California Department of Child Support Services

Division 17, Chapter 1 of the Family Code establishes the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS). Article 1 provides general provisions.

Section 17000 defines the following terms: “child support debt,” “child support order,” “court,” “court order,” “department,” “dependent child,” “director,” “local child support agency,” “parent,” “public assistance,” and “public assistance debt.”

Article 2 deals with organization of DCSS. Section 17200 created the Department of Child Support Services within the California Health and Human Services Agency.

Section 17202 designated the department as the single organizational unit whose duty it is to administer the Title IV-D state plan for securing child and spousal support, medical support, and determining paternity. State plan functions shall be performed by other agencies as required by law, by delegation of the department, or by cooperative agreements.

Section 17204 specifies that the department consists of the director and such division or other administrative units as the director may find necessary.

Section 17206 requires the department to ensure that there is an adequate organizational structure and sufficient staff to perform functions delegated to any governmental unit, including a sufficient number of attorneys to ensure that all requirements of due process are satisfied in the establishment and enforcement of child support orders.

Section 17208 requires the department to reduce the cost of, and increase the speed and efficiency of, child support enforcement operations. The department is also required to maximize the use of federal funds available for the costs of administering a child support services department, and to the maximum extent feasible, obtain funds from federal financial incentives for the efficient collection of child support, to defray the remaining costs of administration of the department consistent with effective and efficient support enforcement.

Section 17210 requires the department to ensure that the local child support agency offices and services are reasonably accessible throughout the counties, and establish systems for informing the public, including custodial and noncustodial parents of dependent children, of its services and operations.

Section 17211 requires the department to administer the Child Support Assurance Demonstration Project, and the county demonstration projects to provide employment and training services to nonsupporting noncustodial parents.

Section 17212 contains several statements of legislative intent. All files, applications, papers, documents, and records established or maintained by a public entity pursuant to the administration and implementation of the child and spousal support enforcement program must be confidential, and not be open to examination or released for disclosure for any purpose not directly connected with the administration of the child and spousal support enforcement program.