Lake County proclaims August 2026 Child Support Awareness Month

The Lake County Board of Supervisors designated August 2026 as Child Support Awareness Month, with a staff reader saying the proclamation recognizes "the essential role child support plays in strengthening families, enhancing children's well-being, and promoting services and policies that help parents provide consistent and meaningful support." The proclamation, read into the record by a county staff member, also stated that "Lake County Child Support has recently made extraordinary progress advancing more in the past 5 years than in the previous 5 decades."

Deputy Director Tracy Garcia of Lake County Child Support Services presented an overview of the office's work, saying the department establishes paternity and child support orders (which can include health insurance and childcare when appropriate), enforces existing orders, and assists with modifications when circumstances change. Garcia said the office "offers a wide range of assistance designed to promote stability and help families thrive." She added the office cannot modify spousal support orders. A staff correction during the meeting clarified that the local office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The proclamation text emphasizes outreach and access, noting automatic referrals for CalWORKs families and simplified application routes for non-CalWORKs residents. The Board Chair signed the proclamation at the meeting; the transcript records the action as passed and adopted but does not record a roll-call vote.