This paper examines nonresident fathers' financial capacity, their commitment to their children living elsewhere, the financial needs of custodial families, and the Office of Child Support Enforcement (CSE) policies. The authors used the 1990 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to identify all nonresident fathers regardless of their marital status or presence of a formal child support order. They estimated the effect of state-level CSE policies on nonresident fathers' propensity to pay child support and the amount they pay. They also discuss the research on factors influencing child support and analyze how nonresident fathers' circumstances affect child support payments.
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