WHEREAS, The mission of the California Department of Child Support Services is to enhance the well-being of children and the self-sufficiency of families by providing professional services to locate parents, establish paternity, and establish and enforce orders for financial and medical support; and

WHEREAS, California’s child support services program works with parents, whether they are paying or receiving child support, to ensure that children and families receive court-ordered financial and medical support; and

WHEREAS, Child support services are available to the public through a network of 51 county and regional child support agencies. County professionals work very hard to ensure that the children in the program can rely on their parents for the financial and medical support that they need to be healthy and successful; and

WHEREAS, Child support collections in California increased by $37 million in the state fiscal year ending in June 2011, with the total distributed collections at $2.3 billion. Of that $2.3 billion, $1.8 billion was distributed directly to families, and $500 million was distributed to the state and federal government for recoupment of public assistance and foster care expenses; and

WHEREAS, Child support is an effective investment in California’s future. The child support program increases family self-sufficiency, reduces child poverty, and has a positive effect on children’s educational achievement. Nationally, one in four children are served by child support programs; and

WHEREAS, The focus in 2012 of Child Support Awareness Month is the very important role of parents in creating a positive environment for their children. Child support provides security, instills confidence, maintains trust, and helps to make childhood dreams come true; and

WHEREAS, During the month of August 2012, parents who have fallen behind in making their child support payments are encouraged to drop by their local child support agency to make a payment, seek modification of their child support order, obtain a repayment plan, and find out whether they qualify for a compromise on an overdue balance; now, therefore, be it