In some rare cases Child Support is required to take additional steps to engage parents in child support processes. Below are some terms for tools used in the program and explanations for each.
Parent Paying Support
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Administrative Order of Examination or Admin-OEX
- this tool is used for parents who have paid support in the past, or have new orders for support that are not currently making regular support payments. The Admin-OEX is an appointment where the parent and the child support case manager meet to discuss barriers to payments of support, and explore resources available to the parent like assistance with job search, employment services, financial coaching, and other available resources. The goal of the Admin-OEX is for parents to be able overcome their obstacles in order to meet their financial responsibilities.
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Civil Contempt
- the civil contempt is used in extreme instances of non-payment of support. The parent is required to attend a court date to explain why payments are not being made regularly. If the parent cannot afford legal representation, an attorney is appointed by the court.
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Bench Warrant
- failure to appear at a court hearing scheduled for a Civil Contempt can result in a bench warrant being issued. Most of the time the warrant stays in place until the parent appears in court and resolves the issue. If you believe you have missed a court date and are concerned about the possibility of a warrant, call Humboldt County Superior Court at (707) 445-7256 or Trinity County Superior Court at (530) 623-1208 to find out how to resolve the issue.
Parent Receiving Support
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Non-Cooperation Sanction
- parents receiving CalWORKS are required to cooperate with Child Support Services while they are aided. If the parent does not meet this requirement, a notice of non-cooperation is issued that reduces the CalWORKS benefit until the parent does what is needed. The parent also becomes ineligible to Medi-Cal during this time. The notice of non-cooperation can be issued for things like the parent does not complete and return necessary paperwork, attend required court dates, or complete genetic testing. If you are experiencing a penalty on your CalWORKS or Medi-Cal due to non-cooperation and would like to resolve the issue, contact us at (866) 901-3212.
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Case Closure
- if the parent that opened the child support case does not do what's needed of them, then non-cooperation with child support requirements will result in closure of the support case. In addition to the other instances of non-cooperation, receiving direct child support payments without turning them over to be processed through the State Disbursement Unit can result in the support case being closed.