By Jamie Eichenberg and Lara Markovitz
This summer marked Jamie Eichenberg’s and Lara Markovitz’s two-year anniversary with the Friend of the Court Bureau (FOCB), where they serve as analysts. The Pundit asks them to reflect on their journeys to the FOCB and share their impressions of their work during these first years.
Jamie is no stranger to the friend of the court world. With over two decades of experience, she began her journey with Osceola County Friend of the Court and later expanded her impact as a training consultant to the Office of Child Support with Courtland Consulting.
In addition to her deep knowledge of the friend of the court system, Jamie is also a seasoned tax preparer with 28 years of experience. This background has proven especially valuable in complex child support reviews.
Jamie is a proud Ferris State University alumna, holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and an Associate degree in Advanced Business Studies. Outside of the office, she enjoys traveling, photography, and belting out her favorite tunes at karaoke.
Lara
Lara earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis in 2022, with a focus on child support policy and father involvement. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Social Work from Columbia University (2012) and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan (2006).
Before her doctoral studies, Lara worked as a bilingual (Spanish) social worker and case manager in an eviction prevention unit, emergency room, federally qualified health center, community mental health outreach program, and schools throughout New York City.
Lara lives in her hometown of Ann Arbor, where she is raising her six-(and a half)-year-old. Outside of work, she likes scouting out new parks and lakes, playing Wordle, and dancing salsa.
Hitting the Ground Running
Jamie and Lara immediately began collaborating on the “Child Support Engagement Manual” (working title), an upcoming resource being released in sections. The manual will offer practical strategies, tools, and ideas for improving participant engagement in child support collection. In addition, the manual will explore how better to identify needs of friend of the court participants to help make difficulties in paying support a collaborative effort for success.
Jamie draws on her background in child support evaluations and her strong understanding of tax concepts to develop meaningful, practical training opportunities for child support professionals. Her expertise in areas such as medical support, review and modification processes, and income analysis has made her a reliable resource for staff seeking guidance. With a solid working knowledge of the MiCSES system Jamie equips workers with the tools and confidence they need to navigate their tasks effectively.
One of their favorite aspects of working for FOCB has been connecting with local offices across the state to learn how the FOCB can better support local teams and learn how statutes and policies translate into day-to-day work.
A highlight of Jamie’s first year was participating in a Management Assistance Project, where she, along with other members of FOCB, was able to partner closely with a county office to identify workflow challenges and explore ways to improve efficiency.
Since joining the FOCB, Lara has continued to serve on the core planning team of the Child Support Navigation Services Pilot Program, which she helped design and implement during her fellowship. Lara told The Pundit: “Working closely with the FOC and PA in the Pilot counties and helping to develop and deliver new training for Navigators gave me the chance to work closely with, and learn from, FOC staff.”
‘So Much More than I Ever Imagined’
Jamie reflected on her first two years by saying, “My first years at the FOCB have felt like coming home, just with a lot more meetings. I have found a place where I feel like I belong, surrounded by purpose and possibility. My career in child support has built up to this step, although there’s more work ahead then I ever imagined, I’m ready for the challenge.”
Recently, Jamie has been working closely with the law clerks at the FOCB. She said that her favorite part of that is helping them learn about what the FOC does and working with them on customer service skills. It is important to make sure that all parties who come to the FOC have a good experience, no matter how bad the circumstances that led them to court might be.
Lara told The Pundit that she learned about the FOCB’s work when she joined Michigan Action Plan for Father Involvement (MAP-FI) in early 2020. After hearing Amy Lindholm describe the analyst role to a group of fathers, Lara said, “I told my family that I wanted that job when I finished my PhD!” She said she feels fortunate to work with such a dedicated team. She told The Pundit that becoming an analyst at the FOCB has offered her “a unique opportunity to bridge child support and family policy, evidence-based fathering/parenting support, and human services including community resources and working with people in crisis.
