Child Support Frequently Asked Questions
Question: How
many children and families depend on child support payments?
Answer:
According to the July 2006 U.S. Census Bureau report, Custodial
Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2003,
as of 2003 approximately 14 million parents had custody of 21.6 million
children under 21 while the other parent lived elsewhere. Sixty percent
of these families were awarded child support, and of those, 76.5% received
at least some child support while just over 45% received the full amount
due. For families living below the poverty line, 68.7% received at
least some child support, while only 35.2% received the full amount
due.
Question: Where
can families seek assistance in getting child support?
Answer:
Each state has a child support enforcement agency that is responsible
for locating absent parents, establishing paternities, establishing
child support and medical support orders, and enforcing and periodically
reviewing those orders. These services are provided to households who
receive TANF and Medicaid benefits and are also available to anyone
who makes application for services. Both custodial and non-custodial
parents can apply for child support enforcement assistance. Families
needing assistance should contact their state
child support enforcement agency.
Question: What
is paternity establishment?
Answer:
Paternity establishment is the legal establishment of fatherhood for
a child. A child support order cannot be established for a child born
to unmarried parents until the alleged father is determined to be the
father. This determination may be made through an acknowledgment of
paternity by the father or by involvement of a court. Genetic testing
of the child, mother and alleged father may be used to determine paternity.
Paternity establishment provides emotional, social and economic ties
between a father and his child.
Question: What
methods are used to collect child support payments?
Answer: Tools used by child support enforcement
agencies to enforce child support orders include income withholding,
reporting to credit reporting agencies, license suspension, interception
of federal and state income tax refunds, passport denial, and court action.
Question: Is
health insurance coverage a type of child support?
Answer:
Yes, child support may include medical support, which is a form of child
support where medical or dental insurance coverage is paid by the non-custodial
parent. Depending on the court order, medical support can be the parent's
sole financial obligation, or it can be one of several obligations,
with child and/or spousal support being the others.
Question: What
types of services are not provided by child support enforcement agencies?
Answer: Generally, child support enforcement
agencies do not provide help with visitation rights and custody, divorce,
property settlement, spousal support establishment or modification, or
child care support. The state agency will collect spousal support if it is
included in an order with child support.
Question: What
is different about child support in rural areas?
Answer:
In some ways, rural areas may do better than urban areas in collection
of child support. Because people tend to know their neighbors in rural
communities, it is not as easy for a parent who owes child support
to be hidden from the agency responsible for collecting support payments.
In other respects, child support enforcement is much the same in rural
and urban areas.
Credits
Last revised 12/17/2007
