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Child support enforcement in the United States: Has policy made a difference?

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  • Huang, Chien-Chung
  • Han, Ke-Qing

Abstract

Over the past few decades, the federal government has intensified child support enforcement policies in response to high rates of child poverty and single-mother households. This study provides a comprehensive review of empirical, peer-reviewed articles from the past 20years on the direct effects of child support enforcement policies on payments to custodial mothers and the indirect effects of these policies on behaviors such as fertility, sexual activity, welfare utilization, father involvement, and labor participation. The review indicates that child support enforcement has contributed to an increase in child support payments to custodial mothers. Additionally, strong enforcement is associated with low nonmarital fertility, risky sexual behavior, and welfare utilization and high father involvement. Policy implications are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Huang, Chien-Chung & Han, Ke-Qing, 2012. "Child support enforcement in the United States: Has policy made a difference?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 622-627.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:34:y:2012:i:4:p:622-627
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.12.006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Daniel R. Meyer & Mei-Chen Hu, 1999. "A Note on the Antipoverty Effectiveness of Child Support among Mother-Only Families," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 34(1), pages 225-234.
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Rossin-Slater, Maya & Wüst, Miriam, 2018. "Parental responses to child support obligations: Evidence from administrative data," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 183-196.
    2. Pirog, Maureen & Gerrish, Ed, 2015. "Impact of the Child Support Performance and Incentive Act on child support order establishment," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 104-117.
    3. Cuesta, Laura & Meyer, Daniel R., 2018. "Child poverty and child support policy: A comparative analysis of Colombia and the United States," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 143-153.
    4. Lee, Daeyong & Weems, Carl F. & Rouse, Heather L. & Melby, Janet N. & Zhao, Feng & Bartel, Maya & Goudy, Kathryn, 2020. "Targeted child support enforcement and its association with child support payments: Evidence from a program evaluation," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    5. Kim, Yeongmin & Cancian, Maria & Meyer, Daniel R., 2015. "Patterns of child support debt accumulation," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 87-94.
    6. Russell, Luke T. & Ganong, Lawrence & Schramm, David G. & Warzinik, Kelly & Roach, Andrea & Doubledee, Rachael, 2016. "A comparison of intergovernmental and private agency collection of child support arrears," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 166-173.
    7. Waring, Melody K. & Meyer, Daniel R., 2020. "Welfare, work, and single mothers: The Great Recession and income packaging strategies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    8. Meyer, Daniel R. & Cancian, Maria & Waring, Melody K., 2020. "Use of child support enforcement actions and their relationship to payments," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).

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