State Performance Measures

Family Code Section 17602 requires the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) to adopt performance standards effective January 1, 2001. The performance standards outlined in Family Code Section 17602 (a) are adopted as the state performance measures. In addition DCSS adopted the five federal performance measures.
The nine state measures are reported quarterly. They are:

Percent of cases with a court order for current support.

This performance standard measures the ration of cases that have an order for current support established. This measure will not include medically needy only cases.

Percent of cases with collections for current support.

This performance standard measures the ratio of cases in which at lest one payment for current support has been collected during the reporting period as compared with cases due current support.

Average amount collected per case for all cases with collections.

This perform
ance standard measures the collections on a per case basis. This will be a reflection of the average collection for cases receiving some collections in the reporting period.

Percent of cases with an order for arrears.

This performance standard measures the percentage of the cases within the caseload with arrears due. This measure excludes medically needy only cases.

Percent of cases with arrears collections.

This measure counts cases with child support arrearage collections as compared with cases owing arrearages.

Percent of alleged fathers or obligors who were served with a summons and complaint to establish paternity or a support order during the period.

This performance standard measures the total number of summons and complaints served for cases requiring services to establish paternity and/or a support order.

Percent of children for whom paternity has been established during the period.

This performance standard measures the ration of the total number of children in the caseload who have been born out-of-wedlock and for whom paternity has been established or acknowledged in the reporting period.

Percent of cases that had a support order established during the period.

This performance standard measures the percentage of cases that had an order for support established during the reporting period as compared with the cases needing an order established.

Total child support dollars collected per $1.00 of total expenditure.

This measure compares the total amount of distributed collections to the total amount of expenditures for the fiscal year.