Employer General Information
Employers and the Department of Child Support Services
Employers play a vital role in ensuring the financial and medical security of children by cooperating with the Ventura County Department of Child Support Services. Annually, our department collects millions of dollars on behalf of children and families in Ventura County. A majority of these funds come from employers who have been issued income withholding orders. Thank you for your continued efforts!
Employers have four responsibilities:
- Report all newly hired
employees to the state Directory of New Hires
(click to view New Hire Reporting Fact Sheet) - When you receive an Income Withholding Order for Child Support you must follow the terms:
- Deduct the specified amount from each paycheck
- Remit those payments within seven days
- Comply with the National Medical Support Notice and sign the children up for health insurance if it is available
- Notify the Local Child Support Agency when any employee separates from employment whether the employee is terminated, resigns, retires or is laid off. Information about an employee must be provided such as his/her earnings, current address, and health insurance coverage.
Child Support Payments
As an employer, the payments you withhold should be sent to the State Disbursement Unit, not the local child support office. All payments are to be mailed to the address listed below. Do not send cash.
State Disbursement Unit
P.O. Box 989067
West Sacramento, CA 95798
NOTE: THIS ADDRESS IS FOR PAYMENTS ONLY.
Paying Electronically
California businesses are required to submit payments electronically to the SDU per California Family Code section 17309.5. The California State Disbursement Unit provides several methods of paying electronically including paying through Automated Clearing House (ACH) Debit or Credit and credit cards. All ACH debit and credit card payments will be processed by ExpertPay. To register for your ExpertPay account, visit expertpay.com or call 1-800-403-0789.
If your company is interested in using one of these convenient options, please access the following links for further information:
California State Disbursement Unit
California Department of Child Support Services Employer Payment Information
Electronic Income Withholding Orders (e-IWO)
California is now exchanging e-IWOs with employers utilizing the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement e-IWO process. A faster and easier way for employers to receive and reply to Income Withholding Orders is available. By utilizing the federal e-IWO or Electronic Income Withholding Order process, employers will save time and money while reducing the potential for error usually associated with manually processing paper documents.
Please click on the photo below for more information on the e-IWO.
National Medical Support Notice (NMSN)
The National Medical Support Notice (NMSN) is a two-part notice sent to employers from a local child support agency. Its purpose is to ensure that children receive health care coverage when it’s available and required as part of a child support order.
Employers and health plan administrators are required to complete and comply with the NMSN and the Health Insurance Information (DCSS 0054) form, which is available online. (California Family Code Sections, 3751.5, 3763, 3764, 3766, 3767, 3768, 3769, 3771, and 3773.)
Please click here for frequently asked NMSN questions.
Employer Checklist for the NMSN
Confirm that the person named in the NMSN is the employee and provide him/her with a copy of the Notice within 10 business days.
Determine whether group health insurance is available to the employee and dependent child(ren).
Forward instructions to enroll to the designated Plan Administrator within 20 business days of receipt of Notice (Union/Trust Benefit Representative or Employer Benefits Specialist).
Once enrollment is verified with the effective date, complete the Health Insurance Information form and return it to the issuing LCSA.
You must, within 40 business days of the date of the Notice or sooner if reasonable, furnish the LCSA with a description of the coverage available and the effective date of the coverage, including, if not already provided, a summary plan description and any forms, documents, or information necessary to effectuate such coverage, as well as information necessary to submit claims for benefits.
If health insurance coverage terminates for any reason, notice of lapse of health insurance coverage must be forwarded to the LCSA as soon as possible: no later than 10 business days.
For more information on the IWO or NMSN, click on the photo below for the California Child Support Services – A guide for Business.
For more Employer Information Click the Link Below:
California Department of Child Support Services Employer Resource Center
We Want to Hear From You!
Please complete our brief online survey for Employers and Title Companies. By doing this you can help us improve our website and make it more useful for your needs. Click on the following link to access the survey:
VCDCSS Employer & Title Company Survey
Contact Us
Telephone: 866-901-3212
Fax: 805-437-8308
Email: DCSS.Outreach@ventura.org
