The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 12192000 - SD3 TO: Board of Supervisors Contra FROM: Phil BatchelorOta CountyDATE: December 19, 2000 `°srA------ ` SUBJECT: TRANSITION OF DISTRICT ATTORNEY FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES TO THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION Recommendation: 1. ACKNOWLEDGE that in 1999 the California legislature passed a series of child support reform bills that made significant changes to the organization, administration, and funding of the state's child support enforcement program. Chapter 478 (AB196, Kuehl), Chapter 479 (AB150, Aroner), and Chapter 480 (SB542, Burton and Schiff) are specifically intended to improve customer service through more effective case handling, better complaint resolution and additional resources dedicated to public service responsibilities. 2. ACKNOWLEDGE that the legislation requires that prior to the State approving a transition date, a transition plan must be developed and submitted to the State for approval, and a local Director of Child Support Services must be selected. 3. ACKNOWLEDGE that on April 4th, 2000, the Board approved a contract to hire a Family Support Transition Consultant, on August 8th, 2000, the Board approved a resolution establishing the class of Director of Child Support Services; on September 26th, 2000, the Board approved the submission of a transition plan to the State and authorized the establishment of a separate County agency; and on November 14th the Board appointed a Director of Child Support Services. 4. ACKNOWLEDGE that the State approved Contra Costa County's transition plan and scheduled the transition of child support services from the District Attorney to a separate County Agency effective January 1, 2001. 5. APPROVE the transfer of the child support function from the District Attorney to the County Department of Child Support Services effective January 1, 2001, and AUTHORIZE the County Administrator and Auditor-Controller, or their designees, to take all necessary and appropriate administrative actions to effectuate this transfer. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR R MENDAT N OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON December 19, 2000 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. x UNANIMOUS(ABSENT AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Contact: District V Seat Is Vacant Cc: Human Resources ATTESTED 1 th�r 1 200D Auditor-Controller PHIL BATAHELOR,'CLEF THE BOARD OFSUPERVISORS CAO—Criminal Justice District Attorney—Family Support L , Department of Child Support Services BY: DEPUTY 6. TRANSFER authorized positions and incumbents in the District Attorney Family Support Program (Budget Unit 0245, Org. 2892) to the Department of Child Support Services (Budget Unit 0240) pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 478, 479, and 480 and effective January, 1, 2001. 7. RETITLE District Attorney Family Support job classifications to Department of Child Support Services as necessary. 8. TRANSFER the administration of the following Fund balances from the District Attorney to the Department of Child Support Services: 833700-Domestic Relations Trust, 833800-Domestic Relations Tax Contingency, 833900-Domestic Relations Misapplied Contingency. 9. DIRECT the County Administrator, in coordination with the District Attorney and Auditor Controller, to prepare appropriation adjustments required to achieve the transfer of FY 00-01 General Funds from the District Attorney Family Support Program (Budget Unit 0245) to the Department of Child Support Services (Budget Unit 0240). 10.TRANSFER all existing assets, contracts, purchase orders, and any other existing agreements from the District Attorney Family Support Program to the Department of Child Support Services. 11.ACKNOWLEDGE that the transition from the District Attorney to the Department of Child Support Services will require a Notice of Substitution of Attorney to all participants and REQUEST that the Contra Costa County Superior Court issue a General/Standing Order informing all parties of the change. 12.DIRECT the Director of Child Support Services to develop a Memorandum of Understanding with the District Attorney for services related to the investigation and prosecution of criminal child support enforcement activities (PC 270), identify the attorney of record for pleadings, communicate with the private bar and courts as to the change, issue a public notice regarding the Notice of Substitution of Attorney, provide notice to all participants with a Family Support case, and a notice by publication. 13.DIRECT the Director of Child Support Services to revise the Automation Cooperation Agreement and the Plan of Cooperation between the Department of Child Support Services and other County agencies. 14.ACKNOWLEDGE that the Director of Child Support Services conducted a public forum on December 13th, 2000, to inform child support stakeholders of the upcoming changes in the child support program and DIRECT the Director of Child Support Services to continue a public outreach program to parents, employers, vendors, organizations, and other governmental agencies. 15.APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the County Administrator, to execute an amendment to the employee loan agreement with Alameda County to increase the payment limit by $47,325 to a new payment limit of$124,325 for the continued services of Wilfrid Otterbeck to act as the Family Support Transition Consultant through April 30, 2001, to permit completion of required transition matters. 16.APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Director of Child Support Services to execute the following contract amendments to extend the term from December 31, 2000 through June 30, 2001, and increase the payments limits for child support attorney services: Increase New Limit Rachael Zeiph Burley $55,000 $ 79,999 Kimberly Dunworth $55,000 $146,599 Nancy M. Gordon $55,000 $ 79,999 Mary Lindelof $55,000 $146,599 Gilbert Boyd Tarin $55,000 $146,599 17.DIRECT the Director of Child Support Services to appoint an interim Supervising Attorney for the purpose of serving as the Attorney of Record for the Department, in the event that the Department of Child Support Services has not hired a Supervising Attorney at the time of transition. 18.ACKNOWLEDGE the participation and contributions of the District Attorney and all staff, managers, collection officers, and clerical personnel in the success of the transition planning and customer service redesign effort. FISCAL IMPACT It is estimated that there will be no impact on the General Fund. BACKGROUND The primary purpose of California's child support enforcement program is to collect, from absent parents, support payments for custodial parents and their children. Prior to recent legislative reforms in California, the program was administered at the local level by the county district attorneys (DAs), with state oversight by the Department of Social Services (DSS). In 1999 the California legislature passed a reform package of bills, including Chapter 478 (AB196, Kuehl), Chapter 479 (AB 150, Aroner), and Chapter 480 (SB 542, Burton and Schiff), which together are intended to achieve more uniformity in service delivery and better performance in the Child Support Enforcement Program by overhauling the organization, administration; and funding for the program. Among the more significant changes are the creation of a new state Department of Child Support Services (DCSS); the transfer of local administration from the county district attorneys to separate county child support agencies: and the transfer of responsibility for procurement of the automation system from the state Health and Human Services Data Center (HHSDC) to the Franchise Tax Board (FTB). As of January 1, 2000, state level administration and oversight of California's child support enforcement program was transferred from the Department of Social Services (DSS) to the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS). The new state Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) is responsible for compliance with all federal and state laws pertaining to the administration of child support enforcement, and completion of a single statewide automation system. The new DCSS is responsible for developing guidelines for the process of transferring Child Support Enforcement from the county district attorney to a separate county agency. A major focus of the legislation is to improve customer service through more effective case handling, better complaint resolution and additional resources dedicated to public service responsibilities. The legislation requires that prior to the State approving a transition date, a transition plan must be developed and submitted to the State for approval and a local Director of Child Support Services must be selected. Contra Costa County's transition plan was submitted to the State on October 10, 2000. The State has targeted a transition date no later than December 31, 2000, for Contra Costa County to transfer Child Support Services from the District Attorney to a separate county agency. The recommendations in this Board Order authorize and direct the administrative changes necessary to implement the transition. VamsupB04)