View Research by Author - Chava Zibman

Citation URL: http://www.urban.org/ChavaZibman

This report was prepared in response to a mandate from the California State Legislature to analyze how much of the $14.4 billion in child support arrears owed statewide in March 2000 was realistically collectible. Child support arrears had grown dramatically in California during the prior decade and state legislators were concerned about their collectibility. The Urban Institute estimated that $3.8 billion, or 26% of the $14.4 billion, would be collected over 10 years. The reason that so little arrears are likely to be collected is that most of the arrears are owed by individuals who owe more than $20,000 in arrears and have relatively low incomes.

Of the nearly 11 million fathers in the United States who do not live with their kids, about 7 million do not pay formal child support. Of these unpaying fathers, 2.5 million are poor themselves. Poor moms and dads face similar barriers to employment -- limited education, lack of recent work experience, and health barriers. They work about the same number of hours each year and have similar earnings. But poor fathers -- even those who pay child support -- do not have access to most work support programs. The author recommends making the work support programs that are available to poor mothers available to poor fathers who pay child support.

Data from the 1997 National Survey of America's Families show that the majority of poor fathers not paying child support are nonwhite; only 31 percent were working at the time of the survey; and nearly 40 percent of the non-working fathers were institutionalized. If poor non-resident fathers are expected to contribute finanically to their children, employment services and work-support programs currently available to poor mothers may need to be made available to fathers as well.

The authors find that child support payments reduce the number of poor children by a half million. Unfortunately, about 70 percent of poor children eligible for child support were not getting it in 1996. Among the other findings: Children with a child support order are nearly twice as likely to receive financial support from their nonresident parent as

Child support provides a significant source of income for poor families. Child support also reduces the number of poor children by a half million and lessens income inequality among children eligible for it. Unfortunately, about 70 percent of poor children eligible for child support were not getting it in 1996. In addition, it will probably be more difficult to obtain child support for these children because their parents are, on average, more disadvantaged that the parents of poor children who already receive child support. The report is based on the 1997 National Survey of America’s Families.

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