Tehama County Department of Child Support Services Gives Away School Backpacks at Homeless Empowerment Event

The Tehama County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) recently participated in a one-day homeless empowerment event to help educate low-income and homeless families about their local child support programs. Two Tehama DCSS staff volunteered their time to participate and the entire department pooled money to purchase two backpacks full of school supplies to be given away to selected event participants.

The event, called Live Inspired For Tomorrow (LIFT) connects low-income and homeless families with critical services such as free eye exams, dental screenings, mental health services, medical assistance including immunizations, wound care and breast exams, clothing, blankets and housing information.

“Tehama DCSS is committed to serving families, and sometimes that means going where they are instead of waiting for them to walk through our doors,” Tehama DCSS Director Tonya Moore said.
“The LIFT event has been evolving over the past three years and we felt it was a great fit for outreach.”

Tehama DCSS Child Support Specialists Max Hemping and Laura Burlison provided the outreach, speaking to more than 100 people who had questions regarding establishment of paternity, driver’s license releases, interstate concerns, opening a case, free legal advice and a lot of “what if” scenarios.

Tehama DCSS Child Support Specialists Max Hemping and Laura
Burlison participate in outreach event

“The demeanor and the look on people’s faces were much more optimistic than the looks we get when in the intimidating environment of court,” Hemping said.

This was Hemping's first outreach event, and he is passionate about changing the public's perception of DCSS from an agency that only goes after fathers for money to one that serves the best interests of children.

“We want to put in people’s minds that we have no ‘ruin your life’ button,” Hemping said. “We really are doing our best to keep families from falling further into poverty. I put myself in my customer’s shoes and try to provide the customer service I would expect to get.”

The two winners of the backpacks donated by Tehama DCSS staff were children that were extremely thankful for and excited about their gifts.

“We were really hoping these backpacks would go to families that would really need them and it appears that this is what happened,” Hemping said. “The two kids couldn’t wait to rummage through their prizes.”

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Dana Simas
CA Dept of Child Support Services

Merced DCSS Elves Bring Holiday Cheer to Families in Crisis

The holiday season is a time for giving, reflecting upon struggles and being thankful for blessings. This year, the Merced County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS)  donated to families receiving services from Valley Crisis Center, which provides services to people in Merced County affected by domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. Twenty-three people, including eight families with young children, were identified as victims of human trafficking. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the elves of Merced DCSS generously donated and wrapped new items to cover all of the gifts on the wish lists provided by the individuals and families, including tablets, bicycles, clothes, shoes, coats, blankets, toys and much more. In addition to the gifts, staff donated more than 100 pounds of beans and rice to help contribute staples to each family's pantry. Thanks to the caring and heartfelt generosity of the staff from Merced County DCSS, these fragile families will have a little Christmas joy.

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Sharon Wardale-Trejo
Director
Merced DCSS

Doing Well By Doing Good: A Creative Holiday Effort Benefits Kids in San Mateo County

On December 3, more than 800 volunteers gathered at the San Jose Convention Center’s South Hall, carrying Allen wrenches, screwdrivers, wire cutters and tire pumps.  Five hours later, more than 2,500 bicycles in all sizes had been assembled, inspected, and loaded onto U-Haul trucks to be distributed to low-income children throughout San Mateo County.  It was Turning Wheels for Kids’ annual Big Bike Build – and San Mateo County Department of Child Support Services (SM DCSS) was there to help give back.

SM DCSS Child Support Supervisor David Carlos has volunteered at this event for three years and this year he invited SM DCSS’ Wellness Committee to participate. 

“Volunteering helps people feel better about themselves,” Carlos said. “I thought it was a good idea for our Wellness Committee to support.” 

Turning Wheels for Kids is a non-profit that provides children with brand-new bicycles through several partnerships that support low-income families and address childhood obesity.  The goal is not only to provide a big present that every child wants, but also to encourage lifelong habits of exercise, outdoor activity and independence.

When David called Turning Wheels for Kids to register the SM DCSS team, he spoke with a staff member who contacted him later to offer DCSS thirteen new bikes to donate.  A local company had just held a Turning Wheels Bike Build as a team-building exercise for employees and the bikes built that day needed a home.  David promptly accepted and presented the bikes to the San Mateo County


Director Cagno and her son
with a finished bike

Children’s Fund, a charitable organization that partners with SM DCSS.  That was all it took for enthusiasm for the project to take hold.
Ten SM DCSS staff members showed up that Saturday morning ready to build, including Director Kim Cagno, who brought her 15-year-old son along. 

“I thought it would be a good mother-son bonding experience,” she recalled.  Her son thoroughly enjoyed himself, although he teased his mother about her lack of mechanical skill: “In five minutes it was ‘Mom, just stay away from the bike.’” 

During the Bike Build, volunteers open boxes of bike parts and assemble the bikes using hand tools. The finished bikes are then inspected to ensure correct assembly and sturdy joints. Director Cagno’s son alone built five bicycles that morning.

“It is such important work, and so much fun to do,” Director Cagno enthused. “It is a great holiday experience and a really great way for our team to give back.”

The San Mateo County Children’s Fund – already a recipient of SM DCSS’ annual Toy Drive and now of thirteen brand new bikes – is hoping to receive more bicycles from Turning Wheels for Kids next year as the organization works with several non-profits to distribute newly-built bikes. 

If you are interested in supporting low-income families and bringing kids back outdoors to active play, visit www.turningwheelsforkids.org.  As for David, Kim and the rest of the SM DCSS team, they are hoping they can volunteer again next year. In 2016, the Big Bike Build registration closed in just 45 minutes, so future teams may have to make a donation in order to join the fun.  That’s great news for a very worthy effort!

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Nicole Darracq
Information Officer II
CA Department of Child Support Services

 

VIOLA Celebrates Turning One

Last year, the California Department of Child Support Services (CA DCSS) created a new, efficient way for those seeking to open a child support case to file an application online from the comfort of their homes, without the hassle of mailing in a lengthy paper application. The Virtual Interactive Online Application, also known as VIOLA, has helped thousands of people obtain services within its first year.

Any mother, father or legal guardian may apply to open a child support case, even if they do not have legal custody of the child.

Between VIOLA's initial implementation on December 7, 2015 and November 30, 2016, a total of 35,651 VIOLA applications were completed and submitted. Of the applications submitted, 31,678 (88.86%) were successfully opened or processed as cases in the Child Support Enforcement system.

In April 2016, a customer survey was sent to the approximately 12,000 customers who submitted online applications between December 7 and April 18.  CA DCSS received over 1,100 responses with  most customers reporting that the new application was very user-friendly and easy to understand.

An overwhelming majority of customers (88%) reported that their VIOLA application took less than one hour to complete, most stating it took less than 30 minutes. This is a significant reduction in the time required to complete the lengthy paper application that was formerly used.

For a tutorial on how to apply for child support, visit the VIOLA webpage here: http://bit.ly/2gbHwIR.

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Dana Simas

CA DCSS

California Department of Child Support Services Opens Hearts Wide for Sacramento Children’s Home

For the 2016 holiday season, the California Department of Child Support Services (CA DCSS) participated in the Sacramento Children’s Home (SCH) Christmas Gift Star Program, gathering toys and gift cards which were handed out to children of all ages.

CA DCSS chose 30 traditional gift stars and 30 gift card stars from the SCH Gift Star Program. Each of the traditional gift stars included three gifts for a boy or girl of a designated age and each of the gift card stars encouraged donating gift cards of $20 or more. All of the traditional gift stars were picked within three working days of the event being posted. CA DCSS staff wasted no time in turning their items in - on the very first day, the Information Security Office staff brought in a high-chair, diapers, teething rings, toys and more.

Some of the stars were chosen by individuals.  Others were selected by teams or units within CA DCSS, who joined together to grant every single wish on each of the traditional gift stars, some even adding more than $100 in gift cards.

In total, CA DCSS collected more than 240 toys, books, bikes, clothes, diapers, etc. and donated more than $1,240 in gift cards for Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, Old Navy and various restaurants: a tremendous showing of generosity from a department with less than 700 employees.

In addition to the department-wide toy drive, the CA DCSS Executive staff “adopted” two families associated with SCH and donated a baby crib and mattress, warm clothes, rain boots, appliances, toys and more based on the wish lists submitted by the families.

The Sacramento Childrens' Home is a non-profit agency which provides services to families in crisis and troubled or abused children. SCH offers a comprehensive spectrum of prevention, early intervention and treatment programs to strengthen families and stop the generational cycle of child abuse and neglect. From educating parents of infants and toddlers to teaching independent living skills to young adults, SCH makes a significant difference in the lives of 6,200 children and 4,600 families in the Sacramento region each year.

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Dana Simas
CA Dept of Child Support Services

Don't Forget to Claim Your Money- The Earned Income Tax Credit

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a tax credit for low and moderate income individuals and families. For those who qualify, the EITC reduces the amount of tax owed and may result in a refund, and is not counted as income for families receiving CalWORKs assistance. More than 350,000 California taxpayers received a state EITC in 2015; the average payment was $524, and more than $189 million dollars was returned to Californians.  Notably, the Franchise Tax Board identified an additional 55,000 taxpayers who might have been eligible for the credit in 2015 but didn’t claim it.

 

To get an EITC, individuals and families must file a tax return, even if they do not owe any tax or are otherwise not required to file.  A federal return must be filed to receive the federal EITC and a state return must be filed to receive the California EITC, as each EITC has its own income limits and other requirements. For example, California does not differentiate between married and single-head households.

Income Limits and Maximum California EITC Amounts

Number of Qualifying Children	California Maximum Income			Cal EITC (up to)
None	$		6,717	$	217
1	$	10,087		$	1,452
2	$	14,161		$	2,406
3 or more	$	14,161		$	2,706

For tax year 2016, the federal EITC is available to individuals and families whose earned income and adjusted gross income does not exceed the following:

 

     Filing Status                              Number of Qualifying Children

If filing...	Qualifying Children Claimed
	Zero	One	Two	Three or more
Single, Head of Household or Widowed	$14,880	$39,296	$44,648	$47,955
Married Filing Jointly	$20,430	$44,846	$50,198	$53,505

Maximum federal EITC amounts are higher than State amounts:

Maximum Federal EITC Amounts

Number of Qualifying Children	Federal EITC (up to)
None	$		506
1	$	3,373
2	$	5,572
3 or more	$	6,269

There are many EITC resources available for both LCSAs and families. To learn more about California’s EITC, visit the Franchise Tax Board’s EITC website at: https://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/faq/net/900.shtml.

Tax filing assistance is available to all California families at no cost.  Information can be found at:  http://caleitc4me.org/get-it/. 

Additional resources for LCSAs are also available on the California EITC Partner Portal at: https://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/faq/net/900_media.shtml.

For more information about the federal EITC, visit the IRS Earned Income Tax Credit page at: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit. 

We hope you find this information valuable for you and your customers.  If you have any questions regarding this message, please contact the Policy and Program Branch at (916) 464-5883.

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Ventura Department of Child Support Services Gives Back to the Community It Serves

On December 2, 2016, staff from Ventura County Department of Child Support Services (Ventura DCSS) participated in the 5th Annual Riverpark Collection Canned Tree Team Build with the spirit of giving back to the community.

The event is part of the “Tackling Hunger Campaign” hosted by the regional food bank to help raise the 200,00 pounds of food needed to restock its warehouse in preparation for the 10 million meals that will be needed in 2017.

Ventura DCSS staff build canned food tree

“I volunteer monthly at Food Share as a sorter and see firsthand how much this service is needed,” said Barbara Stoliker, a Child Support Supervisor at Ventura DCSS. “Participating in the Canned Tree Event was one more way to give back to the community. It is inspiring to see how much food is donated and the enthusiasm of everyone involved in the event.”

There was a bit of competition in the air, but more importantly a very profound appreciation for the importance of giving back to help support those individuals, families, children and seniors who are hungry in Ventura County.

Ventura County Chief Executive Officer, Michael Powers, was present at the event and thanked Ventura DCSS for their hard work and dedication, posing for a picture with the staff.

In total, Ventura County departments built 37 trees, with Ventura DCSS’ tree boasting 528 cans of food.

Additional Ventura DCSS staff who participated in the event include: Yolanda Galvez, Blanca Medina, Sonia Lopez, Sonia Cabral, Maria Bustillos, Priscilla Stevenson, Cassandra Holzhauer, Maricela Delgadillo, Jeanette Reeves, Lorena Rosas and Director Rose Schwab.

When asked what motivated her to participated in this year’s event, Ventura DCSS Staff Services Specialist II Yolanda Galvez said, “Uniting with my peers to work together on creating something fun and festive, all while helping to feed our local needy families.”

Ventura County DCSS plans to make this a yearly tradition and the goal in 2017 is to build two trees, while reinforcing the team's spirit!

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Lorena Rosas
Outreach Coordinator
Ventura County DCSS

Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department Participates in Annual Clothing Giveaway Serving Tens of Thousands

On Sunday, December 4th, Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department Deputy Director (LA CSSD) Julie Watson and bilingual LA CSSD staff joined the National Council of Jewish Women’s Annual Clothing Giveaway and Resource Fair attended by tens of thousands of families in Los Angeles.

“The line wrapped around several blocks,” Watson said. “Despite the massive crowd, no one was turned away.”

LA CSSD began participating in the annual event two years ago, after a friend of Watson’s invited her to provide outreach and education about child support services to the attendees. The event is held every first Sunday in December.

Watson and staff provided pamphlets, handouts and case review requests to both English- and Spanish-speaking families, even walking the long line of waiting families, meeting people and encouraging them to take advantage of the child support services available to them.

In addition to getting to know the attendees, Watson said the event allows LA CSSD to develop relationships with stakeholders and other organizations who can coordinate their services with LA CSSD to help even more families. For instance, connecting with job skills organizations can help LA CSSD assist parents who are struggling to pay their child support because they cannot find a job. 

“We look at case numbers all day,” Watson said. “These events give us the opportunity to really see the people behind the case numbers and why we work hard to help families.”

This year, the Clothing and Resource Fair gave away more than 125,000 pieces of clothing. Families are allowed one bag per family member and may take whatever they can fit in that bag. Watson recalled one little boy who introduced himself to all of the workers at the resource tables.“He would say ‘Hi! I’m Patrick!’ and he held onto his brand-new teddy bear so tight,” Watson said. “It was bigger than he was!”

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Dana Simas
CA Dept of Child Support Services