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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 reflect an increase in income to parents to provide for the basic needs of their children.
Why is this important?
The number of Orange County children living in poverty has risen by 29.4% since 2010 (presently 125,803).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 have decreased while services to customers have increased along with the collections per case.
Findings
• Total Orange County cases decreased by 25.8% from 94,860 in 2007/08 to 70,403 in 2016/17. Over the same time period, net collections increased slightly by 2.4% from $179.6 million to $184.0 million, with an average of $179.6 million annually.
• 92.0% of Orange County cases have a court order established, in comparison to the California’s rate of 90.9%. Over the past five years, the CSS rate has increased 4.0%.3
• The percent of current support distributed among Orange County cases during 2016/17 was 68.0%, which is higher than the California rate of 66.4% and represents a continuous improvement since 2007/08 when the rate was 54.0% (a 25.9% increase).4
