Social Services

The Alpine County Social Services Department offers several services to the community. These services include:

Adoption

The Adoption Services Program is supervised by the California Department of Social Services and administered by the El Dorado County Department of Human Services. It provides education, training, and support for pre- and post-adoptive parents.

Department of Human Services handles adoption inquiries and requests for education/training regarding issues for children in the foster care/adoption system. Additionally, Department of Human Services works with many special needs children who have been freed for adoption and endeavors to match these children with families who can appropriately meet the children's needs.

Staff provides information, assistance and education to the public and other agencies regarding statistics, new trends in service, new legislation affecting services and availability of services. The Department of Human Services collaborates with other adoption agencies to provide the best services for adoptive children and families.
please call (530) 642-7100.

Child Support Services

The Central Sierra Child Support Agency is a regional agency which represents the counties of Alpine, Amador, and Calaveras. This office does not charge for its services. Any custodial or non-custodial party may request that the Central Sierra Child Support Agency aid in collecting the court ordered support. You are eligible regardless of whether or not you are receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). To open a case, you should contact the office in your county to set up an appointment to apply for services, call (530)694-2235 and as for Child Support http://www.co.amador.ca.us/depts/cscsa/

Food Stamp Program

What is the Food Stamp Program?

Food Stamps help single people and families with little or no income to buy food.

How do I get Food Stamps?

Call the Alpine County Social Services office at (530) 694-2235 and ask for the Food Stamp Representive. You will need to ask what papers you need to bring such as pay stubs, rent or mortgage payments, utility bill, child or elder care bills, and child support orders.

At the office, you will talk with a representive, answer some questions, and sign some papers. If you can't go to the food stamp office, you may send a relative or a friend to talk with the representive, or you may be able to talk with the representive on the phone.

Healthy Families

The Healthy Families Program Provides low-cost health insurance for children of families whose incomes are too high to get no-cost Medi-Cal but still fall below certain income levels.

In-Home Supportive Services

The In-Home Supportive Services Program is for aged, blind, or disabled persons who are limited in their ability to care for themselves and cannot live safely at home without help. This includes those who would be able, with help, to return to their home from a hospital, nursing home, or a board and care home. This help may be provided to eligible persons through this program.

Medi-Cal

The Medi-Cal Program offers many different types of assistance to persons with health related problems who lack financial resources.

Paternity Opportunity Program

Paternity means fatherhood. Establishing paternity is the legal process of determining the bilogical father of a child. When parents are married, paternity is usually established automatically. If parents are unmarried, paternity establishment is NOT automatic and the process should be started by both parents as soon as possible for the benefit of the child. Without the establishment of paternity, the father does not have the legal rights or legal responsibilities of a parent. Establishing paternity is necessary before custody, visitation, and child support can be ordered by the court. Establishing paternity allows an unmarried father to have his name placed on the birth certificate. Paternity can be established either by signing a Declaration of Paternity form or by going to court. If a father becomes involved with his child from the beginning of the child's life, he is more likely to continue to care both financially and emotionally for the child as he or she grows.