HHS News Release

Fewer than half of non-custodial parents make any payments at all for their children's support, and only about a quarter pay the full awarded amount, according to new findings released by the Census Bureau today.

"This report shows the unmistakable need for a stronger child support enforcement system in our country," said HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala.

The report, Child Support for Custodial Mothers and Fathers, shows that 11.5 million families with children had a parent living elsewhere as of spring 1992, but only 6.2 million (54 percent) of the custodial parents had received awards or agreements for child support.

And even among those who had received support awards, payment was inconsistent:

o about half received the full amount

o about a quarter received partial payment, and

o about a quarter received no payment.

"This report confirms that a wide gap persists in the area of child support," said Secretary Shalala. "Only about half of single parents have any child support award in place at all. And even for those who have awards, payment is too often unreliable. It is shameful and unacceptable that so many of our children should be living without the support of both parents."

The number of families with an absent parent represented about a third of all American families with children, according to the report.

In 1991, the report found, total ordered child support payments were $17.7 billion, but only $11.9 billion of that amount was paid, leaving $5.8 billion uncollected. These numbers reflect only the amount of child support owed for the 54 percent of custodial parents who had child support orders in place.

Secretary Shalala said that improvements in the child support collection system proposed by the Clinton administration could increase payments by some $24 billion over 10 years. Those proposals include new hire reporting, uniform state laws, computerized statewide collections, streamlined paternity establishment, and revocation of licenses for those who fail to pay child support awards.

Shalala said bipartisan support had resulted in the inclusion of these improvements to the child support enforcement system in the Personal Responsibility Act passed by the House of Representatives in March.

Today's Census report also found that mothers living with children from an absent father had a poverty rate of 35 percent, more than four times the rate for married couples with children. For custodial mothers without child support orders, nearly half or 49 percent of the families were poor.

"We know that many families, deprived of child support, are forced to go on welfare," said Mary Jo Bane, assistant secretary for children and families. "Child support combined with work is a crucial link for families seeking self-sufficiency."

Another study released last year estimated the amount that would be collectible if all eligible families had child support orders in place that were fully paid, using a uniform national guideline to determine payment amounts. That study indicated that the difference between what was actually paid and what could potentially be collected to support children was $34 billion.

The new Census report is also the first to provide information on custodial fathers. While some 9.9 million custodial parents were women (86 percent), fathers were the custodial parent in 1.6 million families (14 percent). Of those with awards and payment due, about two-thirds received some payment.

"Regardless of which parent had custody, both fathers and mothers experienced problems in obtaining child support," said Bane.

In general, fewer custodial fathers live in poverty (13 percent for fathers, compared with 35 percent for mothers), and fewer fathers had support awards (41 percent for fathers, compared with 56 percent for mothers). However, for parents with unpaid child support, the poverty rate for both custodial mothers and fathers was about the same, just under 30 percent.

Among parents without an award in place, the top two reasons for fathers were that they "did not want an award" and "did not pursue an award," and for mothers that they "did not pursue an award" and they were "unable to locate the father." As with all demographic surveys, the Census report reflects a small degree of underreporting, caused by missed housing units and persons with the sample population.

Copies of the Census report are available from the Census Bureau's Public Information Office by telephone: 301-457-2794; fax: 301-457-3670; or e-mail: pio@census.gov.

Contact: ACF Press Office (202) 401-9215