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Thursday 2/9/2012
Page Visits: 3,696
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Customer Service
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Ombudsperson Program Is Here to Help YOU!
Who is the Ombudsperson?
The Ombudsperson helps you resolve issues with your child
support case, explains your rights and responsibilities, and
tells you the ways you can get child support services. Link to DCSS Public Website for Complaint Resolution.State Hearings, click here.
What
are the Ombudsperson's responsibilities?
- To help you with child support issues.
- To assist you in understanding the Complaint Resolution Process before, during, and after the complaint
is filed.
- To assist you in preparing for a State Hearing
An Ombudsperson is available in each county to assist parents,
employers, and other members of the community.
Contact your local child
support office for more information.
Complaint Resolution and You
- Parents or other custodial parties can file a complaint
with the county Department of Child Support Services.
- You should give the county your contact information,
the case name and number, and the issue to be resolved.
- Your complaint may be about any county Department of
Child Support Services or Franchise Tax Board action or inaction except for complaints about
court orders, custody or visitation.
- You must make your complaint within 90 days of when you
knew about the problem.
- The county Department of Child Support Services will
have someone other than the caseworker involved with your
complaint investigate and try to resolve your complaint.
- If the complaint is out of that county's area, it will
be sent to the correct county within five days.
- The county Department of Child Support Services must
give you a written response to your complaint within 30
days of when they received your complaint.
- If a complaint cannot be resolved within 30 days, the
county Department of Child Support Services may extend the
time period for resolving the complaint up to 30 additional
days. If the period for resolving a complaint is extended
for any reason, the county Department of Child Support Services
will mail you a notice stating the reason for the extension.
- The complaint investigator will tell the county Department
of Child Support Services or Franchise Tax Board what they
must do to resolve the issue.
- The county Department of Child Support Services will
send a written notice to you with information on your rights
to a State Hearing,
if you are not satisfied with the county's response.
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The State Hearing
Process and You
The
State Hearing Process is a process where you can have your
case reviewed by an administrative law judge. You have a right
to a State Hearing if you have gone through the Complaint Resolution Process and:
- The county has responded within 30 days and you are not
satisfied with the response. You must request a State Hearing
within 90 days after you received the county's response
to your complaint.
- Or, the county failed to respond to you within 90 days
after you filed your complaint.
The State Hearing will be held in your county.
What complaints can go to a State Hearing?
The following types of complaints can be heard at a State
Hearing if you are not satisfied with the county's response
to your complaint:
- Your application for child support has been denied or
has not been acted upon within the required time frame.
- Your case has been acted upon and you believe the county
acted illegally.
- Child support payments were not given to you, you received
the wrong amount, or you don't agree with the past-due amount.
- The child support agency closed your child support case.
If needed, translation services and reasonable disability
assistance are available to you free of charge.
What issues cannot be heard at a State Hearing?
Some issues cannot be heard at a State Hearing:
- Court-ordered amounts of child support.
- Paternity.
- Child custody or visitation.
- Spousal support
- Contempt matters.
- Civil rights issues.
How to prepare for a State Hearing
The county Department of Child Support Services Ombudsperson can help you request a State Hearing and prepare needed
documents. The following information would be helpful to prepare
for your case:
- Write a statement of the facts of your case.
- Bring copies of any information and papers, such as statements
and notices, that support your case.
- Prepare a list of witnesses and people who will speak
on your behalf at the hearing, if any.
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© Copyright 2012, The County of Mendocino
501 Low Gap Road, Ukiah, CA 95482 |