Every Child Needs the Support of Both Parents

– The Importance of Child Support

By Natalie Dillon, Director, Yolo County DCSS and Phyllis Nance, Director, Alameda County DCSS

Natalie Dillon, Director of Yolo County Child Support, and Phyllis Nance, Director of Alameda County Child Support, presented a workshop at the 2018 CWDA (California Welfare Directors Association) Conference entitled Every Child Needs the Support of Both Parents; The Importance of Child Support. The theme of the CWDA conference was Achieving the California Dream. Apropos given the importance and relevance of child support to children in achieving their dreams.

One of our main goals in giving this presentation was to educate professionals from health and human services agencies from around the state in the child support program. There was a great turnout of counties from around the state. Audience members included Child Welfare Social Workers, eligibility staff from Medi-Cal, CalFresh and CalWORKs, administrators, Office of Child Abuse Prevention, and the CA Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), among others.

Following the workshop, we received feedback from the Office of Child Abuse Prevention about the important role child support plays in providing economic stability for fragile families. Nationally as well as in California, poverty is the most frequently listed factor for child welfare intervention.

We also received feedback from the LAO’s office indicating that the presentation really drove home the importance of close collaboration between Child Support and Health and Human Service Agencies.

The presentation PowerPoint is available if anyone is interested in delivering the content locally or to other key stakeholders working to improve the lives of California’s children and families. If you are interested in obtaining a copy, please contact either Phyllis or Natalie.