Before July of 1999, Georgia's 79 child support offices were each free to choose any of six different qualifying laboratories to do genetic testing to resolve paternity issues. The cost per test from these vendors varied only slightly, but turn-around times differed widely. And genetic testing statistics were more guesswork than factual.

In an effort to standardize and reduce genetic testing costs and to simplify billing and the acquisition of genetic testing statistics, Georgia child support, effective July 1, 1999, contracted with a firm to handle DNA paternity testing for all of its child support offices. The contract required:

• Genetic testing referrals to be transmitted electronically from a referring office directly to the contractor via a secure transmission;
• The contractor to be responsible for scheduling all the parties to be drawn for testing;
• The contractor, at local CSE office option, to be responsible for securing a draw site in the area served by each CSE office; and
• The contractor to have a results report in the hands of the referring office within 35 calendar days of the date of the electronic referral in order to be paid for the genetic test. (Allowances were made for bad addresses, "no-shows," and other problems.)

The program has standardized paternity testing costs and reduced those costs by a third.

Results

Nearly a year after the contract was initiated and after the resolution of early problems, the program has:

• Standardized paternity testing costs and reduced those costs by a third;
• Standardized the time frames involved in the paternity establishment process;
• Freed up time and resources for local child support staff by shifting the scheduling function to the contractor; and
• Arranged for monthly reporting of statistics to each local office and quarterly reporting of all local office results to the State office.

Since Georgia law recognizes electronic signatures, the child support office and contractor are working towards the expansion of their electronic communication to allow for the delivery of paternity results electronically, further reducing time frames.

Since Georgia law recognizes electronic signatures, the child support office and contractor are working towards the expansion of their electronic communication to allow for the delivery of paternity results electronically.

Georgia also is investigating the implementation of a "self-swab" program--a buccal swab done in a local office or in court by a putative father on himself when he has denied paternity or requested genetic testing.

If you would like more information about Georgia's genetic testing program, contact Robert Low at (404) 657-3895. These collections have helped open for millions of our nation's children and families doors of opportunity that would otherwise remain closed.