Child Support Homepage

Updated February 2012

Child support is an important source of income for the millions of children living in single-parent households, especially those who are also living in poverty. According to 2010 US Census Bureau numbers, over 25 million children—more than one-third of American children—lived in single parent families in 2010. Of those, over 4 million or 36 percent were below poverty.

Child support payments represent on average, 40 percent of income for poor custodial families who receive it, and lifted one million people above poverty in 2008.

States play an important role in collecting child support. All states and territories operate a child support enforcement program, usually in the human services or resources department, department of revenue, or the attorneys general office. These entities frequently work with the help of prosecuting attorneys, other law enforcement agencies, and the juvenile or family and domestic relations courts. Native American tribes can also operate culturally appropriate child support programs with federal funding. At a minimum, services offered in all child support programs include locating noncustodial parents, establishing paternity, establishing and modifying support orders (including medical support), collecting support payments and enforcing child support orders, and referring noncustodial parents to employment services. The administration and structure of child support programs reflects the priorities of each state.

The number of children in the states’ child support caseload has been increasing. The Title IV-D caseload (cases handled by the states) was 17.5 million in FY 2010, a 0.5 percent increase from the 17.4 million children in the Title IV-D caseload in FY 2009. This was the second year in a row that there was an increase in the number of children served by the program, which is a change from the previous trend that saw number of children decreasing.

According to a recent US Census Bureau report, of the 5.9 million custodial parents due support in 2009, 41 percent received full payment, nearly 30 percent received partial payment and another 30 percent received no payment at all during the year. This is a decrease from previous years when over 46 percent received full payment and only 23 percent received no support. The data show that many child support payments are inconsistent.

Enforcement of child support is a continual challenge. Methods, such as restricting driver's licenses and requiring employers to report all new hires to child support agencies, have been successful. Some states have taken other aggressive approaches, including booting cars, or publishing "most wanted" lists of delinquent parents.

State child support programs have found that using a family-centered services model can increase the reliability of child support payments, especially for low-income families. The model focuses on responsive child support services, employment for noncustodial parents, cooperation between parents and parents’ emotional connection with their children. Specifically, states are developing policies to prevent the need for child support enforcement, engage fathers from the birth of their child, promote family economic stability, help build healthy family relationships, ensure that families have meaningful health care coverage and prevent and reduce family violence. (Links direct user to Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement Fact Sheets about topics.)

Legislators and other policymakers are re-examining the goals of the program and the constituents it serves to better tailor expectations and programs to the needs of the population. Enforcement programs are being more carefully targeted to the specific types of families involved in the programs. State and communities are experimenting with a variety of programs to assist low-income fathers in meeting their child support obligations.

*PLEASE NOTE: The National Conference of State Legislatures is an organization serving state legislators and their staff. We cannot offer legal advice or assistance with individual cases, but we do try to answer questions on general topics.

About This NCSL Project

NCSL staff in D.C. and Denver can provide comprehensive, thorough, and timely information on critical child support policy issues. We provide services to legislators and staff working to improve state policies affecting children and their families. The Denver-based child support project staff focuses on state policy, tracking legislation and providing research and policy analysis, consultation, and technical assistance specifically geared to the legislative audience. Denver staff can be reached at (303) 364-7700 or cyf-info@ncsl.org.

NCSL staff in Washington, D.C. track and analyze federal legislation and policy and represent state legislatures on child support issues before Congress and the Administration. In D.C., Sheri Steisel and Emily Wengrovius can be reached at (202) 624-5400 or fedhumserv-info@ncsl.org.

The child support project and D.C. human services staff receive guidance and support from NCSL's Human Services and Welfare Standing Committee.