Subject: Research Sources and Selected Statistics on Child Support.htm

One of the best sources for child support research is the Office of Child Support Enforcement in Washington, D.C. You can call and/or write them at:

I strongly recommend getting the 17th Annual Child Support Report to Congress.

The General Accounting Office is another great source. you can write to them and/or call them at:

I strongly recommend getting their report: "Interstate Child Support: Mother's Report Receiving Less From Out-of-State Fathers." (excerpted below)

MOTHERS SAY UP TO 28% OF FATHERS WHO DO NOT PAY CHILD SUPPORT, ARE EITHER LIVING WITH THEM OR ARE DECEASED!

The General Accounting Office (G.A.O.) prepared the following facts for Senator Bill Bradley, Rep. Marge Roukema and Rep. Barbara Kennelly. The date of publication of this report is January 9, 1992. The report is titled:

Mothers Report Receiving Less Support From Out-of-State Fathers

NOTE: THIS REPORT IS BASED ONLY ON MOTHER-REPORTING

AND INCLUDES CHILDREN WHO ARE 18, 19, 20 years old, living with Mom.

Of those mothers who said they had a child support award, were expecting payment, and did not receive payment (pg. 19 of the report):

Fathers living in the same state as the mother: 66% of the fathers did not pay, because they were unable to pay . Fathers living in a different state than the mother: 66% of the fathers did not pay, because they were unable to pay

Of those mothers who reported that there was no child support award but the father lived in the same state as the mother (therefore no child support is due, but it was reported anyway). (AFC)

53% of mothers said they did not want child support 17% of mothers said the father was financially unable to pay 6% of mothers report that a final agreement is pending

Of those mothers who reported that there was no child support award but the father lived in a different state than the mother (therefore no child support is due, but it was reported anyway) (AFC)

49% of mothers said they did not want child support 12% of mothers said the father was financially unable to pay 7% of mothers report that a final agreement is pending

Fathers who are classified as living in "other" locations include:

2) Those who have moved back in with the mother ("Is there a support award?" ---"Yes" ---"Does he pay?" --- "No" ---"Where does he live?" -- "With me") (AFC)

2) Those who are deceased. ("Is there a support award?" ---"Yes" ---"Does he pay?" --- "No" ---"Where does he live?" -- "He's dead") (AFC)

"None of these categories constituted more than 14% of the questionnaires reviewed" (pg. 14 of the report)

THEREFORE: potentially 28% of fathers classified as living in "OTHER" locations might either be LIVING WITH THE MOTHER or DEAD! (This gives a whole new meaning to the term: "Deadbeat Dad"!) (AFC)

If some of the mothers may be in violation of a court order and not interested in having the father located?

How many fathers who do not pay child support are incarcerated, homeless, injured, in a hospital, mentally incapacitated, disabled, or victims of drugs and/or alcohol?

What percentage of fathers are able to pay, but willfully and intentionally refuse to pay child support because access to their children has been cut off?

What percentage of mothers are lying about receiving child support so that they do not get their AFDC payments reduced?

Another good source is the HHS - Office of Income Security Policy. You can write to them or call:

When you do, I recommend the Meyer and Garansky report excerpted below.

Technical Analysis Paper No. 42 - U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services - Office of Income Security Policy, Oct. 1991 - Meyer and Garansky

Non-custodial mothers who totally default on support:

Non-custodial fathers who totally default on support:

Non-custodial mothers who pay support at any level:

Non-custodial fathers who pay support at any level:

Single custodial mothers who work less than full time:

Single custodial fathers who work less than full time:

Single custodial mothers who work more than 44 hours per week:

Single custodial fathers who work more than 44 hours per week:

Single custodial mothers who receive public assistance:

Single custodial fathers who receive public assistance:

Another good source is the U.S. Census Bureau. You can write them or call them at:

I recommend the 1988 Census "Child Support and Alimony: 1989 Series P-60, No. 173. (pg. 6&7 excerpted below.)

90.2% of fathers with joint custody pay the child support due.

79.1% of fathers with visitation privileges pay the child support due. Only 44.5% of fathers with no visitation pay the child support due. (It is interesting to note that 37.9% of fathers receive no visitation at all)

50% of mothers see no value in the father's continued contact with his children (Surviving the Breakup by Joan Berlin Kelly)

40% of mothers reported that they had interfered with the father's visitation.... to punish their ex-spouse. (Frequency of Visitation..... Sanford Braver, Ph.D. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry)

Another good source is: National Center for Health Statistics

Many reports and publications are also available from the Government Printing Office:

The following data was compiled by Bob Hirschfeld, J.D., NCFC

The data related to child support payments reported by the Bureau of the Census (Current Population Reports, Series P-23, no. 173, 1989), show that 75 percent of all child support owed is paid.

Total amount of child support owed: $14,800,000,000 (NOT $34 billion!)

President Clinton recently stated on national television, that $34 billion was owed in unpaid child support. This number is a fabrication and incorrect. [Jerry W. Lester, Ph.D. 2476 Bolsover, Suite 428 Houston, Texas 77005 (713) 528-6565]

This concept of child support debt non-payment by choice is not supported by a report from the Government Accounting Office (Report: GAO/HRD-92-39FS, January 9, 1992). On page 19 of that report the following reasons were given for not receiving payments:

"90.2% of fathers with joint custody pay the child support due." (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1988)

"79.1 % of fathers with visitation privileges pay the child support due." (U.S. Bureau of the Census: 1988)