HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04042000 - D3 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: PHIL BATCHELOR
County Administrator
DATE: Apri 14, 2000
SUBJECT: FAMILY SUPPORT TRANSITION
Specific Request(s) or Recommendations(s) & Background & Justification
RECOMMENDATION:
1. ACKNOWLEDGE that in 1999 the California legislature passed a reform package of bills, including
Chapter 478 (AB 196, 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.
2. ACKNOWLEDGE that 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), a newly created department within the state Health
and Human Services Agency.
3. ACKNOWLEDGE that at the local level, child support operations in California's 58 counties will be
transferred over the next three years from each District Attorney's office to a newly created county
agency. The estimated transition date for Contra Costa County is July 1, 2001.
4. ACKNOWLEDGE that 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 will be issuing
standards for the qualifications of the counties director of child support programs and specific
guidelines for implementing the transition process.
5. ACKNOWLEDGE that the transition will require solid project management, strategic planning and
careful work with other counties and the new state agency, and would benefit from a service
professional familiar with Family Support and State requirements to ensure a smooth and effective
transition.
6. AUTHORIZE the County Administrator, or designee, to execute an Employee Loan Agreement with
Alameda County in an amount not to exceed $77,000 for the services of Wilfred Otterbeck to act as
the Family Support Transition Consultant through December 31, 2000.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Estimate no impact on the General Fund. The cost of this agreement is included in Family Support's
transition budget request to the State.
CONTINUED ON ATTACr . X Y"5
Signature: _ c
_Recommendation of County Qinistrator
Recommendation of Board Committee
/Approve Other
Signature s
Action of Bo d April 4, 2000 Approved as Recommended)_Other
Vote of Supervisors: I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
_] Unanimous(Absent_#S_j AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE
Ayes:_ Noes: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON DATE SHOWN.
Absent: Abstain:
Attested: April 4, 2000
cc: CAO-Justice Phil Batchelor,Clerk of the Board of
District Attorney—Gary Yancey of Sup visors and County d inistrat r
Family Support—Gayle Graham
Contact: George Roemer 335-1055 By: DEPUTY
BACKGROUND: �
In 1999, the California Legislature passed, and the Governor signed, a package of bills that made significant
changes to the organization, administration, and funding of the state's child support enforcement program.
Generally, these reforms will significantly increase state authority and oversight over the program, and
changed state administrative responsibility for developing the statewide child support automation system.
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).
The primary purpose of California's child support enforcement program is to collect, from absent parents,
support payments for custodial parents and their children. Child support offices in the state's 58 counties
provide services such as locating absent parents; establishing paternity; obtaining, enforcing, and modifying
child support orders; and collecting and distributing payments. Federal law requires states to provide these
services to all custodial parents receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, which is the
California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids — CALWORKS program in California) and, on
request, to non-TANF parents. Child support payments collected on behalf of TANF families historically have
been used primarily to offset the federal, state, and county costs of TANF grants. Collections made on behalf
of non-TANF parents are distributed directly to the parents.
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). The counties were
authorized to refer certain delinquent cases to the FTB for collection.
Major Provisions of the Child Support Reforms of 1999
• Creates New State De2artment. As of January 2000, state-level administration and oversight of the child
support enforcement program was transferred from the Departments of Social Services to the new
Department of Child Support.
• Shifts Local Administration to New County Agencies. At the local level, administrative responsibility will
be shifted from the county district attorneys to newly-created county agencies.
• Shifts Responsibility for Determining Program Expenditures to the State. Responsibility for determining
program expenditure levels and how funds will be allocated among the local agencies will shift from the
counties to the state.
• Establishes a Program Performance improvement Process. Local agency failure to comply with
performance plans could lead to state assumption of responsibility.
• Revises the County Fiscal Incentive Payment System. Establishes new incentives for counties, subject
to availability of funding.
• Changes Aporoach for Automation to a Single Statewide_S_ sy tem. Previously, the approach was county
based.
• Transfers Responsibility for Procurement of the Automation System to the Franchise Tax Board (FTB),.
Previously, the Health and Human Services Agency Data Center was responsible for procurement.
• Requires Performance-Based Procurement for the New Statewide Automation System. The procurement
for the single statewide system will be based on the vendor's ability to meet pre-agreed upon program
performance levels.
• Shifts Responsibility for Interim Automation Systems to the State. The state is responsible for determining
changes and enhancements to county-based systems.
• Establishes a Project Charter for the Statewide Automation System. Project charter will describe the
governance structure, roles and responsibilities, and the management for the single statewide system.
• Requires State to Assume Responsibility for Automation Penalties. The state, rather than counties, will
be responsible for the federal financial penalties for not meeting deadlines for the statewide system.
• Expands the FTB's Child Support Delinquency Collection_Pro rg am. The program will cover a broader
range of cases.
Employee Loan Agreement from Alameda County
Bill Otterbeck began working for the Family Support Division in Alameda County in 1988. When Contra
Costa County converted to the BEST data system, Mr. Otterbeck served as the project manager and provided
administrative oversight and on-site technical support to the project. Most recently, he has served as the
Family Support Project Director for the California District Attorney's Association and has been integrally
involved in all aspects of the new Child Support Enforcement legislation. Alameda County has agreed to
allow Mr. Otterbeck to assist Contra Costa County in implementing the requirements of the new state
program and make the reform process work smoothly.
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