California Department of Child Support Services Finishes Statewide Rollout of Automated Payment Kiosks

By: Nicole Darracq, CA DCSS

The California Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) continues their stride toward greater customer convenience with the installation of automated payment kiosks in child support offices statewide.

Riverside County DCSS received the first installation of the new statewide rollout in January 2017. Other counties were invited to participate and given installation requirements such as power sources and data line access in reception areas. By mid-March the installation had expanded to 27 counties.

DCSS worked closely with the TouchPay programming team to customize use for participants, including development of the ability to manually enter personal data for case lookup and validation. Participants may now locate their accounts quickly and easily by entering unique data such as their participant ID, driver’s license or Social Security numbers.

Ongoing feedback from the counties was received and used by the customization team to continuously improve and simplify the user experience as the rollout progressed.

Automated payment kiosks provide participants with time-saving convenience, accepting multiple forms of payment and helping avoid long lines in the office. Payments post to accounts within three to four days, and the machines generate receipts to assure payment will not be lost or misapplied.

The kiosks also save DCSS’ resources by freeing up staff who would normally handle payments.

In February, the first full month of operation, the kiosks in Riverside County alone collected more than $244,000. By the end of the first quarter, kiosks were collecting 12 percent of all over-the-counter payments statewide.

As of May 31st, with only three locations still awaiting installation, 68 kiosks have collected close to $11 million dollars. Although the full impact of the program remains to be seen, it’s clear that kiosks are gaining acceptance as another safe, convenient, and time-saving option for both participants and the child support program.

TouchPay Kiosk model is CA DCSS Student Assistant: Mitchell Warrington

CA DCSS Regional Administrator Lesley Bell Honored at 2017 CSDA Child Support Conference

At the 2017 Child Support Conference, hosted by the Child Support Director’s Association (CSDA) in Orange County the week of May 1st, California Department of Child Support Services’ (CA DCSS) Regional Administrator Lesley Bell was awarded the William R. Knudson Award.

Lesley received multiple nominations for the award which was given to recognize her for her advocacy and support for the local child support agencies (LCSA) in both her role as Regional Administrator as well as her participation in a several statewide committees such as Program, Policy, & Regulations, Customer Service Advisory Committee, and the CSDA Annual Conference Committee.

When the team of CA DCSS Regional Administrators was cut in half due to vacancies, LCSA directors continued to applaud Lesley for her level of service and support, despite her increased workload. The child support program changes continuously and so do staff, it is extremely beneficial for the LCSAs to have one point of contact who can offer support and assistance in navigating difficult issues. LCSA directors recognized Lesley for her success in this area, stating “she has an ability to address issues and concerns quickly and efficiently. If she doesn't readily have an answer, she is sure to do her research and follow up with the assistance needed.

The director who nominated her stated Lesley has been instrumental in orchestrating change and evolution for the child support program and has shown considerable support for regionalization projects.

Some quotes about Lesley from the nominations include;
• "Her dedication and work ethic are to be commended";
• "She is warm, cheerful, and resolves conflict with remarkable patience and tact";
• "She demonstrates a commitment to customer service and excellence in service delivery"
• “Even in the most challenging situations, we appreciate Lesley's consistent attitude, continued    support, and desire to make the right decisions for the right reasons. The program is very fortunate to have Lesley in this key DCSS role.”


Thank you Lesley for making CA DCSS proud!

Lesley Bell, CA DCSS Regional Administrator with her William R. Knudson Award presented at the 2017 CSDA Child Support Conference.

San Joaquin County DCSS Leadership Graduates a Second Class

Lori Cruz, San Joaquin County DCSS

Eleven employees of the San Joaquin County Department of Child Support Services became graduates of its leadership program on April 10, 2017. The eleven new graduates presented proposals to address actual work challenges as part of their graduation ceremony.

The leadership program was first implemented in 2016 to address succession planning and also to provide resources to program participants to assist them with realizing their ambitions and career goals.

Each leadership candidate must first submit a professional statement of interest with a resume and supporting recommendation from his/her supervisor. After an initial screening, the candidates respond to survey questions designed to assess leadership potential.

The official leadership course, designed by the Apollo Group (aka the University of Phoenix) consists of four classes with topics ranging from communication skills, team building, proficiencies and the value of diversity. Each candidate is also assigned a mentor from the previous leadership class(es).

The culmination of the program is the team capstone presentation. The teams present proposals to management and, after approval, move forward to accomplish their project. This year’s leadership class proposed the following projects: rebranding the department by forming relationships with Head Start and temporary staffing agencies, an internal mentoring program and a Job Fair working collaboratively with Work Net.

Pictured from left to right:  Assistant Director Veronica Riley, Lisa Mendoza, Mike Holmes, Shirley Avalos, Cheryl Hicks, Monica Moore, Sonji McAfee, Brian Strong, Teresa Lane, Estela Roman, Sharon Covello, Kathie Bohacek and Director Lori A. Cruz

North Coast Regional Child Support has a Striking Good Time at Community Bowling Fundraising Event

North Coast Regional Department of Child Support Services (NCRDCSS) had a ball last month participating in the 34th annual fundraising event, Bowl for Kids’ Sake. NCRDCSS staff raised funds through bake sales, individual donations from colleagues, family, and friends for Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Coast, a non-profit organization helping children reach their full potential through one-on-one mentoring.


The masquerade-themed event was held on March 3rd and 4th with more than 800 participants and 164 fund-raising teams. This was NCRDCSS’ 25th year participating in this event, eight staff members, along with several spouses and children, named their bowling team “This is How We Roll.”

NCRDCSS "This is How We Roll" Team

Child Support Assistant Shana Katz, expressed her enjoyment, “It was such an uplifting and energizing experience to be able to see the enthusiasm and support that my coworkers have for each other, all while helping another amazing organization in our community.”

Overall, the event raised more than $116,000 in donations, which makes up over 50 percent of the annual operating budget for Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Coast and 100 percent of the funds are used to serve the children in Humboldt County.

 “It was such a fun family-friendly event that helps a great organization and I was fortunate enough to bowl with a great bunch of people,” expressed Nikki Nantz, Child Support Assistant. NCRDCSS looks forward to participating next year for the Barnyard Bowl.

Celebrating International Women's Day, CA DCSS Recognizes its Female Executives

In today’s political climate more women than ever are joining the ranks of the political world and getting involved in making policies that effect everyday Americans.  Historically, this field has been predominantly lead by men, but at California Department of Child Support Services (CA DCSS) it is Anne Drumm who is the Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs. 

Anne earned her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Minnesota and after moving to California, began working at the Fair Political Practices Commission investigating violations of the Political Reform Act. 

It was at the FPPC when she volunteered to help in the Legislative Office that she developed her passion for public policy and legislative affairs. “It was a really small legislative office, it was sink or swim as there wasn’t anyone to hide behind so I learned quickly,” Anne said. 

Anne left the FPPC and moved into private sector lobbying where she worked on a broad range of legislative topics. She was also selected to participate in the CORO Fellowship program in southern California. During the year-long fellowship, Anne learned that problem solving is best accomplished in a collaborative setting where all views can be heard and mutually agreeable solutions can be honed.

After a breast cancer diagnosis in 2004 and time for thoughtful reflection, Anne decided to change her career direction and return to public service where she could contribute by learning health policy.  She began working at the Department of Health Services in 2005 and absorbed all she could while working on women’s health policies and other public health issues, which she felt were close to her heart.  

“I love working in public policy, and the issues we work on are fulfilling and meaningful for me. I enjoy the challenge of finding the best path forward for complex problems.” 

Anne joined CA DCSS in 2013 after serving several years as the Legislative Deputy at the Office of State Health Planning and Development. At CA DCSS she oversees the department’s legislative activity, including working on bills that impact the child support program.  By working with legislative staff, Health and Human Services Agency staff and the Governor’s Office, she  ensures that the department is represented in policy discussions. 

When asked what she would tell young women seeking executive-level careers Anne says, “ask questions, identify mentors and be open to learning something completely out of your comfort zone.”

But she also extends responsibility to those who have walked the path already, “for those of us who are a few steps further down the road in our careers, we need to be sure to reach back and bring others along with us because that’s how the road continues to be built forward.” 

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Celebrating International Women's Day, CA DCSS Recognizes its Female Executives

Although women fill close to half of all jobs in the United States economy, they hold less than 25 percent of jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Despite the huge gap in women-held positions in STEM fields, at the California Department of Child Support Services (CA DCSS) it is Sumi Smith that serves as its Assistant Chief Information Officer.

Sumi earned her Bachelor’s degree in civil environmental engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and began her career as a civil engineer working on “superfund sites” across the United States. Superfund sites are polluted locations requiring a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contaminations. The sites Sumi worked on include Department of Defense sites, some of which had nerve gas testing conducted on its grounds.

She arrived in Sacramento to work on clean up at McClellan Air Force Base before modifying her approach to engineering and got into information technology (IT) as a Project Manager. She moved on to a position working at Cable Data (now Amdocs) which developed systems that provided billing services to cable telephone/television companies. From there she moved to a private company that built network management systems and then became an IT consultant for the State for eight years, assisting departments such as CalPERS, Department of Education and Department of Justice. She then joined the state as a full-time employee at the Department of Finance and then moved to California Department of Transportation as an Assistant CIO and Acting CIO before arriving at CA DCSS almost one year ago.

Change and challenge is something Sumi is very familiar with as she grew up moving all over the world, never really staying in one place for more than a few years. She’s lived all over the United States, Saudi Arabia, India and more. She’s been in California since college, the longest she’s lived anywhere.

All of that worldly education has given Sumi a unique perspective on International Women’s Day.

“I think of the impact that women have all over the world, women we will never hear about who are making impacts in their local communities,” Sumi said. “When I was boarding school in India there was a community of refugees that we would visit and the women there had started schools for their kids. They were literally living in the dirt and yet they were the happiest people I’ve known because they were creating their own community.” 

As an Assistant CIO, it’s Sumi’s responsibility to carry out the IT initiatives of CA DCSS. “It’s important to be really connected to the business and the program and understand what the department is hoping to achieve and connecting that with technology that advances those goals.”

“I enjoy working with the people and I really enjoy learning about the program. It’s so complicated!” Sumi said. “Being a custodial parent myself and interacting with (CA DCSS) for years before I arrived, I had no idea the complexities that the department has.”

When asked what advice she has for young women seeking executive-level careers, Sumi said, “I have two girls of my own, I teach them to always say yes to opportunities and challenges to learn new things. Never let not knowing how to do something hold you back, always raise your hand, you can figure it out later.”

Of the 22 Executive staff members at CA DCSS, 17 of them are women. Currently, CA DCSS has women who lead in technology, communication, legal, legislative, fiscal and Director’s positions.

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Celebrating International Women's Day, CA DCSS Recognizes its Female Executives

In the currently male-dominated world of finance there are women making huge strides and taking over leadership positions. At the California Department of Child Support Services (CA DCSS) it is Irene Briggs that is the Deputy Director of the Administrative Services Division (ASD) and oversees the financial services, procurement and contracts, human resources and facility operations for the department.

Irene has worked her way up through the administrative ranks over the last 20 years, beginning as an office assistant for the Sacramento School District at 18 years old. She was the Chief Financial Officer for the Department of State Hospitals before moving to CA DCSS in 2015.

During her time moving through the ranks she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science as well as a Master’s degree in Public Administration.

“I really enjoy supporting all of the changes Child Support is making to better serve its customers,” Irene said. “My focus is not only providing support for all of those changes for our customers, but it’s also on providing support for the almost 700 employees we have at the State Department of Child Support.”

In addition to managing the finances of CA DCSS,
Irene also oversees the budget allocations to each of the 49 county/regional child support departments. It’s a massive task that requires finesse, financial acuity and boldness to balance the needs of the diverse counties in California.

Not only does Irene work in finance as a profession, she is also a mom to a ten-year old daughter and is the Vice President of the Sacramento Girl’s Softball League. She spends a lot of her free-time doing non-profit work in support of the league and its players.

When asked what advice she would give to young women seeking executive level careers, Irene responded, “don’t be afraid to learn a variety of skills and subject matters. Explore the options out there because the more exposure you get the more opportunities you have.” 

Of the 22 Executive staff members at CA DCSS, 17 of them are women. Currently, CA DCSS has women who lead in technology, communication, legal, legislative, fiscal and Director’s positions.

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