5175 Department of Child Support Services
Program Descriptions

4260 - CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES
The Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) is the single state entity designated to administer the federally mandated Title IV-D child support program in California. The Department is responsible for providing oversight of California's Title IV-D program to establish and enforce child support orders, locate parents, establishing paternity, and collect and distribute support. The Department is also responsible for oversight of county and regional Local Child Support Agencies (LCSAs) that work directly with families in the community. Eligibility for California's funding under the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant is contingent upon continuously providing these federally required child support services. The Child Support Program operates in accordance with the federal performance measures, with minimum standards established for acceptable performance levels necessary for receipt of federal incentive funding. The objective of the Child Support Program is to provide an effective system for encouraging and, when necessary, enforcing parental responsibilities by establishing paternity for children, establishing court orders for financial and medical support, and enforcing those orders.