Child Support Overview
Child Support Resources
Child support regulations require non-custodial parents to pay for the care and support of their children. Non-custodial parents are parents who do not live with their children and who do not act as their children's primary caregiver. Courts or child support agencies issue child support orders and consider the finances of both parents when calculating the amount and frequency of child support payments.
Federal and State Regulation of Child Support
The federal government regulates child support through the Administration for Children and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services. Each state also maintains a child support program. Federal child support legislation authorizes funding to states who develop child support programs in compliance with federal requirements.
Enforcement Mechanisms
A custodial parent or guardian who is unable to collect child support payments may seek assistance enforcing the child support order. Federal enforcement of child support is governed by the Child Support Enforcement Program, as authorized by Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. Additionally, each state operates its own enforcement program. Child support enforcement programs offer a number of services to help a custodial parent or guardian receive the benefit of child support payments. These services include programs to locate non-custodial parents, establish paternity, modify support orders and collect support.
- Locating Non-Custodial Parents. State and Federal Parent Locator Services (FPLS) are computerized search tools used to locate parents, their income and assets. FPLS may also be used to locate children whose whereabouts have been hidden by a parent who has violated a custody or visitation order.
- Establishing Paternity. Establishing paternity is necessary to obtain an order for child support. If a mother is unable to identify a child's father, or a father refuses to acknowledge paternity, the mother may subject a potential father to a paternity test. A paternity test is a genetic test that determines whether a man is the father of the child in question. If a father voluntarily acknowledges paternity at the time of birth, a paternity determination is unnecessary.
- Modifying Support Orders. Child support needs may fluctuate as a custodial parent's financial circumstances change. Enforcement programs may be used to review a parent's support order in the event they need to modify their child support arrangement.
- Collecting Support. If a non-custodial parent refuses to pay child support, the government may collect support from federal and state income tax refunds, liens placed on property, or the sale of property. In addition, the non-custodial parent may face a number of penalties for failure to pay child support. Child support agencies may request that a parent's bank accounts be frozen or that their drivers license be suspended. Unpaid child support can also be reported to credit reporting bureaus, and may prevent a person from obtaining a U.S. passport. Some states prosecute parents who owe large amounts of child support.
Child Support Collection Statistics
In 2005, the Child Support Enforcement Program had a total caseload of 15.9 million. The Program succeeded in collecting $23 billion in overdue child support payments, generating employment or address information for over 4.7 million individuals, and establishing 1.6 million paternities.