Supervisor Don Knabe commended the Los Angeles Child Support Services Department (CSSD) today for receiving a statewide award for most improved performance. The honor comes from the California Department of Child Support Services.

The County received the Most Improved Performance Award in recognition of the fact that from 2007 to 2008, CSSD was able to improve the amount of child support collected compared to the amount of child support owed by 6.52-percent. Additionally, the department was to improve the distribution of child support payments by an additional $20.6 million, or 4.16-percent, during the same time period.

This award highlights the County’s successful efforts to work with the thousands of parents who are doing the right thing by paying and staying current with their child support obligations, said Supervisor Knabe.

The challenges associated with increasing collections in times of a declining economy, combined with the sheer size of our caseload, and conversion to the statewide child support automated system, make this award even more astonishing, said Director Steven J. Golightly.

The Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department is the largest local agency of its kind in the nation, handled nearly 500,000 cases annually.