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KAREN M. ROYEWO R K E X P E R I E N C E C O N T I N U E DASSISTANT DIRECTOR 20012004San Francisco Department of Child Support Services Coordinated the transition of functions and staff from the SF DistrictAttorneysFamily Support Division to an independent County Department Directed the development of new labor agreements and agreements with the SFUnified Family Court, SEIU Local 790, MAA, MEA, and Local 21 to transition stafffrom nonaffiliated exempt positions The reader should have a clearunderstanding of adayin thelifeof your position at this companyLEGISLATIVE BUDGET ANALYST 19992001San FranciscoMayorsBudget Office, WLB, Jr. Administration Assisted in developing theCitysFY 2000 and FY 2001 budgets under Mayor WillieL. Brown Developed the annual budgets for the Board of Supervisors, Aging and AdultServices, Human Services Agency, Department of Public Health, and theDepartment of Child Support Services Responsible for drafting and publishing the Annual Budget Book for Mayor WillieL. Brown, Jr. Fiscal Year 19992000.CONTRACT ADMINISTRATORBUDGET ANALYST 19951999San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Bureau of Finance Managed the development and provide oversight of the operational budget forthe San Francisco Water Department and City Distribution of Water for four yearsat a $200 million budget.Contract Administrator/Auditor for SF PUC, Audit Prime Contractors for MBE/WBEparticipationSuccessfully applied for and received $22.5 million in FEMA funding to supportsewer line failure Sea Cliff district of SFASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT 19881998Manufacturers Hanover Trust CompanyBefore joining the City and County of San Francisco, I was the Assistant Vice President ofManufacturers Hanover Trust Company in charge of BookEntry Trade settlements forgovernmentbacked securities (19881998).Managed team Book Entry settlement of government backed security tradesR E F E R E N C E SAvailable Upon Request C O N T A C TS K I L L STraumainformed CaseManagementImplicit Bias TrainingRacial Equity PlanCollaboratorProblemsolving abilitiesBusiness DevelopmentControlling ExpensesManaging DatabasesOrganization StrategiesActive ListenerT E C H I N I C A LCommitted to Human Resource Development Blue Ribbon Accounting Management Rated Low Risk on Federal and State Audits, consistently 17 years Contract Management IT Applications
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KAREN M. ROYEA C H I E V E M E N T S & A W A R D SPresenterAwardYearSPUR Good Government Good Government AwardThe Family ViolencePreventionTeamsSafe Communication Strategies2019California Child Support DirectorsAssociationLeader in Positive Collaboration Award 2017Powerful Women InternationalConnectionsThe Compassionate Leader Award 2017SPUR Good Government Good Government AwardNew Approach to CollectingChild Support2015San Francisco Public Utilities Commission,Celebration of Black American HistoryThe Alex L. Pitcher Humanitarian Award 2011Senator Mark Leno, 3rd District Certificate of RecognitionCommunity Leader 2011A Philip Randolph Institute, San FranciscoChapter, Labor Council(AFLCIO)Appreciation and Recognition of Support, Commitment,and Distinguished Public Service2010National Child Support EnforcementAssociation, 57th Annual TrainingConference & ExpoChild Support Leader: Track Chair ProfessionalDevelopment, TraumaInformed Case Management2008Gavin Newsom, Mayor,San FranciscoCertificate of HonorEfficient, Effective andCompassionate Leadership2007Senate Rules Committee, Don PerataChairmanConfirmed as a Member of the Board of BehavioralSciences unanimous vote.2007Kamala D. Harris, District Attorney, SanFranciscoAward of Appreciation for Outstanding Commitment toChangingthe Odds ForYouthProgram2007Brothers Against Guns Community Support Award 2005Mark Leno, Assemblyman, 13th District California Assembly Resolution and Certificate ofRecognition for Outstanding Public Service2005A Philip Randolph Institute, San FranciscoChapter, Labor Council(AFLCIO)Appreciation and Recognition of Support, Commitment,and Distinguished Service2003California Department of Child SupportServicesCertificate of Distinguished Program Leadership 2002V O L U N T E E R S E R V I C E SRoleBoard/CouncilTermCouncilmember Our Children Our Families Council, San Francisco 2017PresentCouncilmember San Francisco Reentry Council 2006PresentCouncilmember San Francisco Family Violence Council 2007PresentBoard Member Community Advisory Board Alameda CountyDepartment of Adult and Juvenile Probation2018PresentCommissioner Oakland Public Library Commission 2021PresentBoard Member California Board of Behavioral Sciences 20062008Board Member of Governors San Francisco Boys and Girls Club 2017PresentBoard Member Beacon CenterSan Francisco Unified SchoolDistrict2018PresentBoard Member YoungWomensFreedom Center 20082018Senior Advisor YoungWomensFreedom Center 2018PresentFounding Board MemberSisters Circlesupporting previously incarceratedwomen2017PresentExecutive Member San Francisco NAACP 20042008, 2009PresentBoard Member andParliamentarianFriendsStewards of the African American Museumand Library of Oakland20152021 K a r e n R o y e - P a g e 4 | 9
KAREN ROYEP R O G R A M I N I T I A T I V E SEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES, 2004PRESENTI am responsible for the administration of the Title IVD child support program in accordance with federal, stateand local laws, rules and regulations. At the time of my appointment there were 250 full time positions budgetedand 27,650 open cases. One of four labor unions represents the staff: SEIU Local 790 now SEIU Local 1021, MEA,MAA and Local 21. The annual budget was approximately $36.0 million. With my leadership, the Departmentmanaged the automated child support system for 55 of the 58 counties in California. My goal has been to createservice delivery models that keep pace with the needs of families today, meets parents where they are and wherethey want to be and aligns with the state and county strategic plans that children can continue to count on theirparents for the financial and medical support they need to be healthy and thriving.MEETING PARENTS WHERE THEY ARECHILD SUPPORT SERVICES DEVLIEVERED TO COUNTY JAIL PODs and DETENTION CELLsFULL SERVICESFDCSS established a formal relationship with the County Sheriff's Department to provide onsite child supportservices to incarcerated parents in all County Jail Facilities formothersandfathers.Since its inception in 2007,outreach coordinators, caseworkers and attorneys have met with imprisoned parents in all jail pods and holdingcellswithin the San Francisco County jail system to discuss and respond to client concerns and modify orders.SFDCSS collaborates with Prisoner Legal Services to work with parents we cannot reach through our regular jailvisits (i.e., maximum security). As of SFY 2021, the jail outreach initiative has identified more than 2,600 uniqueparents whose whereabouts were previously unknown and are associated with more than 3,800 statewide caseswith overall debt owed more than$23 million. Once released parents must communicate with the child supportprogram to reintroduce payment. For FFY 2021, the Default order rate is 28% of all Judgments obtained. As ofMarch 2020, in response to the COVID19 public health emergency, inperson jail visits were suspended. SFDCSSand the County Sheriff's Department are implementing virtual visits that will reinstate facetoface support forincarcerated customers.COLLABORATION WITH ADULT PROBATIONWhen enactment of the Public Safety Realignment Act of 2011 (AB109), San Francisco County had a recidivismrate of over 73%. At the same time over 65% of all child support orders in San Francisco, established as defaultorders without noncustodial parent involvement largely due to parents locate issues. While the child supportprogram has direct interface with federal and state correctional systems, no such interface exists at the countylevel. Absent connection with the noncustodial parent, parents existed the system with massivedebtresponsibilities that hampered their ability to successfully rerenter.Together, the San Francisco Adult ProbationDepartment (SFAPD) and the Department of Child Support Services (SF DCSS) established the first onsite fullservicedelivery of child support assistance in California at the Community Assessment andServices Center (CASC).This partnership reengages lowincome Parents Paying Support (PPS) and ParentsReceiving Support (PRS), who are justiceinvolved, through early intervention strategies that promote successfulreentry of these parents. We have successfully located parents through collaborating opportunities likeworkshops, presentations, events, and liaisons. Reaching out to parents to assist them with parentage and supportorder establishment, modification of existing orders (which may include the gradual reintroduction of guidelinesupport obligations), and their outofcounty case management needs. This partnership reduces the negativeimpact that full child support enforcement may have on the successful reintegration of postrelease parents andthe increased recidivism rates while prioritizing positive parentchild relationships.
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KAREN ROYEP R O G R A M I N I T I A T I V E S C O N T I N U E DCUSTODIAL AND NONCUSTODIAL PARENT EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAM (CNET)The Custodial and Noncustodial Parent Employment and Training Program (CNET)responds to parents strugglingto pay child support owed and face considerable barriers to employment that include lack of permanenthousing, substance abuse, anger and rage issues, and multiple incarcerations. Incarcerated parents who owechild support and wish to reunify with their children (typically female) face child support debt owed while infoster care. This accumulated debt presents a significant challenge to reunification. Upon release, dependingon child support received to help meet their children's basic needs, leading to successful reunification.Thisinitiative results showed that noncustodial parents who are unemployed or underemployed Courtordered worksearches are insufficient. Motivation is not the primary issuea criminal history is! CNET requires parentsto workcooperatively with organizations affiliated with the SFDCSS that address employment readiness issues,promoting the stability of the family. Obligated parents must regularly report to SFDCSS for review andconsideration of child support. Participants in CNET obtain assistance through our partners at GoodwillIndustries and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development's Neighborhood Access Points for education,employment assessment and training, and other resources to help the participant stabilize.Referral services areavailable to both custodial and noncustodial parents.DADS MAKING A DIFFERENCE (DADs)/Fatherhood Challenge"DADs" is a collaboration between SFDCSS, the Department of Public Health, and HOPE SF designed to servefamilies residing in public housing.The DADs initiative provided parents living in redevelopment sites with a 16week culturally sensitive, evidencebased intervention (Supporting Father Involvement) designed to increasefathers' involvement with their young children and with the mothers of their children to reduce abuse andneglect in atrisk families.Based in the needs and complexities of the coparenting relationship and stressors thataffect the family unit. SFDCSS supports DADs by referring Wellness Centers, DADs works with families to providestructured activities, discussions, and exercises that address the eligible participants to the initiative within itscaseload and offering enhanced case management services and participation incentives. Additional supportconsiderations include providing onsite Resource Hours and support during intake/orientation activities.DEBT REDUCTION PROGRAM (DRP)The Debt Reduction Program (DRP) implemented in May 2021 andprovided parents who owe pastdue childsupport payments to the government the opportunity to reduce the amount they owe.Before DRP, California'sChild Support Program offered the Compromise of Arrears Program (COAP). DRP improves on the arrearsmanagement solution offered through COAP for parents who would otherwise not be able to pay their casebalance. DRP differs from COAP by determining program eligibility and the amount of debt reduced based on theparent's income and assets, cost of living for their county of residence, and household size. Repayment optionsoffer either a lump sum or monthly payments. If it is determined that a parent's situation makes it unlikely to payoff their total child support debt owed to the government within twelve months, they may qualify for a reduction.ENHANCED PARENTAGE OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM (POP) OUTREACH PROGRAMIn early 2011, SFDCSS launched its Enhanced POP Outreach Program. The program's goal is toincrease theestablishment of parentage for children born to unmarried parents. The SFDCSS developed relationships withlocal healthcare providers to educate their staff and clients on the child support program to meet this goal.SFDCSS also provided inperson presentations to expectant parents in prenatal regular meetings with hospitalbirth clerks at all San Francisco birthing hospitals.Meetings with hospital and medical clinic staff, includingnursemidwives, medicalsocial workers, health education workers, and public health nurses.TheDepartment distributed outreach materials to hospitals and medical clinics, including POP materials in preandpostbirth K a r e n R o y e - P a g e 6 | 9
KAREN ROYEP R O G R A M I N I T I A T I V E S C O N T I N U E Dhospital packets. A biannual parentage newsletter for perinatalcare staff, the establishment of a direct telephoneline created and distributed to provide expectant parents with confidential consultations with SFDCSS staff, theestablishment of a parentage section of the SFDCSS website, and facilitation of the POP program for incarceratedparents. As of FFY2021, SanFranciscosParentage Opportunity Programobtained 1,848 filed declarations.ENHANCED PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT COLLABORATIVE (EPIC)The EPIC establishment modelfocuses on establishing and maintaining communication with Parents PayingSupport (PPS) at the beginning of the life of the case that is inclusive and nonthreatening.The child supportprogram focuses on encouraging PPS and educating them regarding their responsibility for their children and therole of the child support agency. By working with parents instead of against them, our agency has establishedorders that parents paying support (PPS) and their children can be successful. Before EPIC, the process ofestablishing a child support order was highly systemdriven and did not encourage comprehensive customerservice and outreach to PPS. At the time of EPIC's implementation in 2004, 60% of our established orders were bydefault and presumed income orders comprised 21% of these Default orders. Since the performance of EPIC,default order rate has reduced by more than half (20% as of December 2020; the statewide total is 59.3%). Theoutcomes of the EPIC process have been a positive impact on the agency's arrears management and performancetargets. With 70% or more of our child support orders established through voluntary Stipulation or court hearing,parents are more willing to pay their obligation each month because they were involved in the process andunderstood the purpose of the child support program. For FFY 2021, the default order rate of all judgementsobtained 28%.PROACTIVE CASE ACCOUNTING AUDITSThe Finance Audit and Case Team (FACT) is responsible for all caserelated accounting functions for San Francisco'scustomers. In 2017, the team implemented a multiyear effort to audit case accounts converted from thelegacycase management system without prior audit. By doing so, the team ensures that case records reflect accurateaccounting for parents of San Francisco's child support program. For FFY 1920,the team completed 302 auditsthrough this project. The audits resulted in overall account adjustment reductions of $60,655.MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING OPPORTUNITY, PARTNERSHIPS & ENGAGEMENT (HOPE SF)SFDCSS recognizes that acquiring stable and affordable housing in San Francisco can challenge the customers weserve. In alignment with SFDCSS's Mission Statement to empower parents to obtain economic selfsufficiency toprovide and care for their children, SFDCSS has established a liaison with HOPE SF.The Mayor and the Board ofSupervisors created the HOPE SF initiative to transform eight of San Francisco's most distressed public housingsites. By rebuilding distressed public housing sites, increasing affordable housing and ownership opportunities,and improving the quality of life for existing residents and the surrounding communities.The SFDCSS liaison workswith clients referred by HOPE SF to review and remove any unintentional barriers to housing created by childsupport enforcement.Clients referred to SFDCSS receive enhanced case management support that seeks toaddress their child support delinquency and provide solutions to bring their account into compliance and restoretheir standing as prospective housing tenants.ENHANCEMENTS FOR PERFORMING COMMUNITY OUTREACH (EPCOT)The Enhancements for Performing Community Outreach and Tracking (EPCOT) system provides data managementon the SFDCSS community and customer service efforts. Program teams reach out to the community in variousmethods to engage parents in their child support cases.The staff attends multiple fairs and festivals and givespresentations at various community organizations and agencies to educate the community regarding childsupport. Through these activities, the team identifies those individuals with child support cases, schedules K a r e n R o y e - P a g e 7 | 9
KAREN ROYEP R O G R A M I N I T I A T I V E S C O N T I N U E Dappointments, and meets with them to assist in all aspects of their child support case(s). Additional outreachactivities include television and radio.COLLABORATION WITH CITYWIDE INITIATIVESPARENTING TIME PLANSChild support collections represent 45% of family income for lowincome families that receive it. With this in mind,increasing the reliability of child support payments is a priority of the child support program. Parenting Time (alsoknown as visitation or access) refers to the amount of courtordered time a child spends with each parent. Of themany considerations that influence the amount of a child support order, the amount of time each parent spendswith the child is the most significant. Parents Paying Support (PPS) who are involved with their children are morelikely to pay child support, and PPS who pay child support are more likely to stay involved in their children's lives.The Human Services Agency and DCSS collaborated to provide mutual program clients DCSS enhanced casemanagement. DCSS assisted parents with establishing voluntary parenting time plans and encouraged parents topay support and participate in fatherhood programming while working with them to resolve outstanding concernsrelated to their child support case. Through this collaboration, DCSS promotes fatherhood awareness, andengagement increases access to Family Court services and courtapproved parenting time plans, thus improvingchild support outcomes for participating families.FAMILIES RISINGFamilies Rising, an antipoverty initiativeintroduced by thenMayor Ed Lee, focuses on intensive resources, wraparound services, and case management across City departments and nonprofit providers to serve at least 500 ofthe City's most atrisk families.The initiative aims to give these families meaningful pathways out of povertywhile disrupting its intergenerational cycle. SFDCSS supports Families Rising by applying our Parenting TimePlan workflow, an innovative, collaborative partnership with the Superior Court, Family Court Services, theFamily Law Facilitator, and domestic violence community representatives.For parents who volunteer toparticipate, our workflow streamlines the establishment of a Parenting Time Plan (also known as a custody andvisitation order) during support order establishment. It assists the family with making their coparentingarrangements more efficient.PROMISE PROJECTSFDCSS, in collaboration with the Promise Project, launched this pilot to use the outcomes and lessons learned toinspire more innovation and investment in the child support program to help more parents relieve their childsupport debt.The Promise Project is a public/private partnership that explores debt repayment alternatives.Private funding offers participants the option of a 0% interest loan to repay arrears owed to the other parent.Arrears owed to the other parent are paid in full and the participant repaying Promise at 0% interest; governmentowed arrears are waived at no cost to the participant. To date, the pilot has served 20 participants and paid morethan $43,000 through 0% interest loans, and waived more than $50,000 on arrears owed to the government.WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COLLABORATIONSFDCSS recognizes that the COVID19 pandemic and resulting job losses have placed a tremendous financialburden on parents with support obligations. SFDCSS collaborates with the San Francisco Office of Economic andWorkforce Development (OEWD) and Goodwill Industries of San Francisco to connect parents paying support(PPS) to local jobs and supportive services. This initiative provides sustainable local living wages, technical andtransferable employment skills, and adult executive functioning skills.This collaboration identifies and prioritizesdisplaced SFresident parents actively seeking employment and connects them to OEWD and Goodwill Industriesof San Francisco. Benefits of participation include access to work and supportive services, career advisement, K a r e n R o y e - P a g e 8 | 9
KAREN ROYEP R O G R A M I N I T I A T I V E S C O N T I N U E Dreinstatement of driver's license, stayed enforcement, expedited support order modification, and referral to debtreduction options.PROACTIVE STATEISSUED LICENSE RELEASEThe child support program suspends driver, business, and stateissued professional and recreational licenses (suchas fishing) due to nonpayment of courtordered child support obligations. Other agencies can suspend driver'srights and professional licenses for different reasons and find that our customers have multiple suspensions inplace. Suspended driving privileges may negatively affect a parent's ability to obtain or maintain employment. Inresponse,we have implemented proactive case reviews for compliance with license release terms and flexiblerelease options for parents who have a reduced ability to pay.In addition to license reviews,we collaborate withcitywide efforts to identify solutions for City residents who face challenges with driver license suspension dueto the inability to pay court fines and fees.In response to the COVID19 public health emergency effective March2020, California DCSS temporarily suspended automatic submission of stateissued licenses.ANNUAL HOLIDAY TOY AND BOOK FESTIVALIn collaboration with the Mayor's Office, the San Francisco Fire Fighter's Union Local 798, and the San FranciscoPublic Library, SFDCSS hosts the Annual Holiday Toy and Book Festival every December. TheToy Festival held atSan Francisco's historic City Hall, includes children ages 12 and under and provides ageappropriate toys and booksalong with an opportunity to meet Santa Claus.Each year, the Festival attracts 1,100 local children, many ofwhom visit City Hall. San Francisco's public schools, communitybased organizations, and SFDCSS offices invitechildren.DEPARTMENT OF LABOR: ENHANCED TRANSITIONAL JOB DEMONSTRATION PROJECT (ETJD)In collaboration with the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, the San Francisco HumanServices Agency, and Goodwill of San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin Counties, SFDCSS won an Enhanced JobTraining Demonstration grant from the Department of Labor for its "Transitions SF."Transitions SF targetednoncustodial parent's ages 1859, with minor children, who resided in San Francisco and identified by SFDCSSas either delinquent in child support payments or nonjob ready.Recruitment began in November 2011 andended in December 2013, with the project meeting its enrollment goal of 1,000 noncustodial parents. Weanticipated that successful graduates of Transitions SF would move from subsidized employment to permanentemployment, increasing their child support payments versus recipients of standard job placement services whopaid during the funded employment period.SFDCSS provided specialized, intensive services to Transitions SFparticipants to assist them with modifying child support orders, repaying arrears, and getting child supportobligations in line with their income and ability to pay.DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION INITIATIVEThe child support program developed the Family Violence Indicator (FVI) for case managers to flag domesticviolence cases where the enforcement of child support obligations may be dangerous.The Departmentexperienced unprecedented growth in the number of clients exposed to family violence:in 2009, theDepartment served 391 clients exposed to family violence; in July of 2011, there were 1,901 open cases flaggedfor family violence. In response,SFDCSS has trained caseworkers and attorneys to communicate effectively withvictims and perpetrators of domestic violence and work with noncustodial parents, securing child support forthe custodial parent. The case management response for cases assigned to the domestic violence preventioninitiative focused on providing the noncustodial parent with increased outreach, education, and a structuredcase management model that promoted a commitment to child support payments and reduced the likelihood K a r e n R o y e - P a g e 9 | 9
KAREN ROYEP R O G R A M I N I T I A T I V E S C O N T I N U E Dof violence.SFDCSS educated noncustodial parents on their rights and responsibilities with the child supportprogram. SFDCSS made referrals to collaborating communitybased organizations for those struggling and whorequired employment assistance.Parental briefings occur before any action that SFDCSS would take on the case reducing surprise and concern thatfeed frustration. Parent intimidation or threats of retaliation, would never be tolerated and required SFDCSS torefer the matter to the District Attorney or Adult Probation revocation probation. The Department has adoptedthe domestic violence preventative initiative as the standard response to all cases flagged for family violence.COLLABORATION WITH CITY COLLEGEIn 2006,SFCSS initiated a pilot program in collaboration with City College of San Francisco provide child supportservices to student parents in the case management areas of debt forgiveness and order modification.Studentparents also could enter into informal and voluntary parenting time plans/ family plans that enabled them toattend school and complete their educational goals. In 2014,SFDCSS, in collaboration with Family Court Services,Domestic Violence Advocates, and other stakeholders, plan to reengage with City College of San Francisco. Thepartnership linked services to an existing oncampus provider to facilitate student parents' voluntary courtordered parenting time/family plans.The project, implemented in March 2015 with the Southeast and Missioncampuses, strengthened family relationships while expanding access to CSS for residents and supporting studentparents with meeting their educational goals.