General Information
Step 1: Materials
Step 2: Data Processing
Step 3: Methodology
Step 4: Responsibility
Step 5: Complete Your Agreement
Step 6: Submit Your Agreement
Other Web Sites
FIDM personnel will work with financial institutions to conduct data matches and provide that data to the Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) of the Rhode Island Department of Human Services to identify accounts of delinquent obligors.
This program will involve depository institutions, federal credit unions or state credit unions, benefit associations, insurance companies, safe deposit companies, money market funds or similar entities authorized to do business in the state.
Financial institutions will have the option of the Method 1: All Accounts Method, where financial institutions send information on all open accounts to the Rhode Island Financial Institution Data Match program, or the Method 2: Matched Accounts Method, where FIDM personnel will provide a delinquent obligor file to the financial institution and an internal match is conducted by the financial institution against its open accounts and a file of matched accounts is sent back to the Office of Child Support Services (OCSS).
The following steps detail the financial institution data match process:
Step 1: Materials
Review the FIDM Program Handbook and the
Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM) Agreement Form.
To view these documents, you will need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader
installed on your computer. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader,
download a free software package.
Step 2: Data Processing
Decide if data match will be done by in-house data processing staff or a service provider. Share the FIDM Program Handbook with appropriate data processing personnel.
Step 3: Data Methodology
Decide which data match methodology you will use (all accounts or matched accounts).
Decide which week of the calendar quarter you will transmit files or perform the data match and transmit files. The following table can be used as a guide for designating a reporting week.
| Week in Quarter | Month in Quarter | Week in Month | Date Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Days 1-7 |
| 2 | 1 | 2 | Days 8-15 |
| 3 | 1 | 3 | Days 16-22 |
| 4 | 1 | 4 | Days > 22 |
| 5 | 2 | 1 | Days 1-7 |
| 6 | 2 | 2 | Days 8-15 |
| 7 | 2 | 3 | Days 16-22 |
| 8 | 2 | 4 | Days > 22 |
| 9 | 3 | 1 | Days 1-7 |
| 10 | 3 | 2 | Days 8-15 |
| 11 | 3 | 3 | Days 16-22 |
| 12 | 3 | 4 | Days > 22 |
Method 1: The financial institution will initially submit to the Department of Human Services, Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) a listing of all accounts at the financial institution. Subsequent quarterly updates must then be sent to OCSS reporting new, changed or recently closed accounts which supplement or update information previously filed.
Method 2: the Department of Human Services - OCSS will submit to the financial institution on a quarterly basis a listing of individuals who owe past-due child support. The financial institution will have forty-five (45) days to match the obligor file against all accounts maintained at the financial institution and return the matches to OCSS.
Step 4: Responsibility
Identify contact person(s) who will be responsible for the FIDM program for your financial institution. Share a copy of the FIDM Program Handbook with them.
Provide the requested information regarding the contact person(s) on Page 1 of the FIDM Agreement. Download a copy of the FIDM Agreement.
Step 5: Complete Your Agreement
Customer Service representatives are available to assist you with any questions about the FIDM program or this Agreement between 8:00am - 5:00pm Central Time at toll-free 888-240-7488.
Step 6: Submit Your Agreement
Please sign and return the Agreement form via fax or email to the following:
Email: FIDMcontact@childsupportliens.com
Fax: 781-623-8030
Other informative websites
General information for financial institutions about the data match program can be found at: https://acf.gov/css/partners/financial-institutions
Data match specifications can be found on this website. The Rhode Island FIDM program will be using the same file layouts for Method 1: Data Specifications or Method 2: Data Specifications as the federal government has specified.