PIERRE, S.D. (Press Release) – The Department of Social Services (DSS) will convene the Commission on Child Support in 2021 to review child support guidelines.

Federal law calls for the review to be completed every four years and was to be done in 2020, but due to challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement has granted a modification allowing a one-year extension.

“With delays brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, completing the important work of examining child support guidelines has been problematic, so we appreciate the flexibility to thoroughly analyze the data and come to solid conclusions,” said DSS Cabinet Secretary Laurie Gill. “Economic conditions which feed directly into the review continue to evolve and it is in the best interest of South Dakota’s children to ensure we are working with accurate information.”

The review analyzes economic data on the cost of raising children and complex factors for custodial and noncustodial parents.

In response to the delay from the federal government, Governor Noem issued Executive Order 2020-29 extending the guideline review deadline from December 2020 to December 2021.

DSS will announce the convening dates once available. For more information, please visit dss.sd.gov.