2026 Conference Agenda
Monday, September 28th, 2026
9:00 – 9:15AM President’s Welcome
9:15 – 10:15AM From Migration Policy to Modern IV-D Enforcement
Speaker: Christina Mahoney- Deputy Attorney General, Child Support Enforcement Division- Office of the Attorney General
As migration patterns and federal-state authority have evolved, so has the legal and operational structure governing child support enforcement. This session connects the historical development of immigration policy to today’s interstate and international IV-D practice, with a focus on confidentiality, jurisdiction and enforcement, and cross-border case management.
10:30 – 12:00PM Why Performance Matters
Speaker: Joe Leavell- Directory Jefferson County Attorney’s Office, Kentucky, Child Support Division
In the session we will take a deep dive into all 4 performance measures (support order establishment, paternity establishment, current support collections, and arrears collections), and discuss the importance of establishing realistic performance goals, strategies to achieve the goals, overcoming goal barriers, and how to incrementally measure success to determine if your strategy is working.
12:00 – 12:15PM Board Nominations
12:15 – 1:45PM Lunch
1:45 – 2:45PM A Good Neighbor is a Found Treasure- Meet Missouri
Speaker: Lara Fors
Join me for a discussion on how the child support program works in Missouri with a focus on the impact of intergovernmental cases. The goal is to make working with this neighbor to the southwest, with urban and rural areas, smoother and more efficient. This session will highlight questions that may arise when there are differences in processes between the Missouri and Illinois programs for the establishment, modification, and enforcement of child support cases. I will offer some helpful info and tips for Illinois state CS and AG child support professionals. Please bring your general questions for discussion.
2:50 – 3:35PM Legislative, Case Law, & IV-D Update
Speakers: Christina Mahoney- Deputy Attorney General, Child Support Enforcement Division- Office of the Attorney General and Bryan Tribble- IV-D Administrator- Department of Healthcare and Family Services
This annual presentation keeps you posted on the latest news within the Illinois IV-D program, recent case law, and legislative updates that are shaping the field of child support. Our aim is to empower attendees with the knowledge required for their day-to-day work as child support professionals.
3:50 – 4:50PM Generations of Family Support
Speakers: Lauren Volanti- Office of the Attorney General and Juanita Gabby- Department of Healthcare and Family Services
This interactive session seeks to explore how different generations approach various aspects of their work in child support enforcement. We will hear from a panel of regular IFSEA attendees from different generations as we learn how workers from different generations can work together to accomplish common goals.
Tuesday, September 29th, 2026
9:00 – 9:30AM Members Meeting
9:30 – 11:00AM Judge’s Panel- A Judge’s Eye View of Topics That Impact Child Support Litigation
Speakers: Joe Arias- Northern District Supervisor, Office of the Attorney General; Amanda Byassee Gott- Judge, Williamson County; Veronica Armouti- Judge, Madison County; Michael Fiello- Judge, Jackson County; and Jo Beth Weber- Judge, Jefferson County
This popular IFSEA session is back again, this time featuring a panel of four experienced judges who will give us their thoughts on topics that impact our child support cases every day. We look forward to hearing about how judges grapple with issues that arise in our support cases and how they work through those challenges. This interactive session is designed to give us a better understanding of the judges’ perspective on the disputes they resolve, give us practical takeaways about the topics discussed, and encourage a discussion about the issues amongst the panel with an opportunity for questions from the audience.
11:15 – 12:15PM Child Support and Its Impact on Families and the Law: A Domino Effect
Speaker: Amanda Byassee Gott- Judge, Williamson County
This presentation examines the importance of child support in promoting the financial stability and well-being of children and families. It explores how inadequate financial support can contribute to housing insecurity, financial hardship, abuse and neglect, and involvement with other legal proceedings. Participants will also learn why a trauma-informed approach is essential when working with families affected by domestic violence, child abuse, neglect, or coercive control, recognizing the barriers some parents face in seeking or enforcing child support while balancing safety and the best interests of children.