Mariposa County

Department of Child Support Services

Community Outreach

Our outreach program goal is to raise public awareness about the importance of parental responsibility and to provide up-to-date information about child support services to the community. We also offer informative presentations to adolescents about the high cost of raising children. Please call our outreach coordinator, Ginny Carpenter at 209-966-3400, if you feel your group or school would benefit by receiving information about child support services.

Military Activation

The following hyperlink provides information to Reservists and National Guard personnel who have recently been mobilized and/or activated for military service.

http://www.childsup.ca.gov/ChildSupportProfessionals/Policies/RecentlyActivatedMilitaryPersonnel/tabid/94/Default.aspx

Ombudsperson Program

An Ombudsperson is available at our office to assist parents, employers, and the community. An Ombudsperson will provide information about the child support program, resolve issues, and answer questions.

The Ombudsperson Program also helps parties through the Complaint Resolution process and State Hearing, and helps arrange for special accommodations and interpreters needed at State Hearings. The Ombudsperson Program also evaluates customer satisfaction and suggests ways to resolve concerns and improve customer service.

Either a custodial party or a non-custodial parent may file a complaint over the handling of a child support case. You can download a  Request for Complaint Resolution form or call our office and request one at (209) 966-3400.  Go to the California Department of Child Support Services website for additional Customer Resources information.

The county Department of Child Support Services cannot resolve complaints regarding actions taken by the court, such as the amount of a child support order, custody, visitation, or spousal support orders. Only the court can resolve these matters.

The county Department of Child Support Services will resolve complaints about:

The county Department of Child Support Services is required to respond to every complaint, in writing, within 30 days. If a complaint cannot be resolved within 30 days, the county Department of Child Support Services may extend the time for resolving a complaint up to a maximum of 30 additional days. If the period for resolving a complaint is extended for any reason, the county Department of Child Support Services will mail a notice stating the reason for the extension.

Some complaint decisions made by the county Department of Child Support Services can be appealed to a State Hearing. Only the following issues are subject to State Hearing:

• Denial of child support services

• Child support services not provided timely or in the manner required by law

• Incorrect or missing support payments or the amount of arrears owed

• Decisions to close a case

Forms to request a State Hearing may be obtained by calling toll-free (866) 289-4714, or by clicking on this link for a PDF copy at http://www.childsup.ca.gov/Portals/0/resources/docs/forms/SH001.pdf. 

The county Department of Child Support Services will assist a custodial party or non-custodial parent in requesting a State Hearing. Instructions for requesting a State Hearing are included on all complaint resolution forms used by the county Department of Child Support Services.