August 3, 2022
Child Support Court is Moving to Historic Courthouse The San Bernardino County Child Support Court…
News and Articles
Director’s Spotlight
Did you know that it has been more than 20 years since DCSS moved from the District Attorney’s Office to being part of the San Bernardino County Human Services departments? As a Human Services organization, our focus is on the well-being of the entire family, rather than being punitive. Many stories and misinformation have helped keep the stigma of the child support program around for a long time. We have been taking steps to increase the awareness and to change the long-standing negative perception of the program.
August is Child Support Awareness Month (CSAM), and each year we focus our efforts on increasing engagement with our customers and awareness of the program. This year, we are highlighting the facts about Child Support. Ensuring that that our customers and the public at large know and understand the correct information about who the department is, and what services we provide. This year for CSAM, San Bernardino County is focuses on three key areas:
• Changing the public perception,
• Bringing education and awareness of the services we provide, and
• Targeted outreach to groups that could benefit from our services.
Our goal of increasing awareness starts with spreading the word that no matter where a person is in their child support journey, we are here to help find the best way to deal with our customer’s the unique circumstances. Our holistic approach means reviewing each case and evaluating which services best meet their needs. This approach allows the parents to be engaged in the direction of their case by letting us know where they are, and where they want to go. Our new slogan “Let Us Help You Get There” serves as a reminder to our staff that our purpose is to assist both parents and the entire family in totality..
We are bringing education and awareness using Social Media, including platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Current program service information, community resources, employment information, and video testimonials of real customers and partner organizations are shared regularly on all platforms. We have made enhancements to our website, added a Spanish landing page, and will continue to participate in events, presentations, and radio broadcasts to share information to reach anyone that may need our services.
We know that changing how we are perceived means working with both parents to help remove barriers. Our holistic case management approach to each case, ensures we involve both parents in getting to the right outcome for the children. San Bernardino County DCSS is committed to earning the trust of parents who need us and will continue to incorporate new ways in which we can better serve our community and assist families in becoming stronger and more resilient.
New Updates to Help You
New changes to the Compromise of Arrears Program (COAP)! The COAP program is now, the Child Support Debt Reduction Program.
This program provides the same opportunity for parents paying support to remove past due Child Support balances (also known as arrears) owed to the government.
The benefits of the new program are:
Our goal remains to assist both parents in meeting the financial needs of their children.
The Debt Reduction Program is another way we can work together to remove barriers and find workable solutions that help you be a Super-Hero to your children.
If you are interested in participating in the Debt Reduction Program and would like more information, please reach out to your caseworker.
COVID-19 UPDATES
MONTHLY MYTH BUST
MYTH: The Child Support agency is under the District Attorney’s office.
TRUTH: The Child Support Program is no longer part of the District Attorney’s Office and hasn’t been in over 20 years. Because child support is established through the legal system, it is often misunderstood. Each county has established a Department of Child Support Service which helps those in the community by strengthening families.
News
SB COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS RECEIVES 7 AWARDS
The award-winning programs in the six district were highlighted. Those critical to each program’s success spoke about their challenges and accomplishments.
FATHERHOOD STRENGTHENS FAMILIES
San Bernardino Fatherhood has worked to raise awareness about the importance of fathers in healthy families by offering classes and workshops to help men.
CALIFORNIA TO FEED 6.2 MILLION STUDENTS
All 6.2 million public school students will have the option to eat school meals for free, regardless of of their family’s income.
Articles
We are here for you and your family
Our job is to supply the resources needed to help all families, big or small. Our Newsletters contain articles and resources that cover everything from COVID-19 to parenting with disabilities.
Our DCSS Newsletter is designed to give our customers beneficial information and resources. Child Support is here providing a hub for resources that our San Bernardino families can use. Times are tough right now and we are here to help build stronger bonds within families.
