REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
November 18, 2025
FROM
AMY COUGHLIN, Director, Department of Child Support Services
SUBJECT
Title
Standard Contract Template for the Parentage Opportunity Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve a standard contract template to provide the required California Department of Child Support Services Parentage Opportunity Program services countywide, from the later of January 1, 2026 or the date of full execution, through December 31, 2030.
2. Authorize the Assistant Executive Officer of Human Services, Deputy Executive Officer, or Director of the Department of Child Support Services to execute the individual standard contracts with licensed hospitals and other entities that participate in the Parentage Opportunity Program within the County.
(Presenter: Amy Coughlin, Director, 478-7471)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The $10 payment per completed Declaration of Paternity to licensed hospitals and other entities that provide prenatal services is 100% reimbursed by the California Department of Child Support Services (State) to the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS). Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the DCSS 2025-26 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
DCSS determines paternity, establishes and enforces child support orders, and secures payment to assist families in meeting the financial and medical needs of their children. In 1995, California Family Code sections 7570 through 7577 were implemented requiring hospitals and authorized county agencies to provide unmarried fathers with the opportunity to acknowledge paternity by establishing the Parentage Opportunity Program (POP). POP provides all public and private California hospitals and clinics that provide birthing services with the information needed to comply with federal and state laws pertaining to paternity establishment. POP creates the legal link between unmarried fathers and their children, simplifying the process for obtaining support for children of unmarried parents.
POP is administered by licensed hospitals and other entities that provide prenatal services, and payment is issued by DCSS. Pursuant to California Family Code section 7571, DCSS is required to pay the legally established rate of $10 to hospitals and other entities that participate in POP for each completed declaration of parentage that is filed and accepted by the State, provided the local child support agency and the hospital or other entity that provides prenatal services have entered into a written agreement that specifies the terms and conditions for the payment as required by federal law.
DCSS currently has POP contracts with 13 hospitals and other entities that provide prenatal services that are scheduled to expire after reaching the maximum contract term of five years per County Policy No. 11-04. The recommended standard contract template will allow DCSS to enter into new five-year agreements, as required by federal law, with those same hospitals and other entities that provide prenatal services for POP services, along with any new hospitals or entities during the covered time period. The individual agreements with licensed hospitals and other entities shall be effective upon execution by both parties, but no earlier than January 1, 2026, and shall be subject to availability of State funding. Contractor performance will be monitored by County staff for compliance with the administrative, program, and fiscal terms and conditions of the contract.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services (Lisa Rivas-Ordaz, Contracts Manager, 388-0222) on October 7, 2025; County Counsel (John Tubbs II, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 28, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Allegra Pajot, Administrative Analyst, 388-0218) on October 23, 2025.