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Child Support and Fathers' Remarriage and Fertility

Author

Listed:
  • David E. Bloom
  • Cecilia Conrad
  • Cynthia Miller

Abstract

This paper tests the hypothesis that child support obligations impede remarriage among nonresident fathers. Hazard models fit to data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and from the Survey of Income and Program Participation reveal that child support obligations deter remarriage among low-income nonresident fathers. The benefits to children of stricter child support enforcement are thus diminished by the negative effects of child support on remarriage, as a substantial share of nonresident fathers remarry and help support women with children. Indeed, simple calculations based on our findings suggest that the financial benefits to children in single-parent families of improved enforcement may be substantially or completely offset by the negative effects of enforcement that operate indirectly through diminished remarriage. The results provide no evidence that child support influences the nature of matches in the remarriage market or the likelihood of subsequent fertility.

Suggested Citation

  • David E. Bloom & Cecilia Conrad & Cynthia Miller, 1996. "Child Support and Fathers' Remarriage and Fertility," NBER Working Papers 5781, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:5781
    Note: AG EH LS
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Chien-Chung Huang, 2001. "The Impact of Child Support Enforcement on Nonmarital and Marital Births: Does It Differ by Racial and Age Groups?," JCPR Working Papers 246, Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research.
    2. Schaubert, Marianna, 2022. "Do courts know how to incentivize? Behavioral response of non-resident parents to child support obligations," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    3. Judi Bartfeld, 1998. "Child Support and the Post-Divorce Economic Well-Being of Mothers, Fathers, and Children," JCPR Working Papers 50, Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research.
    4. Irwin Garfinkel & Daniel S. Gaylin & Chien-Chung Huang & Sara McLanahan, 2002. "The Roles of Child Support Enforcement and Welfare In Nonmarital Childbearing," JCPR Working Papers 266, Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research.
    5. Irwin Garfinkel & Theresa Heintze & Chien-Chung Huang, 2001. "Child Support Enforcement: Incentives and Well-Being," JCPR Working Papers 215, Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research.
    6. J. Bartfeld, "undated". "Child Support and the Postdivorce Economic Well-Being of Mothers, Fathers, and Children," Institute for Research on Poverty Discussion Papers 1182-98, University of Wisconsin Institute for Research on Poverty.

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    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics

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