessible for survivors of domestic violence by strengthening the capacity of the Child Support Program to provide survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive assessments and interventions.
What is SAVES?
Safe Access for Victims’ Economic Security (SAVES) is a national demonstration model designed to develop, evaluate, and implement best practices to provide safe access to child support and parenting time services. In September 2022, the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) awarded grants to 12 states, including New York, and 1 Tribal Nation, to support domestic violence survivors who need child support services but are unable to access them.
The goals of the demonstration include:
- Making child support services more accessible to victims and survivors of domestic and gender-based violence
- Increasing safety associated with receiving child support services
- Improving economic outcomes for survivors and their children
Why This Matters
Studies show that 50-60% of women receiving public assistance nationally experienced domestic violence (Tolman, R. M., & Raphael, J. (2000). A review of research on welfare and domestic violence. Journal of Social Issues, 56(4), 655–682. https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/0022-4537.00190) and more than 90% of women with current or former abusive partners want to pursue child support if they can do so safely (Jessica Pearson and Nancy Thoennes. “New directions for child support agencies when domestic violence is an issue.” Policy and Practice, 58 (2000): 29-36).
Yet Survivors of domestic violence face immense barriers when trying to access child support safely. Abusive partners often use systems to control their partners, and survivors frequently risk re-traumatization or even physical harm.
In 2023, only 3.59% of child support cases in New York were marked to indicate the prevalence of domestic violence. The discrepancy between the number of individuals experiencing domestic violence and the number cases indicating the prevalence of domestic violence suggests that many survivors are either not disclosing a safety concern when seeking child support services or going without child support entirely so they can stay safe.
Outcomes
System Mapping
- The SAVES Team conducted site visits, mapping exercises, survivor listening sessions, and focus groups across twelve pilot districts to learn more about their Child Support and Public Assistance processes
- Local domestic violence service providers and survivors from each of these counties were also consulted to provide feedback about the existing Child Support process and how it could be made safer
Through this mapping, the SAVES Team highlighted the importance of increasing collaboration between internal and external stakeholders, the need for systems to provide access to advocates who can help survivors navigate the process, and the importance of providing survivors access to safety options and resources. The Team also identified the critical need for staff training on topics like domestic violence dynamics, language-access, and trauma-informed approaches.
Family Safety Questions Pilot
- The SAVES Team facilitated a 10-month pilot from October 2, 2023, through July 31, 2024, the districts used two versions of a screening form and collected data to substantiate the effectiveness of screening during the child support process
- Over the course of 10 months, nearly 6000 screening forms were submitted. On more than 35% of these screening forms, at least one “yes” response indicating danger was present.
- The pilot phase informed which questions from each version of the screening form would be included in the development of a combined screening tool.
- Training needs, frequently asked questions, and input that districts provided throughout the pilot shaped the rollout of the statewide screening process.
Statewide Implementation
- More than 1400 child support staff across NYS received training on domestic and gender-based violence, trauma, and how these may impact individuals seeking child support
- As of June 2, 2025, child support staff statewide are required to provide people enrolling in child support with the LDSS-5291 Family Safety Screening Form to screen for domestic violence-related safety concerns
- From July 7, 2025 through November 28, 2025, 20 districts collected data on more than 4000 Family Safety Screening Forms. The data showed that greater than 50% of the forms had at least one “yes” response (Starcher, D., & Davis, L. (2026). Office Hours: Findings from New York’s Family Safety Questions Statewide Implementation [PowerPoint Slides]. Center for Policy Research, Denver, Colorado.)
- Customers who indicate one or more safety concerns are provided with options to increase their safety during the child support process, and offered a warm referral to supportive resources
- Child support staff provided feedback on the new process:
- “We are catching more safety concerns than we have in the past”
- “Helps normalize discussions of domestic violence and shows that safety is a priority”
- “Building trust with clients from the initial contact point”