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CHILD SUPPORT
Description Of Indicator
This indicator reports the Distributed Net Collections divided by the average monthly caseload for the Federal Fiscal Year. Improvements in collections per case indicate more dollars available for children’s basic necessities.
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Why is this Important?
The number of Orange County children living in poverty has risen by 12.5% since 2010 (presently 129,233).1 Research shows that child support payments help to lift more than one million Americans above the poverty line each year and assist families with incomes above the poverty line to make ends meet.2 Child Support Services (CSS) builds partnerships with parents, develops community linkages and cultivates existing relationships with other county agencies. Expected results are increased collections and improved performance, which yield increased financial support to meet the needs of children and families. Child support collections pay for essentials such as food, shelter, child care and medical support. CSS has implemented a familycentered approach that connects customers to local resources for family essentials (e.g., clothing and food), parental success (e.g., parenting classes and financial workshops) and individual services (e.g., adult education and job training).
In the last 10 years, the number of Orange County CSS cases has decreased while services to customers have increased along with the collections per case.
Findings
• Total Orange County cases decreased by 24.2% from 89,852 cases in 2010/11 to 68,117 in 2015/16. Over the same time period, net collections remained steady with an average of $179.2 million annually.
• Total children in the CSS case load has decreased by 29.3% from 100,715 in 2010/11 to 71,171 in 2015/16. However, nearly one in 10 children in Orange County is served through Child Support Services.
• 90.2% of Orange County cases have a child support order established (legally enforceable), higher than the State’s average of 89.5%.3
• The percent of current support distributed among Orange County cases during 2015/16 was 68.0%, which is higher than the California rate of 66.9% and represents a continuous improvement since 2010/11 when the rate was 59.0% (a 15.2 percent increase).
