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City's child support office reports stable funding and outreach focus, serves nearly 10,000 children
Summary
Karen Roy, head of San Francisco’s Department of Child Support Services, said the department’s mid‑cycle budget is balanced and funded through FY2018–19, serves 9,945 children, collected about $27 million in federal fiscal year 2016 (92% passed to families), has no new positions in the current request and will prioritize language access and enhanced case management.
Karen Roy, department head for San Francisco Child Support Services, presented a mid‑cycle budget update emphasizing program stability, client demographics and service redesign.
Roy said the department’s current caseload supports approximately 9,945 children and that 74 percent of families currently or previously received public assistance. She reported that in federal fiscal year 2016 the department collected about $27,000,000 and that roughly 92 percent of every dollar collected went directly to families. She added that paternity is established for about 97 percent of the department’s children and that roughly 2,000 noncustodial parents are delinquent in payments.
Why it matters: Roy framed the department’s budget and service model as family‑centered rather than punitive, stressing workforce investments, language access and partnerships with the Human Services Agency and community organizations to address barriers to employment that affect child support compliance.
Key points
- Funding and staffing: The department operates on a two‑year budget approved in June 2016 and, according to Roy, funding through fiscal 2018–19 is confirmed. There are no new positions or equipment requests in the current mid‑cycle update.
- Service model and priorities: Roy said the department has shifted toward enhanced case management, language access and trauma‑informed services. She identified workforce development partnerships and targeted outreach as priorities for helping parents meet obligations and secure employment.
- Project 500 and telephony: The department’s participation in a county‑led project (Project 500) has been adjusted to reflect workload and matched funding changes; telephony improvements previously planned for FY2018 will be funded by the state in the current year, Roy said.
Committee follow‑up: Supervisors asked about overlap with the Human Services Agency; Roy described referrals, programmatic connections and regular communication between caseworkers and offered to meet staff to discuss systems integration.
What happens next: The committee moved to file the mid‑cycle update. Roy thanked City staff (mayor’s budget office and controller’s office) and said the department will continue monitoring federal/state guidance on funding and program requirements.
Sources: Presentation and Q&A by Karen Roy, Department of Child Support Services (transcript).
