YOUR RIGHT TO COMPLAINT RESOLUTION

As part of our ongoing mission to provide excellent customer service, this agency has adopted a formal Complaint Resolution Process as mandated by the State Legislature.

If you are a custodial and non-custodial parent, you may file a formal complaint about a child support agency or Franchise Tax Board action or inaction. If the complaint is not resolved satisfactorily by this agency within the Complaint Resolution Process, you have the right to request a hearing before an administrative law judge. Only a custodial or non-custodial parent may access the Complaint Resolution process.

If you have a dispute, let us know by a phone call, letter or during an office visit. Our goal is to respond to you no later than 3 business days after receiving your information, and we will try to resolve the problem as soon as possible. If you call us and our Call Center staff cannot resolve your issue, they will ask the case manager to review the issue and contact you. If we are unable to resolve the dispute with you, you may ask to file a formal complaint, which can be made either verbally, or in writing.

The Ombudsperson at your local child support agency may help you file a complaint against a child support agency located in a different county. Click here for a statewide list of Ombudsperson Program contacts and here to view complaint forms and state hearing requests you may download.

You may ask for a complaint form to be given to you if you wish to file a written complaint. Or, you may file a verbal complaint with a case manager who will take down the information and send you a copy for your records. The case manager will give you the toll-free number for the agency Ombudsperson who will help you resolve the complaint and who can answer your questions about the Complaint Resolution process. The Ombudsperson can help you navigate through the Complaint Resolution and State Hearing process.

Not all issues can be resolved in the Complaint Resolution or State Hearing process.

Some excluded issues are: court orders for custody, visitation, paternity or spousal support, amounts of child support and arrears ordered in court and other matters which must be addressed in a court of law.

You must first try to resolve the problem by accessing the local agency’s Complaint Resolution process before requesting a State Hearing. If granted, the hearing is conducted before an Administrative Law Judge, who may order the county to take corrective action. The judge does not have the authority to award damages or impose financial penalties on the agency.

General Overview of the Complaint Resolution Process

• A complaint must be made within 90 days from the date you knew or should have known about the subject of the complaint.
• A Complaint Investigator from this agency will research the facts of the case and provide a written resolution of the dispute within 30 days of receiving the complaint (unless an extension has been granted).
• If you are not satisfied with the resolution, you have the right to request a State Hearing before an Administrative Law Judge.
• If the agency does not respond to you within 30 days after receiving your complaint, you have the right to request a State Hearing.
• The hearing will be scheduled to take place within 45 days from the date the State Hearing Office receives the request for hearing.

OMBUDSPERSON PROGRAM

To contact the Ombudsperson for the Siskiyou Modoc Regional Dept. of Child Support Services, call toll-free at 1-800-676-9222. To request a state hearing, call the State Hearing Office at 1-866-289-4714.

The Ombudsperson helps you resolve issues with your child support case, explains your rights and responsibilities, and tells you the ways you can get child support services.

Responsibilities:

• To help you with child support issues.
• To assist you in understanding the complaint process before, during, and after the complaint is filed.
• To assist you in preparing for a State Hearing.

You can file a complaint if you are not satisfied with the assistance you are receiving from the county Department of Child Support Services in resolving your child support issues.