Your Rights Under California's Welfare Programs

This brochure describes your rights and explains what you can do if you have a program or discrimination complaint in any of the numerous programs listed in the brochure beginning on page 2.

How to File a Hearing Request

Hearings and Appeals

Child Welfare Services Complaints

The Children's Services Operations Bureau (CSOB), within the Children and Family Services Division, California Department of Social Services (CDSS), is responsible for providing statewide oversight of county Child Welfare Services (CWS) programs.

File a complaint about a COUNTY EMPLOYEE. Contact the director's office in the county where the person is employed. To find the address of the appropriate county department of human/social services, select the county, and then click on the appropriate county agency that administers public assistance programs.

How to File a Complaint

You may file a formal complaint by writing or calling the Department:

California Department of Social Services
Public Inquiry and Response
P.O. Box 944243
Sacramento, CA 94244-2430

Phone 1-800-952-5253 (TDD 1-800-952-8349)

State that you want your problem to be handled as a "complaint" and give the reason for the complaint.

Manual of Policies and Procedures

CHILD WELFARE SERVICES

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-558-3160 ( new number )

Children's Service Bureau
6950 Levant St.
San Diego, CA 91977
(619) 694-5130
 Fax: (619) 694-5241
http://www.advokids.org/advokids_ombudsman.html

California State Ombudsman for Foster Care
Karen Grace-Kaho
California Department of Social Services
744 P Street, M.S. 9-025
Sacramento CA 95814
(916) 651-6560
(916) 651-6568 FAX
Toll Free 1-877-846-1602 E-Mail: fosteryouthhelp@dss.ca.gov
Website: www.fosteryouthhelp.ca.gov

Alameda County Ombudsman
Suzanne Featherstone, Ombudsman
Alameda County Social Services Agency
P.O. Box 1768
Oakland, CA 94604
(510) 268-2365
Fax: (510) 268-7366
E-mail: feathsa@acgov.org
Dee: (510) 208-1015
Sonya Mack (510) 208-1118

Butte County Adult & Children Services
Patty Smith, Assistant to the Director
Butte County Adult and Children Services
P.O. Box 1649
Oroville, CA 95965
(530) 538-5131 (Public # - Secretary Dana Wills)
(530) 538-7305 (Private/unpublished #)
Fax: (530) 538-4328
E-mail: psmith@buttecounty.net

California Dept. of Corrections & Rehab.
Vicky Temple
Office of Ombudsperson
1515 S Street
Sacramento, CA 95815
(916) 323-2994
Fax: (916) 324-8263
E-mail: vicky.temple@cdcr.ca.gov
David Barlow
(916) 324-2036
Fax: (916) 324-8263
E-mail: david.barlow@cdcr.ca.gov

Contra Costa County
Valerie Earley, Director
Contra Costa County Child and Family Services
925-313-1583
vearley@ehsd.cccounty.us

Fresno County Ombudsman
DCFS Quality Assurance mailbox
Ombudsman (Consumer Liaison, DCFS)
Office of the Consumer Liaison
2011 Fresno St., 4th Floor
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 253-9450
Fax: (559) 453-4507
E-mail: DCFSQualityAssurance@co.fresno.ca.us

Tricia Gonzalez, Supervisor
(559) 453-6376
E-mail: triciagonzalez@co.fresno.ca.us
Cameron Jones
Kern County Ombudsman
Emily Thomasy
(Open M & Th & every other Friday 8:45 – 5:15)
Foster Care Ombudsman
P.O. Box 511
Bakersfield, CA 93302
(661) 631-6071

Fax: (661) 631-6001

E-mail: Thomase@co.kern.ca.us

Lassen County
Terri O’Bryan, Director
Lassen County Child Welfare Services
tobryan@co.lassen.ca.us

L A Children’s Services Ombudsman
Carla Carr (Group Home Issues)
Office of the Auditor-Controller
515-A Hall of Administration
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(888) 445-1234, (213) 974-4225
Fax: (213) 346-9020

E-mail: ccarr@auditor.la.county.gov

L A County Youth Ombudsman
Berisha Black (Emancipation Issues)
Los Angeles County
Department of Children and Family Services
532 E. Colorado Blvd., 8th Floor
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 229-3829
Fax: (626) 397-9166
E-mail: blackbb@dcfs.la.county.gov
Handles A-M
Onitsha Newsom
(626) 229- 3583
E-mail: newsoo@dcfs.la.county.gov
Handles N-Z

Los Angles County Ombudsman
Mike Watrobski
Los Angeles County Department of
Children and Family Services
425 Shatto Place
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 351-5602 OR [*(213) 351-5594 * Private #]
Fax: (213) 385-6390
E-mail: watrom@dcfs.lacounty.gov

Los Angeles County Probation Ombudsman
Jessica Gama
Los Angeles County Probation Office
9150 East Imperial Hwy., Room A-86
Downey, CA 90242
(877) 822-3222, (562) 940-2842
Fax: (562) 940-0749
E-mail: Jessica.gama@laprob.org

Madera County Contact
Kelly Woodard, Deputy Director
Madera County Department of Social Services
P.O. Box 569
Madera, CA 93639
(559) 675-7841
Fax: (559) 675-7603
E-mail: kwoodard@co.madera.ca.us

Medical Managed Care Ombudsman Hotline
California Department of
Health Care Services
Cris DeMorais, Unit Chief
(888) 452-8609
Fax: (916) 449-5244 or (858) 694-5318
E-mail: cris.demorais@DHCS.ca.gov

Medical Managed Care Ombudsman Hotline
California Department of
Health Care Services
Cris DeMorais, Unit Chief
(888) 452-8609
Fax: (916) 449-5244 or (858) 694-5318
E-mail: cris.demorais@DHCS.ca.gov

Mental Health Ombudsman
Alan Soloman, Ombudsman
California Department of Mental Health
1600 9th Street, Room 100
Sacramento, CA 95814
(800) 896-4042 for TTY (800) 896-2512
Fax: (916) 651-0493
E-mail: ombudsmn@dMH.ca.gov

Orange County Ombudsman
Cheryl Poynter
Orange County Children and Family Services
888 Main Street
Santa Ana, CA
(714) 245-6030
Fax: (714) 245-6049
E-mail: Cheryl.poynter@ssa.ocgov.com

Placer County Ombudsman
Tom Lind
Placer County Children’s System of Care
11716 Enterprise Drive
Auburn, CA 95603
(530) 889-6752
Fax: (530) 886-2828
E-mail: Tlind@placer.ca.gov

Riverside County CPS Ombudsman
Pat O’Boyle, Ombudsman
Riverside County Department
of Public Social Services
Child Protection
10281 Kidd Street
Riverside, CA 92503
(951) 358-5234
Fax: (951) 358-3558
E-mail: POBOYLE@riversidedpss.org

Sacramento County Ombudsman
Vicky Deane
Sacramento County
Department of Health & Human Services
7001 A East Parkway, Suite 1000
Sacramento, CA 95823
(916) 875-2000
Fax: (916) 875-1283
E-mail: deanev@saccounty.net

San Bernardino County Contact
Lynn Susko – Secretary to Director
San Bernardino County
Department of Health and Human Services
1505 Lena Rd.
San Bernardino, CA 92415
(909) 388-0242
Fax: (909) 388-0233
E-mail: susko@hss.sbcounty.gov

Arline Edwards, ILP Staff
(909) 891-3677
Fax: (909) 891-3399
E-mail: aedwards@hss.sbcounty.gov

San Diego County
Karen Johnson, Ombudsman
San Diego County Child Welfare Services
6950 Levant Street
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 694-5319
Fax: (858) 694-5318
E-mail: karen.johnson1@sdcounty.ca.gov

San Francisco County Ombudsman
Todd R. Wright, M.A. – A10B
Family and Children’s Services Division
170 Otis Street, 8th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 558-2828
Fax: (415)431-9270
Todd_r_wright@yahoo.com

San Luis Obispo County
Janet Hayakawa
Program Review Specialist/
Mediator/Civil Rights Investigator
San Luis Obispo County Social Services Department
P.O. Box 8119
San Luis Obispo, CA 93403
805-781-1874
jhayakawa@co.slo.ca.us

San Mateo County Ombudsman
Sue Ferren (Foster Parent Issues)
Foster Parent Liasion
Human Services Agency
400 Harbor Blvd., Building B
Belmont, CA 94002
(650) 655-5077
Fax: (650) 286-1162
E-mail: sferren@co.sanmateo.ca.us

Santa Clara County Ombudsperson
Brohne Lawhorne, Ombudsman
Child Welfare Ombudsperson of
Santa Clara County
Department of Family and Children’s Services
2310 N. First St., Suite 104
San Jose, CA 95131
(408) 792-2330
Fax (408) 297-2463
E-mail: brohne.lawhorne@ohr.sccgov.org
Office main Line (408) 792-2313
Website: www.sccdrps.org
E-mail: OMBUDS@ohr.sccgov.org

Siskiyou County Ombudsman
Nadine Della Bitta, Director
Siskiyou County Human Services
818 South Main Street
Yreka, CA 96097
(530) 841-2761
Fax: (530) 841-2790
E-mail: ndellabi@co.siskiyou.ca.us

Solano County CPS Ombudsman
Sarah Chapman
1735 Enterprise Drive, Bldg. 1, Suite 104
Fairfield, CA 94533
(707) 421-7983
Fax: (707) 421-7979
E-mail: 1ststep@sbcglobal.net

Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr. (D)    
(916) 445-9555
1300 I St., Ste. 1740,
Sacramento, CA 95814
http://ag.ca.gov