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Placer County child‑support office reports seventh year as statewide top performer
Summary
County child support staff told supervisors Placer ranks No.1 in California for federal performance measures for the seventh straight year, collected $25.5M for FY24/25, and manages roughly 6,000 cases — while noting recruitment and training pressures for caseworkers.
Placer County Child Support Services told the board on April 30 that the county again ranked first statewide on federal performance measures for the seventh consecutive year and that the office collected $25.5 million for federal FY24/25, putting more money into families’ hands.
Director Laura Van Buskerk and Admin/Fiscal Officer Taran Ugen said the program manages about 6,000 active cases and that for every $1 spent the office collects roughly $3.88 in support and associated recoveries. “For the seventh consecutive year, Placer County Child Support Services has ranked number one in the state in federal performance measures,” Van Buskerk said, thanking staff for their work.
Officials credited the outcome to consistent casework, legal support, and investments in training. They also noted that the department operates on a 66% federal / 34% state funding split and remains focused on maximizing federal match opportunities where possible.
At the same time, officials told the board the program faces staffing challenges: 75% of the 20 child support specialists on duty have less than two years’ experience, and specialized training and experience are needed to handle complex cases. Staff said targeted recruitments are underway and that training pipelines and backfill plans will remain a priority to sustain performance.
Next steps: the program will pursue recruitment and training to reduce vacancy rates, continue to seek federal funding optimizations and report quarterly on performance measures. Supervisors thanked staff for the results and asked for continued outreach on state policy changes that affect enforcement tools and collections outcomes.
Ending: the department emphasized that strong casework and steady funding draws directly into family support and that staffing and state policy changes remain the office’s principal near‑term risks.
