Child Support Specialist (Entry)

This is the entry level class in the Child Support Specialist series. Incumbents in this class learn and apply child support laws, regulations, and procedures and acquire the skills to perform a broad range of child support casework activities.  As incumbents acquire knowledge and skills, they carry out their assignments with greater independence. Incumbents analyze information, initiate legal actions, participate in the settlement of cases and prepare clear, concise reports.  

Child Support Specialists are expected to handle a high volume of work which is deadline driven. Applicants must be able to prioritize, plan, and project their work, but at the same time be flexible to changes at any moment, such as unscheduled visits from clients. They work in a high stress environment. It is important to understand that the actions a Child Support Specialist takes impacts the lives of clients and their families, both emotionally and financially.

The eligible list established from this recruitment will be used to fill full-time regular, part-time regular, limited-term or extra-help positions as vacancies occur or the need arises. 

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Education: Completion of 15 semester or 22.5 quarter units from an accredited college or university preferably in Sociology, Social Work, Business, Public Administration, Liberal Arts, Paralegal, Criminal Justice or other related courses.   See Document Submittal Requirements for more information.

AND

Experience: Two years of paid clerical experience involving extensive public contact OR one year of experience as a Child Support Assistant or comparable class in another agency.  

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Applicants may be required to possess a valid California Driver’s License, Class C. Note: All licenses, certificates and registrations must be kept current while employed in this class.
• Incumbents of this class should demonstrate necessary knowledge and abilities to be promoted to Child Support Specialist within eighteen (18) months of appointment.
• Pursuant to the California State DCSS Information Security Manual, upon selection or hire, you will be restricted from accessing child support cases where you are a participant, and/or a person on the case is known to you (e.g., relatives, friends, or business relationships).

To review the job description for this position, please visit:
http://www.solanocounty.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=15594

10/03/2022 5:00PM PT – Deadline to submit application and required documents.

Revised: 10/31/2022 - 11/02/2022 –  Online Practice Test and Written Examination.

Based on the information provided in the application documents, the qualified applicants may be invited for further examination and will either be pre-scheduled by the Department of Human Resources or be invited to self-schedule. All applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. Depending upon the number of applications received, the selection process may consist of an initial application screening, a mandatory information meeting, a supplemental questionnaire assessment, a written and/or practical exam, an oral board exam, or any combination listed. Responses to supplemental questions may be used as screening and testing mechanisms and will be used to assess an applicant’s ability to advance in the process; as such, responses to supplemental questions should be treated as test examination responses. Information contained herein does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.

A minimum score of 70% is required to continue in the selection process, unless otherwise announced.

All potential new hires and employees considered for promotion to management, confidential positions or unrepresented positions will be subject to a background and reference check after contingent job offer is accepted.  These provisions are subject to change.

RETIREES - Solano County invites all qualified candidates to apply for positions; however pursuant to Government Code Section 21221(h) and 21224, hiring restrictions may apply to California Public Sector Pension Plan Retirees.

The position requires educational units. All candidates must submit a copy of their official/unofficial transcripts (to include name of student, name of college, and verifying courses and units completed) by the final filing date.  Candidates who fail to submit their diploma or transcripts by the final filing date will be disqualified from the recruitment. 

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:  Candidates who attended a college or university that is accredited by a foreign or non-U.S. accrediting agency must have their educational units evaluated by an educational evaluation service.  The result must be submitted to the Human Resources Department no later than the close of the recruitment.  Please contact the local college or university to learn where this service can be obtained.

How to Submit Your Documents

In addition to uploading attachments when applying online, candidates may submit documents in-person or by mail at Solano County Department of Human Resources 675 Texas Street, Suite 1800, Fairfield CA  94533, by fax to (707) 784-3424, or by email to recruitment@solanocounty.com.  When submitting documents in-person, by mail or by fax, include the recruitment title (Child Support Specialist - Entry) and the recruitment number (22-412010-01).  If submitting documents by email include the recruitment title and recruitment number in the subject field.

• Background Checks: The County may conduct a background check and a reference check on candidates prior to appointment to a position within this class. The background check may include the State of California Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Child Abuse Central Index (CACI), and criminal checks in any City/County where the applicant has lived, worked or gone to school.
• Independent Travel:  Incumbents are required to travel independently, for example, to perform work at other work sites, to attend meetings with other County employees, to attend meetings with community organizations, etc.
• Hours of Work:  Incumbents may be required to work weekends, holidays, irregular hours, on-call, and after normal business hours.
• Child Abuse Reporting:  Selectees for employment must, as a condition of employment, sign a statement agreeing to comply with Section 11166 of the California Penal Code relating to child abuse reporting.
• Language Proficiency:  Some positions allocated to this class may require the applicant to speak, read and write in a language other than English.

To be eligible, applicant must have served at least 181 consecutive days of active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States and have received either an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions.  A COPY OF THE DD 214, SHOWING DISCHARGE TYPE (GENERALLY COPY 4), MUST BE RECEIVED IN THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT BY THE FINAL FILING DATE. 

Applicants who have a service connected disability must also submit a recent award letter from the VA stating they are receiving disability benefits for service connected reasons.  

Veteran applicants for initial County employment with an honorable or general under conditions discharge shall receive five (5) points added to their combined score.  Disabled veterans rated at not less than 30% disability shall have ten (10) points added to their combined score.  Veteran’s preference points will only be added to passing scores in competitive open examinations.

It is the policy of Solano County that all employment decisions and personnel policies will be applied equally to all County employees and applicants and be based upon the needs of County service, job related merit, and ability to perform the job.

APPLICANTS WITH DISABILITIES:  Qualified individuals with a disability, who are able to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, and need an accommodation during any phase of the recruitment/testing/examination process (as detailed in the “Selection Process”), must complete the following Request for Testing Accommodation by Applicants with Disabilities Form: http://www.solanocounty.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=23215.

This form must be received in the Human Resources Department by the final filing date of the recruitment.  Applicants will be contacted to discuss the specifics of the request.

Click here to take a video tour of Solano County. 

OUR COMMUNITY

Solano County is the ideal place to live, learn, work and play…  The America's Promise Alliance has named Solano County as one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People for six straight years—the only California community with that distinction.

• Live – Solano County as well as cities within the County have ranked in the top 15 hottest markets across the country and within the Bay Area due to prime location and affordability.
• Learn – Higher education abounds! Within the County, education choices include: Solano Community College, CSU Maritime Academy, Brandman University, and Touro University. Bordering our County is the renowned University of California Davis.
• Work – The blend of agriculture, corporate business and pleasant lifestyle enhance the attraction of Solano County. Blessed with a thriving agricultural economy, the county is also home to biotechnology and other growth industries.
• Play - Situated midway between San Francisco and Sacramento—the State capitol, Solano County is home to rolling hillsides, waterfronts and fertile farmland. County residents can enjoy day trips to the San Francisco Bay area, Lake Tahoe region and the Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

County Population (2019): 447,643

The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained in this bulletin may be modified or revoked without notice. 

SOLANO COUNTY IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER