REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 6, 2024
FROM
AMY COUGHLIN, Director, Department of Child Support Services
SUBJECT
Title
Non-Financial Plan of Cooperation with the California Department of Child Support Services for the Child Support Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve non-financial Plan of Cooperation with the California Department of Child Support Services, including a non-standard term, delineating the responsibilities of both parties for the administration and enforcement of the child support program, for the period of October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025, with automatic annual renewals unless new laws, regulations, or requirements necessitate an update.
2. Authorize the Director of the Department of Child Support Services, as the Local Child Support Agency Director and as required by the California Department of Child Support Services, to execute the Plan of Cooperation, including any subsequent non-substantive amendments, on behalf of the County, subject to review by County Counsel.
3. Direct the Director of the Department of Child Support Services to transmit the Plan of Cooperation and all subsequent non-substantive amendments to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Amy Coughlin, Director, 478-7459)
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
The recommended Plan of Cooperation (POC) is non-financial, and therefore does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A POC between the California Department of Child Support Services (State) and the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) is required pursuant to Family Code section 17304(a). The recommended POC defines the responsibilities of both parties for securing child support in accordance with the provisions of Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. These responsibilities include child support establishment, collection, and disbursement services; medical support; determining paternity; and providing other public services.
The State requires each Local Child Support Agency (LCSA) Director to execute and submit a POC to the State no later than September 1, 2024. In San Bernardino County, the DCSS Director is the LCSA Director. Pursuant to Family Code section 17304(c), a current, signed POC must be on file with the State as a condition for disbursing federal and state funds to DCSS.
The POC with the State includes the following term that differs from the standard County contract term:
POC term is one year with automatic annual renewals unless new laws, regulations, or requirements necessitate an amendment.
• County Policy 11-04 does not permit indefinite term or automatically renewing agreements unless approved by the Board of Supervisors (Board); the maximum contract term is five years.
• Potential Impact: There is no end term to the POC, and the County is indefinitely bound to the terms and conditions of the POC.
DCSS recommends approval of the POC, including the nonstandard term, as the POC is a requirement for DCSS to receive funding from the State. DCSS will request Board reapproval of the POC after the maximum five-year contract period, unless new laws, regulations, or requirements necessitate an update before that time.
The last POC was approved by the Board on August 20, 2019 (Item 22), and effective October 1, 2019, with the maximum contract term ending September 30, 2024.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on July 17, 2024; County Counsel (Ramona Verduzco, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 11, 2024; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on July 17, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on July 22, 2024.