San Mateo County Department of Child Support Services Puts Their Feet, Wallet and Heart to Work

For the tenth year in a row the San Mateo County Department of Child Support Services put their feet to the ground and their money where it matters, the San Mateo County Heart Walk.

San Mateo DCSS raised more than $5,200 for the American Heart Association through various creative fundraisers throughout the several months prior to the San Mateo County Heart Walk event.

The fundraising, coordinated by David Carlos, Child Support Supervisor and Chairperson of the San Mateo DCSS Spirit Committee, begins at least six months before the event. The committee coordinated fundraising events such as salad bars, bake sales, scavenger hunt as well as “penny wars” that get really exciting and full of friendly competition between San Mateo DCSS units. This year was the highest amount raised for the event at $5,252.  

“Our staff are very passionate about giving back to the community,” said Dawn Sparks, San Mateo DCSS Child Support Supervisor. “We have many people in the office who are dedicated to raising money for the heart walk because it hits close to home.”

The Heart Walk event is a county initiative and each county department that wants to participate typically start to fundraise at least six months before the event. San Mateo DCSS had 21 employees on the committee this year and all contributed to social media marketing and fundraising and organizing the department events. San Mateo DCSS is located in the county building so employees from other county departments as well as members of the public who visit the offices also participate in the fundraising events.

After the fundraising events are done, it’s time for the “The Walk.” This year’s Heart Walk was held at Oracle Arena on Thursday, October 20th with people from county departments, private corporations and more participating in the three-mile walk, though some choose to walk only a mile.

Many of the San Mateo DCSS staff wore decorated shirts and tutus to add to the excitement and celebration of the event.

In addition to helping those struggling with heart disease, the fundraising and annual Heart Walk event helps boost employee morale and engagement.

“We have a young staff,” said Sparks. “This generation wants more than just coming to work every day, it’s about relationship building and building a community.”

One San Mateo DCSS employee raises more than $1,000 year after year for the event and enjoys the VIP experience at the Heart Walk full of goodie bags and special access.

"Our employees care about health and well-being, but also enjoy friendly competition, said Kim Cagno, Director of San Mateo County DCSS. “What better way to demonstrate their commitment to children and families than raising funds for the American Heart Association."

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California’s Child Support Program Upgrading Microsoft Office Products

Beginning November 7th, the first of California Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) and Option One County employees began upgrading Microsoft computer programs to Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus. It’s a move that will affect every employee in California’s Child Support Program and while there is always a transition period, DCSS’s journey is full of benefits.

The first phase of the migration, the Office application suite, took place November 7th through November 10th for pilot users within State DCSS and Option One Counties. The second phase of the migration includes upgrading Microsoft Exchange email which will begin for pilot users on November 28th and the remaining users December 5th.

CA DCSS is assessing how to procure Office 365 licensing for Option Two and Three counties. Once CA DCSS acquires a solution then the information technology support for those counties will be authorized to upgrade. More information to come on those counties.

Microsoft 365 ProPlus will offer child support employees an opportunity to use instant messaging as well as have the program subscription follow each user to whichever device they’re using instead of limiting the license to a particular device. Each user will be allowed up to five licenses so their access to ProPlus programs may be utilized on workstations, tablets & handheld devices.

For those who like to store their emails for future reference, the allowable inbox size will be increased from five gigabytes to 50 gigabytes, a large amount of memory most users will unlikely exceed. The current 90-day retention policies for emails in a user’s email inbox will remain.

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California Department of Child Support Services Puts the “Lead” in Leadership

In an effort to encourage CA DCSS executives to strengthen their leadership capabilities and lead a movement from the ground up, CA DCSS Director Alisha Griffin and Chief Deputy Director are making available opportunities for executives to attend robust leadership training. There are several different courses currently being offered to CA DCSS leadership including the California Health and Human Services (CHHS) Agency “Leadership Development Academy, a nine-day course that explores ways to improve communication within and across departments and approaches to instill common values throughout the organization. Additionally, participants develop strategies to both lead and manage organizational change efforts and identify the impact of their leadership style on their staff. Through an exploration of best practices in public sector leadership, participants leave with an understanding of how to enhance and expand their skill sets to be effective leaders. CA DCSS Executives Veronica Potter, Regional Administrator and Nan Chen, Chief Financial Officer both recently graduated from the Academy.

In addition to the CHHS Leadership Development Academy, CA DCSS executives and managers are rotating through a two-day leadership program titled “The Leadership Challenge” the department has partnered with Sacramento State University to provide. The course includes team building, reported feedback from staff and colleagues through Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) assessments and promotes the “Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® Model. Several CA DCSS cohorts have already completed the course with positive feedback.

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Placer County Department of Child Support Services Manager Receives Outstanding Manager Award at 2016 Western Interstate Child Support Enforcement Council Annual Conference

The 2016 Western Interstate Child Support Enforcement Council’s Outstanding Manager Award went to Susan Dunlap, Program Manager for Placer County Department of Child Support Services (Placer DCSS) for her dedication to improving overall performance and customer service.

In 2012, Susan asked her Staff Services Analyst, Christi Silva, to identify a way to improve the Placer DCSS performance by making data requests more nimble and specific. Christi developed a user-friendly database that could be personalized to each case manager’s needs. If a case manager wished to improve the amount of cases with a court order or increase payments on arrears, all they had to do was ask. Christi could import the exact cases or tasks they were looking for and present it to each case manager through an easy-to-use dashboard interface. 

Susan Dunlap, Program Manager for Placer County DCSS holds
WICSEC Award for Outstanding Manager 2016

The database, later known as the Placer Performance Tool (PPT), improved upon existing databases by delivering targeted tasks and reports to each individual case manager based on the specific goals they wanted to achieve in their caseload.    

Expanding on this success, Susan began constructing the foundation for a new department-wide performance model. Most child support agencies in California rely on one of two performance models, functional or cradle-to-grave. The statewide system encourages these two systems by designating every case into four broad categorizes, Intake; Establishment; Enforcement; and Interstate. The PPT enabled Susan to discard these old models and create one that specifically targeted the Federal Performance Measures.

This was the beginning of the Placer County Stratification model. Instead of a single Enforcement Team, Placer County instituted multiple teams designed to address the specific needs of a case. A newly obtained order would land a case with the Early Intervention Team. If 65 percent or more of the current support obligation was being met, the case transferred to the Maintenance Team. If current support ended, the case moved to the Arrears Only Team. As performance improved, the thresholds for reassignment were altered to accentuate the strengths of each team and keep the numbers moving upward.

All this was made possible by the PPT database. Without it, a case with a court order would merely be labeled as “Enforcement.” Now each specialized team in Placer County knows their exact caseload with its unique characteristics. This has resulted in targeted performance campaigns designed to meet the specific needs of each case. This foresight on Susan’s part, as well as her promotion of this newly developed technology developed by her talented staff, has been instrumental in Placer County’s current success. The new performance model resulted in Placer DCSS improving their overall performance from 41st statewide in 2012 to 18th in 2016. All this while staffing levels within the department were reduced from over 100 down to 44 in 2014.

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Child Support Analyst Receives Award for Groundbreaking Case Management Application

Hiba Salma, an Associate Information Systems Analyst at the California Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) has received the 2016 Outstanding Tech/Line Staff award from the Western Interstate Child Support Enforcement Council (WICSEC.)

In a significant contribution to the child support collection process, Hiba lead a technical team that installed and configured a new online application for the transmission of child support documents between DCSS and child support agencies in Brazil, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Portugal. Germany and the Netherlands are expected to follow shortly.

Hiba next to her award for Outstanding Tech/Line Staff

This new application, iSupport International Case Management, does away with paper forms and correspondence between DCSS and child support agencies in participating countries.  With iSupport International Case Management, foreign child support documents that were previously sent by mail, taking days or weeks, can now be transmitted instantly.  The system also provides the appropriate forms in the user’s native language, eliminating the added time and expense of translation.

iSupport International Case Management has been in pilot use since mid-February 2016.  The application has been so successful; it has been made the mandatory method of transmitting child support case information between participating countries.
Asked about receiving her award, Hiba said she’s “glad to be able to help people.”

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By: Randy Juster, AGPA

Kern County Department of Child Support Services Receives Award for Committment to Helping Formerly Incarcerated Parents

Kern County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) received the Program Awareness Award at the 2016 Western Interstate Child Support Enforcement Council Annual Training Conference held in Utah for their innovative "Incarcerated Parent Program. The program has demonstrated Kern County’s commitment to meeting the needs of customers by improving the delivery of child support services to incarcerated parents.

The program started in 2012 when local child support professionals realized incarcerated mothers and fathers faced barriers within the child support system. A significant challenge these parents have continuously faced is their inability to pay their child support obligations. In fact, many incarcerated parents have past due child support obligations but lack a realistic way to pay them.

According to a study released by the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement, the average incarcerated parent with a child support case has $10,000 in past-due support when entering state prison and leaves with past-due balances of $20,000 or more. Not only is this debt unlikely to ever be collected, but it may interfere with the formerly incarcerated parents’ ability to obtain housing and employment in order to support their child. The study also suggests that debt increases the likelihood that non-custodial parents released from incarceration will enter the underground economy and thus avoid paying their child support obligation.  

With these challenges in mind, Kern County DCSS reached out to the Kern County Sheriff Lerdo Detention Facility (Lerdo) to extend child support services to the jail's incarcerated parents. By partnering with each other, Kern County DCSS gained the ability to offer services to a secluded portion of its community and Lerdo Jail acquired a new tool that could have a greater likelihood of releasing inmates with smaller amounts of debt and therefore more chances to reintegrate into society and their children’s lives.

In late 2014, Kern Couny DCSS and Lerdo developed an additional benefit to the Incarcerated Parent Program, the first kiosk in California to offer inmates the opportunity to speak directly to a child support professional. Stationed in a small room, the kiosk uses videoconferencing to allow incarcerated parents to communicate face-to-face with child support professionals in real time. Thanks to the kiosk, parents can attend to their cases and caseworkers can confidentially address parents’ private questions and concerns.

Since its inception, the Kern County DCSS Incarcerated Parent Program has served more than 2,000 incarcerated parents and modified more than 100 child support orders. Through this partnership with Lerdo, Kern County DCSS has had the opportunity to reach and engage parents that may have been overlooked in the past. These parents have developed a relationship with the department that supports their continued engagement in their case upon their release from incarceration. The efforts of this program have supported the reduction of recidivism rates in the Kern County community by educating incarcerated parents about how to manage barriers to future employment such as license suspension and removing child support debt pile up while imprisoned. Studies have shown that a noncustodial parent is more likely to pay child support and otherwise reengage with their families if they consider their child support debt to be manageable.

Kern County DCSS accepted the award in early October.

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Shasta County Department of Child Support Services Takes the Red Carpet

Every year in October, Shasta County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) celebrates all of the hard work staff completed over the past year. Shasta DCSS’s Staff Morale Inspiration Laughter & Encouragement Society, or “SMILES,” committee organizes the event and creates a theme, this year the event was similar to the Academy Awards.

Each team supervisor presented one person from his/her team an “Oscar trophy” and read a short statement about the work and dedication that person displayed in the past year. Shasta DCSS Director Terri Morelock gave a Directors Excellence award to an employee who she thought had went over and above in teamwork, dedication and customer service.

In addition to the awards and recognition, Shasta DCSS hosts a game of friendly team competition with “Child Support Feud,” set up similar to the popular television game show Family Feud. The questions are based on child support services or local government.


“We all enjoy a nice lunch and a lot of laughter,” Morelock said. “We also reveal our end of the (FFY) performance stats. This year we were especially proud of our increase in current support to 71.14 percent! We talk about the families that depend on our services and how we positively impact those we serve,” she added.

This year, the celebration was attended by Shasta County Executive Officer Larry Lees, California State DCSS Director Alisha Griffin, Chief Deputy Director Mark Beckley and Regional Administrator Lesley Bell who also participated in the Child Support Feud.

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California Department of Child Support Services Plugs Into Cyber Security

In recognition of Cyber Security Awareness Month, the California Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) Information Security Office held its First Annual DCSS Cyber Security & Awareness Fair on October 20 at DCSS headquarters.

The event showcased various information booths and activities that provided education and entertainment to staff emphasizing the importance of cyber security.

“We have information of over 11 million participants entrusted to us,” said John Cleveland, DCSS Chief Information Security Officer. “A breach of that data could limit the ability of families to feed their children.”

During the fair, staff were given “passports” as they entered the world of cyber space and were invited to take a tour around five different stations with games and quizzes to learn about ways to protect not only the information assets of DCSS, but to stay safe at home as well.

Attendees would receive a stamp on their passport for visiting each information station. After visiting all of the stations the cyber space travelers would then turn in their passport and be entered into a drawing for gifts and gift cards from local businesses.

“We want to let everyone know that information security is a part of what you do every day”, said John Lozano, Security Analyst in the Information Security Office. “Really, it’s about raising awareness of security as a whole.”

Check out a video recap of the event here: http://bit.ly/2eUr0OD

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Ava DeLara, Associate Governmental Program Analyst
California Department of Child Support Services

Central Sierra Regional Child Support Agency Joins in Community Treat Street Event

The Central Sierra Child Support Agency (CSCSA) was celebrating with the local City of Sonora community over the weekend by engaging with prospective child support customers and sharing information about the services it provides.

“Trick or Treat Street” is a community-wide event put on by the City of Sonora and the Downtown Sonora Merchants. Little “boos” and “ghouls” were invited to trick or treat in Historic Downtown Sonora on Saturday, October 22, 2016.

CSCSA staff enjoyed meeting close to 1,000 children along with their parents and/or grandparents.

Downtown Sonora was bustling with all sorts of ghosts, goblins, and lots of princesses and heroes. Merchants along historic Highway 49, also known as Washington Street, greeted trick-or-treaters with candy and assorted other goodies.

“The Sonora Treat Street Saturday was a very fun event,” said Joy Hopkins, Account Clerk II with CSCSA. “We handed out 760 coloring sheets and even ran out!”

The children were provided a coloring page with a cute Halloween design and the CSCSA logo while three staff from two of the CSCSA offices provided parents and grandparents with brochures and information about child support services.

Pictured are Joy Hopkins, Account Clerk II and Brandi Carpo, Child Support Specialist II from the CSCSA Sonora office; and Crissie Loogman, Child Support Specialist II from the CSCSA Jackson office. 

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Dalaine Heagle
Program Manager, CSCSA

Learning Knows No Bounds as DCSS Celebrates Disability Awareness in the Workplace

The California Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) held its 3rd Annual Disability Awareness Month event on Thursday, October 13th to celebrate inclusion in the workplace. The event, organized by the DCSS Disability Advisory Committee, helps promote disability awareness in the workplace and showcase all of the benefits that those who may have disabilities can contribute to innovation and work production.

The event featured a wide range of activities for attendees to enjoy including an electrifying performance by Southside Art Ensemble throughout the event. The group characterizes themselves as a “dedicated and diverse group of musicians, conquering our disabilities one song at a time.” The group was a hit at the event.

“This has been a great opportunity for us to engage the community and provide services and complete everyone’s awareness,” said Alisha Griffin, Director of DCSS. “We appreciate everyone coming out to be a part of this and really supporting disability awareness.”

Attendees experienced a very entertaining and informative presentation by Pam Kitani, an employee with DCSS who is also a designated puppy trainer for Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), a non-profit organization that provides highly trained assistance dogs to persons with disabilities. Employees at DCSS headquarters likely recognized Kitani and her puppy, but many don’t know that she is actually a volunteer for CCI and trains assistance dogs before they are placed with a participant.

Nancy Sawhney, a National Board Member as well as a participant of Canine Companions for Independence also presented the ways in which her assistance dog, “Battier” or “Baddy” for short, helps her live a full life. Baddy helps Sawhney pick up items she may have dropped, hold items while she pushes her wheelchair or turn lights on/off on command.

“I really want to express deep gratitude for puppy trainers like (Kitani) who work so hard and do so much to train these dogs,” Sawhney said. “I also thank employers who allow these training dogs in the workplace.”

Disability Awareness Month has its roots as far back as 1945 when Congress recognized the first week in October as “Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.”

Also present at the event were representatives from Sacramento Employment Training Academy, Department of Veterans Affairs- NorCal Healthcare System, Southside Arts Center, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Department of Rehabilitation, California Highway Patrol, Futures Explored, Inc. and NorCal Services for the Deaf who provided sign language interpretation.

A video recap of the event can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL0Jt_p4Nlk

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Dana Simas, Director of Communications

California Department of Child Support Services

2016 Our Promise Campaign and the Spirit of Giving Kicks Off!

The annual Our Promise Campaign for 2016 kicked off recently as representatives from all of the departments under the Health and Human Services Agency gathered to celebrate the massive spirit of giving California state employees are known for.

HHS Secretary Diana Dooley speaks at Our Promise kickoff

Last year, the Our Promise Campaign raised more than $6 million from all California state employees that were donated to non-profits throughout the state.

“It really makes a huge difference for the non-profits in the state,” Executive Representative for the 2016 Our Promise Campaign Pilar Williams said.

Angels for Hearts charity representative

The campaign, which began in 1957, allows California state employees to donate to any charity of their choice through payroll deductions as little as $5 a month to any registered 510(c)(3) non-profit.

“It’s one of my favorite events,” Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Diana Dooley said. "The people we serve are the most vulnerable in California and it has been so clear to me that giving spirit is not only in our everyday jobs and the work that we do to improve the lives of so many Californians, but in this particular event we all come together and give yet again.”

DCSS employees represent at the Our Promise kickoff

This year, the Department of Child Support Services is supporting Angels for Hearts, a local non-profit organization serving pediatric heart patients and their families. DCSS has a fundraising goal of $1,000. Check out more information on Angels for Hearts: http://angelsforhearts.org/
For more information on the campaign, visit http://www.ourpromiseca.org/. DCSS employees with questions should contact their designated division committee members or the DCSS Our Promise Campaign Chair Ken Wohl.

A video of the kickoff event can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/2e4AF4q

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California Department of Child Support Services Participates in Heart Walk

The California Department of Child Support Services recently participated in the 2016 DCSS Heart Walk event to support the effort of saving lives from heart disease and stroke—the number one and number five causes of death in the United States according to the American Heart Association.

For the fourth year in a row more than 100 DCSS staff participated in the 1.2 mile walk around the neighborhood surrounding DCSS headquarters in Rancho Cordova. The participants walked in groups and chatted along the way while also enjoying water and almonds donated by Blue Diamond growers.

“I feel connect (to the event) because I was actually born with a hole in my heart and spent my fifth birthday in open-heart surgery,” said Tim Carr-Lovato. “(The support) really hits close to home.”

Check out a video of the heart walkers: http://bit.ly/2dGbUdK

Los Angeles County Child Support Services Participates in Spanish-Language Radio Drive Time Show

Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department (CSSD) received wide exposure for its services in Southern California on September 22 during a live, call-in program on Radio 1020 AM, KTNQ.

Listeners from the large Spanish-speaking community in the Southland were able to ask questions live about child support and have them answered by CSSD Staff Attorney Norma De Gruccio.  Ms. De Gruccio was a guest on “Rumbo A Casa” (On the Way Home) hosted by Gustavo Vargas during prime drive listening time from 6-6:30 p.m.

“We are grateful for these unique opportunities to connect with the diverse multilingual communities which are found in our service area in Los Angeles County. This is where we need to be,” said LA CSSD Director Dr. Steven Golightly who strongly supports the Department’s community outreach. “It was gratifying to hear parents get their questions answered about child support. The host did a wonderful job of creating a positive exchange about the services we offer.”

A number of fathers were the first to call when the phone lines opened. One parent calling about his past due child support debt was advised that he could take his case to court. A mother who called in said her son was a victim of mistaken identity on a case but was afraid to come forward. Ms. De Gruccio advised the mother that her son needed to come into the Department to clear this up.
One father paying support stated he hadn’t been able to see his children in five years. Although Ms. De Gruccio informed the listener that CSSD doesn’t handle custody issues, she informed him that he could pursue assistance from the Family Law Facilitator’s office in the court.

Because of the listener response, KTNQ producer Yesica Lopez expressed interest in have CSSD return in the fall for a longer, call-in program.  KTNQ has a large following in the Spanish-speaking community as a Univision network-owned radio station and the Spanish-speaking outlet for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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By: Al Reyes

LA CSSD Outreach Services Division Chief

Child Support Professionals See the Future at Office 2020 Exposition 2016

On Wednesday and Thursday, August 24th and 25th, the California Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) showcased the future of child support technology during its “Office 2020” Exposition.

The event brought together child support professionals and business and technology experts and vendors throughout California. Vendors engaged Expo visitors with displays of the latest hardware, software and business solutions that will further enhance customer service and improve the efficiency of California’s Local Child Support Agency (LCSA) offices.  


Over the two-day event, more than 100 child support professionals attended presentations and demonstrations from representatives from AT&T, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, InFocus, NWN Corporation, Microsoft, RMG Networks, Technology Integration Group and Verizon.

“It is an opportunity for the LCSAs to connect with DCSS and let us know the visions of the future for their office,” said Sumi Smith, DCSS Assistant Chief Information Officer. “The goal is to move more into the technology of the future.”

Vendors were invited to bring their latest and greatest technology and services to encourage attendees to focus on the future, and the enhancements new technology will provide.

In anticipation of the upcoming LCSA Technology and Equipment Modernization Project, known as “Tech Refresh,” dedicated rooms were provided for Hewlett-Packard and Dell to demonstrate their latest desktop equipment. Surveys were conducted to solicit feedback from the participants. 

Attendees also had the opportunity to participate in a presentation and breakout session on bridging the generational gap between the child support workforce and the customer base. Discussions conducted under “Personalized Service” included, the customer and the community office, the high-functioning office and the customer experience.

“We came to see all of the technology opportunities there are for us to do our best work,” said Marcus Mitchell, Director of Kern County DCSS. “It’s great to see all of the different options from the vendors and start to see the vision for what we can do with new technology.”

Following the Exposition, the next steps for DCSS are to analyze the survey results to gain a clearer understanding of the technical and business requirements for the LCSAs.  The valuable feedback will be incorporated into the planning for the Tech Refresh project.

“I enjoyed the morning brainstorming session, it’s nice to get outside the routine stuff we do and get the opportunity to dream big about the future for child support,” said Don Semon, Director of El Dorado LCSA.

With the success of the event, plans will be made for the Exposition to be held on a recurring basis in the future. 

The event was organized by DCSS IT staff who should be recognized for their dedication and hard work in making the DCSS Office 2020 Exposition a huge success. Organizers included Viki Gibbs-Lanzaro, Paul Bayliss, Tim Carr-Lovato, Ashlie Curtin, Melody Maduli, Dexter Thomas, Glenda Muschetto, Anne Kwan, Pam Frye, Stacie Davis, Raymond Eddy, Sabrina Sorenson, DCSS IT Service Desk staff, DCSS Statewide Applications Service Desk staff, Catherine Lanzaro, Anne Allen, Travis Totten, Amber Hardeman, Anthony Blue and Shannon Zornes-Cunningham. 

A video recap of the event is available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/FronW-UJOsc

Stanislaus County Celebrates Child Support Awareness Month on National Night Out

On Tuesday, August 2, 2016, the Stanislaus County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) participated in a city-wide event, “Modesto National Night Out” in recognition and celebration of Child Support Awareness Month (CSAM). 

Other participants included: Parent Resource Center; West Modesto Neighborhood Collaborative; Stanislaus County Health Services Agency; Girl Scouts of America and many more.

Stanislaus DCSS had more than 100 visitors stop by their booth, which included a bean bag toss, stickers and candy for the children. 

Stanislaus DCSS staff spoke with parents, answered general questions and provided education and information on the many services the child support program provides to families in the community.

Several people Stanislaus DCSS spoke to had case-specific concerns, wherein staff contacted them the very next business day to help resolve their issues. 

Customers shared they were very appreciative of SCDCSS for being a positive and active participant in community events and for providing fun activities for children, along with being available to answer questions and share information in their neighborhood.

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By: Baljit Atwal

Acting Director, Stanislaus County DCSS

Stanislaus County Child Support Holds Workshop for Employers

On Tuesday, August 16, 2016, the Stanislaus County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) hosted an employer workshop to help employers navigate their requirements in complying with child support owed by employees.

Stanislaus DCSS hosted the event to provide local employers practical instruction on processing Income Withholding Orders (IWOs) which is an order served on employers which requires them to garnish or withhold an employee’s wages for payment of child support.

Employers were also provided information on National Medical Support Notices (NMSNs), a two-part notice sent to employers from a local child support agency. Its purpose is to ensure that children receive health care coverage when it's available and required as part of a child support order.

There was also information available to support employers such as how to file an IWO electronically and reporting new hires and independent contractors.  

Stanislaus DCSS’s primary goal in hosting the event was to establish direct contact and build valuable relationships with employers in the community that employ parents who owe child support in Stanislaus County.

A total of 19 employers and 33 staff attended, as well as staff and representatives from other local child support agencies in surrounding regions.

The workshop gave attendees an opportunity to network, meet representatives of Stanislaus DCSS and the California State DCSS. It also gave employers the opportunity to ask questions to help them better understand their role in the child support program.

The employers were provided resource guides such as: Employers Quick Reference Guide, New Hire Reporting and Updating Information, CA DCSS Employer Handbook and many more useful resources.

Evaluations by the attendees collected after the event reflected that participants were very thankful to Stanislaus DCSS for hosting the event and would like to see the workshop offered on an annual basis. 

“The success of this workshop is a direct reflection of the commitment, creativity, and energy of the Stanislaus DCSS Employer Workshop Committee comprising of Tina von Stade, Michael Amarillas, Gaila Brown, Elisa Diaz, Calina Him, Margret Holmes, and Deborah Shindler,” said Baljit Atwal, Acting Director of Stanislaus DCSS. “The workshop will become a regular part of our outreach program.”

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Ventura County Child Support Donates Backpacks and School Supplies to Local Foster Youth

Ventura County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) got into the "Back-to-School" spirit by collecting and donating items to the local foster youth agency.

In total, Ventura DCSS collected 21 backpacks and lots of miscellaneous school supplies on behalf of CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) of Ventura County, a volunteer organization that serves local foster youth.

CASA is matched with foster youth in Ventura County and states it has four basic responsibilities to the child with whom he/she is matched. To be the child’s voice in court, to investigated and report on what is in the child’s best interests, advocate for the child and be a stable and consistent adult in the child’s life.

“What an amazing group of volunteers!” Said Rose Schwab, Interim Director of Ventura DCSS.

CASA will be distributing all of the collected donations to the children served by CASA and will help provide a great start to their school year with new school supplies.

“This was our first year participating in a backpack collection and though we had a late start, that didn’t stop (Ventura DCSS) staff from generously donating much needed school supplies,” Schwab said. “We look forward to participating next year and plan to get an early start.”


For more information on CASA, check out the PDF here: CASA of Ventura County

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By: Rose Schwab
Interim Director, Ventura County DCSS

Madera County Helps Community Connect with Jobs at First Career and Resource Fair

On the last day of August, Madera County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) held its very first Career and Resource Fair to help connect community members with local employers.

The event hosted 20 vendors from employers, training programs, health department representatives and Energy Savings Programs and connected approximately 60 members of the community. At least two of those who attended the job and resource fair participated in final interviews, and both are likely to land the jobs.

The Madera DCSS also had the local McDonalds attend the fair, at the end of the day the representative said he had three applicants that he is sure will be hired. 

Representatives from a local temporary staffing agency said they received some impressive resumes and believe they will find work for the applicants quickly.

Attendees also had the opportunity to learn about lost-cost energy savings through the electric company. 

Madera DCSS also provided opportunities for attendees to connect with employers who couldn’t attend the employment fair by providing two computers for attendees to submit online applications.

“We are very proud that in the three-hour event we were able to help members of our community,” Sarah Honeycutt, Deputy Director of Madera DCSS said. “We look forward to doing it again next year for Child Support Awareness Month.”

Child Support Awareness Month (CSAM) is recognized during the month of August every year. Check out more CSAM stories on the InsideDCSS blog.


For more photos of the event, check out Madera DCSS's Facebook photo album here: http://bit.ly/2cd9HHL

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By: Sarah Honeycutt

Deputy Director, Madera County DCSS

California’s Director of Child Support Services Receives National Award for Helping Create International Standards and Agreements

On August 2nd through 6th, the National Child Support Enforcement Association (NCSEA) held its annual Leadership Symposium where directors and other leaders in the child support community shared and celebrated best practices, partnerships and innovative thinking for the day-to-day management of the child support program.

DCSS Director Alisha Griffin

At this year’s event, the Kathy Duggan Memorial Award was presented to Alisha Griffin, Director of California’s Department of Child Support Services (DCSS). The award is given to those who have exhibited truly exceptional dedication and effort to promote the best interests of children and families served by the child support program.

The memorial award was created after former NCSEA Executive Director, Kathy Duggan, lost her battle to cancer in 1993. Duggan served as NCSEA’s Executive Director from 1987-1993 with a philosophical and exceptional devotion to the importance of child support.

Alisha Griffin’s similarly endless dedication to child support with over 18 years in the child support program exemplifies the qualities required of a recipient of the Kathy Duggan Memorial Award.

“Alisha’s efforts have been extremely meritorious and far beyond her normal calling,” Steven Golightly, current NCSEA President and Director of Los Angeles County Department of Child Support Services Division said as he presented the award. “Alisha merits this recognition as someone who also is dedicated to the ideals and principles of child support.”  

Alisha has been with the child support program for more than 18 years, previously serving in public and private family services, including child welfare, child protection, rehabilitation and therapeutic service systems. Before joining DCSS, Alisha served as Director of New Jersey’s Child Support Program. There, she focused on practice improvements, streamlining all collections and disbursement systems, improving fiscal management and revamping customer service by creating a “one-stop shop” for child support participants. 

DCSS Director Alisha Griffin and LACSSD Director Steven Golightly

“Director Griffin continuously encourages and challenges department staff and managers to re-evaluate and re-engineer our business processes, tools and organizational structure in order to better serve our child support and local child support agency customers,” said Mark Beckley, Chief Deputy Director of DCSS. "With Alisha’s strong leadership and her broad and deep knowledge of the child support program, California’s Child Support Program has a bright future ahead."

In addition to heading one of the largest child support programs in the United States, Alisha has represented the U.S. at The Hague Convention on International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance. She helped formulate the United States’ position and worked to get the agreement, focused on creating uniform procedures for child support enforcement and cooperation among countries, passed by the U.S. Congress.

Because of her expertise she was invited to testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the Hague Convention and its benefits to U.S. children and families and recently presented at the University of Hong Kong.

While visiting with California county child support agencies and staff, Alisha has focused on quality customer service, the dedication of staff in the program and the importance of child support to families and children.

“Our goal is to change the focus of child support from punitive and solely about enforcement to an upfront customer focused family support program,” Alisha stated.

Alisha is often praised for her consistent commitment and openness to taking on challenges.

“I knew that we had a different kind of leader when Alisha traveled to Imperial County to address and meet with our staff, which had never occurred before,” said Gustavo Roman, Director of Imperial County Department of Child Support Services. “Through Alisha’s efforts in working with Mexican authorities such as the Mexican Consulate, the issue of Mexican residents’ inability to collect and cash their child support payments was satisfactorily resolved.

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By: Dana Simas

Communications Director

CA Dept. of Child Support Services

San Mateo County Dept. of Child Support shares, What is Child Support?

Sonoma County Celebrates Child Support Awareness Month and Hosts Second Annual School Supply Drive

To celebrate August as Child Support Awareness Month, Sonoma County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) held its second annual back-to-school supply drive and was able to provide 160 low-income children with the school supplies they need to succeed.

Sonoma DCSS employees, along with employees from other county agencies, donated school supplies to distribute to children whose parents participate in the California Child Support Program. 

“(DCSS) staff were very generous by donating dozens of backpacks and school supplies,” said Jennifer Traumann, Director of Sonoma DCSS. “It is such a privilege to work with families in our community and help provide children with the essential supplies they need to begin their school year.” 

Sonoma DCSS contacted 300 hundred families with children between five and 11 who participate in the local child support program who receive zero or low amount of support. Dozens of families responded and DCSS provided school supplies to at least 160 low-income children.

A new event this year, called “Kidspree,” went beyond the backpack and school supply donations. The event, introduced by Sonoma DCSS employee Ryan Arrow, Legal Processor, offered two families an opportunity to participate in a back-to-school shopping spree. Both families received $150 to purchase clothing and other back-to-school necessities, additionally, each child received free dental screenings, haircuts and breakfast. 

On August 16^th, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors joined California and other states to recognize August as Child Support Awareness Month.

“Because of the important work of DCSS, we distribute nearly 30 million dollars back into our community to support our children,” said Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane, who also serves as liaison to the Sonoma County DCSS.

Sonoma DCSS staff attended the event along with Sonoma DCSS Director Jennifer Traumann, who gave a presentation to the Board. Also in attendance was Monique Chapman, the Sheriff’s Department Civil Bureau Manager, who worked with Sonoma DCSS to recover $19,000 in unpaid child support for families through the Bureau of Unclaimed Property. 

“We know that providing for a child’s basic needs is an essential building block to help children grow into thriving, self-sustaining adults,” said Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chair Efren Carrillo.  “Sonoma DCSS invests in kids, and ultimately in shaping the future of the community.”

Many parents consistently contribute to their child’s well-being in many different ways. Sonoma DCSS took a moment to thank the parents who have consistently made timely support payments by sending thank you cards. DCSS hopes that by acknowledging their ongoing commitment, parents will understand the importance of both emotional and financial support of their children and continue to invest in their

future.

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By: Pamela Crandell, Interim Assistant Director

Sonoma County Dept. of Child Support Servicess

Shasta, Santa Barbara, Solano and San Mateo Counties Give Big to Youth for Back-to-School

Shasta County
 
Shasta County DCSS held a backpack giveaway with donations topping 180 backpacks with 140 entrants participating in the giveaway.  Shasta DCSS will be holding another giveaway of the remaining 40 backpacks at the end of August as the agency continues to receive entry forms from families in the area.
 
Supplies included in the backpack were relevant to the child’s grade level; including paper, binders, pencils, pens, rulers, and calculators.
 
Cash donations helped purchase many of the supplies including thumb drives for high school age children.  Along with donations received from the community and staff, Shasta DCSS received 100 gift cards donated by Dutch Brothers Coffee.
 
Both children and customers expressed gratitude in receiving backpacks filled with supplies. Read more about the event featured in the Redding Record-Searchlight: http://bit.ly/2ai3ZXO

Santa Barbara DCSS Donates 100 lbs of supplies

Santa Barbara
 
Santa Barbara County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) participated in the local United Way “Stuff the Bus” campaign. The staff at Santa Barbara DCSS donated more than 100 pounds of school supplies and backpacks in support of United Way of Northern Santa Barbara County’s “Stuff the Bus” campaign.

Solano County

Solano County DCSS employees have participated in a backpack giveaway through a local church since 2011. The first year, Solano DCSS got a late start and planned to supply 25 backpacks, but exceeded that goal and collected 53 stocked backpacks for kids in kindergarten through second grade.
 
The next year, Solano DCSS put together 150 backpacks and for the last three consecutive years, with the help of Solano County Special Investigations Bureau, 250 backpacks have been donated.
 
Solano DCSS has done a variety of fundraisers such as bake sales and hot dog lunches to raise money for the backpack drive, but the biggest fundraiser, is an auction. 
 
At the auction, a variety of items are donated by Solano DCSS employees who then hold both a live auction during the lunch hour and a day-long silent auction. 
 
In 2015, Solano DCSS raised more than $600 and this year raised $935.00 to purchase backpacks. Once the back-to-school sales begin, different units within Solano DCSS volunteer to purchase the items to place in the backpacks and whatever is not covered by the different units is purchased with some of the auction money.
 
San Mateo County
San Mateo DCSS collected approximately 25 backpacks and several school supplies, such as binders/folder, pens, pencils, highlighters, paper, crayons, rulers, markers, etc. All of the supplies and backpacks were donated to the Children's Fund of San Mateo County.
 
The Children's Fund directly disperses the backpacks and supplies to foster and low-income children in San Mateo County. The Children's Fund receives referrals for those in need directly from social workers, case managers, public health care nurses, probation officers and partner community agencies. The organization serves more than 4,500 children and teens in San Mateo County. 
 
Every year San Mateo County DCSS consistently participates in the Children's Fund Holiday Annual Toy Drive in November/December and the Children's Fund Back to School Drive in the summer months.
 

State DCSS staff deliver backpacks and supplies

State DCSS
Collectively, DCSS was donated more than 50 backpacks, approximately 35 of which were fully packed with items such as paper, glue, pencils, calculators, crayons, colored pencils, etc.

In addition to all of the physical donations, DCSS employees and friends donated more than $1,600 in cash donations. This will help purchase hundreds more items and backpacks for foster and homeless youth to start the school year off with the supplies they need to be successful.
 
Read more about the CA DCSS “Operation Backpack” drive here: http://bit.ly/2a6NxcP

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