Child Support: An Overview of Census
Bureau Data on Recipients
Carmen Solomon-Fears
Specialist in Social Policy
December 16, 2013
The House Ways and Means Committee is making available this version of this Congressional Research Service
(CRS) report, with the cover date shown, for inclusion in its 2014 Green Book website. CRS works exclusively
for the United States Congress, providing policy and legal analysis to Committees and Members of both the
House and Senate, regardless of party affiliation.
Congressional Research Service
RS22499
Child Support: An Overview of Census Bureau Data on Recipients
Summary
The national Census Bureau data show that in 2011, 14.4 million parents had custody of children
under age Bureau Data on Recipients
March 1, 2016
(RS22499)
Jump to Main Text of Report
Summary
The national Census Bureau data show that in 2013, 13.4 million parents had custody of children under the age of 21 while the other parent lived elsewhere, and the aggregate amount of child support
received was $
23.622.5 billion. In
2011, 822013, almost 83% of custodial parents were mothers. Of all custodial
parents,
5048% were white
(non-Hispanic), 25% were black,
2123% were Hispanic,
1816% were married, 33% were
divorced,
3538% were never married,
1513% did not have a high school diploma,
17almost 20% had at least a
bachelor’ bachelor's degree, 50% worked full-time year-round, 29% had family income below poverty, and
39 nearly 43% received some type of public assistance. In
2011, only 2.72013, 2.6 million (
3840%) of the
nearly 7.1
6.5 million custodial parents with child support orders actually received the full amount of child
support that was owed to them. The average yearly child support payment received by custodial
parents with payments was $5,
160181 for mothers and $
4,4336,526 for fathers. These full or partial
payments represented
17about 16% of the custodial mothers
’' total yearly income and
119% of the custodial
fathers’ fathers' yearly income. Compared to 1993 Census data, less child support was received by custodial parents in
2011 ($23.9 2013 ($24.8 billion in 1993 versus $
23.622.5 billion in
20112013; in
20112013 dollars). However, a higher
percentage of those owed child support actually received all that they were due (36.9% in 1993
versus
43.445.6% in
2011).
Congressional Research Service
Child Support: An Overview of Census Bureau Data on Recipients
Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Child Support Awarded and Received....................................................................................... 2
Demographic and Economic Characteristics of Custodial Parents Who Were Awarded
or Who Received Child Support Payments in 2011 ............................................................... 4
Tables
Table 1. Child Support Award and Receipt, Selected Years, 1993-2011 ......................................... 2
Table 2. Demographic Characteristics of Custodial Parents by Child Support Award and
Receipt Status, 2011 ..................................................................................................................... 4
Congressional Research Service
Child Support: An Overview of Census Bureau Data on Recipients
Introduction
The United States2013).
Child Support: An Overview of Census Bureau Data on Recipients
Introduction
The U.S. Census Bureau periodically collects national survey information on child
support. By interviewing a random sample of single-parent families, the Census Bureau is able to
generate an array of data that is useful in assessing the performance of noncustodial parents in
paying their child support.
1 Although the
CensusCensus Bureau has been collecting child support
information in a special Child Support Supplement to the April Current Population Survey (CPS)
biennially since 1978, the supplement survey has changed significantly over the years. According
to the Census Bureau, the most recent data, from
2011,12013,2 are comparable only back to 1993.
2
During the early years of the survey, information was collected only from custodial mothers.
Beginning with the 1991 data, information was also collected from custodial fathers. This report
presents unsegmented data with respect to custodial mothers and fathers (i.e., custodial parents
' data). The survey population includes all persons who have their own children under
age 21
the age of 21 living with them, while the other parent lives outside the household.
The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program was enacted in 1975 as
a federal-state program
part of P.L. 93-647 (Title IV-D of the Social Security Act)
. It is a federal-state program whose purpose is to help strengthen families by securing financial support
for children from their noncustodial parent on a consistent and continuing basis, and by helping
some families to remain self-sufficient and off public assistance by providing the requisite CSE
services. The CSE program is administered by the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE)
in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and funded by general revenues. All 50
states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands operate CSE programs
and are entitled to federal matching funds. The CSE program provides seven major services on
behalf of children: (1) parent location, (2) paternity establishment, (3) establishment of child
support orders, (4) review and modification of child support orders, (5) collection of child support
payments, (6) distribution of child support payments, and (7) establishment and enforcement of
medical child support. The CSE program is estimated to handle at least 50% of all child support
cases; the remaining cases are handled by private attorneys, collection agencies, or through
mutual agreements between the parents.
In FY2011
In FY2013, the CSE program collected $
27.328.0 billion in child support payments (from
noncustodial parents) and served 15.
86 million child support cases. The national Census Bureau
data show that the aggregate amount of child support received in
20112013 was $
23.622.5 billion,
3 and that
14 13.4 million parents had custody of children under
age 21 while the other parent lived elsewhere.4
1
U.S. Census Bureau, Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2011. Current Population Reports,
P60-246, by Timothy S. Grall, October 2013, http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p60-246.pdf. To view detailed
tables, see https://www.census.gov/people/childsupport/data/cs11.html and click on 2011 detailed tables icon.
2
Due to space limitations, Table 1 does not display data for 1995.
3
It is not surprising that the amount of child support received based on Census bureau data is less the amount of child
support collected based on state CSE data because custodial parents responding to the Census survey are often unaware
of child support received by the state on their behalf if they are recipients of the Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF) program. In other words, the amount of child support received by TANF parents is probably
underreported because many states retain some or all of the child support collected on behalf of such families.
4
Note that the OCSE defines a CSE “case” as a noncustodial parent (mother, father, or putative/alleged father) who is
now or eventually may be obligated under law for the support of a child or children receiving services under the CSE
program. If the noncustodial parent owes support for two children by different women, that would be considered two
cases; if both children have the same mother, that would be considered one case. Thus, the CSE program caseload may
be larger than the national number of custodial parents potentially eligible for child support payments.
Congressional Research Service
1
Child Support: An Overview of Census Bureau Data on Recipients
In 2011, 82the age of 21 while the other parent lived elsewhere.3
In 2013, almost 83% of custodial parents were mothers. Of all custodial parents,
5048% were white
(non-Hispanic), 25% , 25%
were black,
2123% were Hispanic,
1816% were married, 33% were divorced,
3538% were never
married,
1513% did not have a high school diploma,
18almost 20% had at least a bachelor
’'s degree, 50%
worked full-time year-round, 29% had family income below poverty, and
39nearly 43% received some
type of public assistance (i.e., Medicaid, food stamps, public housing or rent subsidy, TANF, or
general assistance).
Child Support Awarded and Received
Table 1 summarizes several child support indicators from biennial survey data for selected years
from 1993 through
20112013. The table shows that the likelihood of having a child support award,
being legally entitled to a child support payment, and actually receiving at least one child support
payment decreased over the
1921-year period from 1993 through
20112013. In contrast, the percentage
of noncustodial of custodial parents (owed child support) who received the full amount of the child support
that they were owed increased by almost
1824%, from 37% in 1993 to
4346% in
2011.
2013.
Table 1. Child Support Award and Receipt, Selected Years, 1993-
2011
1993
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
13,690
13,949
13,529
13,383
13,951
13,605
13,743
13,672
14,440
5.5%
Custodial
parents awarded
child support
(thousands)
7,800
7,876
7,945
7,916
8,376
7,802
7,428
6,914
7,057
-9.5%
Percent awarded
child support
57.0%
56.5%
58.7%
59.1%
60.0%
57.3%
54.0%
50.6%
48.9%
-14.2%
Custodial
parents
due/owed child
support
(numbers in
thousands)
6,688
7,018
6,791
6,924
7,256
6,809
6,375
5,897
6,262
-6.4%
Percent of those
owed who
received any
payment
75.8%
75.3%
73.7%
73.9%
76.5%
77.2%
76.3%
70.8%
74.1%
-2.2%
Percent of those
owed who
received full
payment
36.9%
46.2%
45.1%
44.7%
45.3%
46.9%
46.8%
41.2%
43.4%
17.6%
Average child
support due
$5,489
$5,796
$6,418
$6,408
$6,242
$6,433
$5,803
$6,244
$6,052
10.3%
Average child
support received
$3,583
$3,862
$3,767
$4,014
$4,279
$4,197
$3,638
$3,811
$3,771
5.2%
All custodial
parents
(numbers in
thousands)
Congressional Research Service
2011
Percent
Change
(19932011)
2
Child Support: An Overview of Census Bureau Data on Recipients
1993
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
Percent
Change
(19932011)
Aggregate Child Support Payments (in billions of dollars)
Child support
due
$36.6
$40.7
$43.6
$44.3
$45.2
$43.8
$37.0
$36.8
$37.9
3.6%
Child support
received
$23.9
$27.1
$25.6
$27.8
$31.1
$28.6
$23.2
$22.4
$23.6
-1.3%
Child support
deficit
$12.7
$13.6
$18.0
$16.5
$14.2
$15.2
$13.8
$14.4
$14.3
12.6%
Percent of
amount due
actually received
65.3%
66.6%
58.7%
62.8%
68.8%
65.3%
62.7%
60.9%
62.3%
-4.6%
Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Census
Bureau, Current Population Survey, April 1996-2012. All child support income amounts were adjusted by the
Census Bureau to reflect 2011 dollars using the CPI-U-RS. Custodial parents include all persons living with their
own children who are under age 21 while the other parent lives somewhere else.
Note: The difference between the number of custodial parents who were awarded child support and those who
were due or owed child support is composed of persons who were no longer owed child support because their
child was (or children were) too old, the noncustodial parent had died, the family lived together for part of the
year before the survey interview, or some other reason. (To clarify, in 2011, 7.1 million custodial parents were
awarded child support, but only 6.3 million were due (or owed) child support. The 0.8 million-person difference
was composed of persons who were no longer due child support because of the reasons listed above.)
In 2011, about 49% of the 14.4 million custodial parents (with children under age 21) were
awarded child support.5 Of those who were actually due child support payments (6.3 million),
about 74% of them received at least one payment, and 43% received all that they were owed. In
2011, only 2.7 million (19%) of the 14.4 million custodial parents eligible for child support
actually received the full amount of child support that was owed to them. In 2011, the average
child support payment amounted to about $3,771,6 5% higher than the average child support
payment in 1993 ($3,583).
In 2011, 62% of the $37.9 billion in aggregate child support due was actually paid. In 1993, 65%
of the nearly $37 billion (adjusted for inflation, in 2011 dollars) in child support due was paid.
During the 19-year period 1993 through 2011, after adjusting for inflation, aggregate child
support due fluctuated from a low of $36.6 billion in 1993 to a high of $45.2 billion in 2003. But,
over the entire period, aggregate child support due increased by about 4%, total child support
5
Conversely, the reader should note that many custodial parents do not receive child support. In 2011, this included
51% of custodial parents who were not awarded child support and 11% of custodial parents who did not receive any
child support payments even though they had been awarded child support. In 2011, this number amounted to almost 8.7
million custodial parents. Some of the reasons given as to why there was not a legal child support obligation included
the following: the other parent provided what he or she could (37%); the other parent could not afford to pay (33%);
they did not feel the need to make it legal (33%); they did not want the other parent to pay (24%); they did not want to
have contact with the other parent (19%); the child stayed with the other parent part of the time (18%); they could not
locate the other parent (17%); and paternity was not legally established (7%).
6
This amount reflects total child support payments received divided by the number of parents who were owed/due
payments ($23,600,000,000/6,262,000=$3,769—total different because of rounding). Table 2 shows an average child
support payment of $5,135 for custodial parents who actually received at least one child support payment in 2011
($23,600,000,000/4,641,000=$5,085—total different because of rounding).
Congressional Research Service
3
Child Support: An Overview of Census Bureau Data on Recipients
received decreased a little over 1%, and the amount left unpaid increased almost 13% (see Table
1).
Demographic and Economic Characteristics of Custodial Parents
Who Were Awarded or Who Received Child Support Payments
in 2011
While sex, race, marital status, and education are significant factors in predicting whether a
custodial parent will be issued a child support order, award rates tend to be significantly lower
than receipt rates. For example, although female custodial parents were almost 1.9 times more
likely to be awarded child support in 2011 as their male counterparts, among parents who were
owed/due child support, both had at least a 68% chance of actually receiving child support
payments. (See Table 2.) Moreover, in 2011, 40% of black custodial parents were awarded child
support compared to 54% of white custodial parents. Even so, 73% of black custodial parents
who were owed/due child support actually received child support payments and 75% of white
custodial parents who were owed child support actually received child support payments in 2011.
Similarly, while only 41% of never-married parents were awarded child support in 2011, almost
70% of never-married parents who were owed child support actually received child support
payments in 2011. Also, 42% of custodial parents without a high school diploma were awarded
child support, while 67% of custodial parents without a high school diploma who were owed
child support actually received child support.
Table 2. Demographic Characteristics of Custodial Parents by Child Support Award
and Receipt Status, 2011
(numbers in thousands)
Custodial Parents Who Received at
Least Some Child Support in 2011
Total
All custodial
parents
%
Awarded
Child
Support
Total Due
Child
Support
% of Those
Due Child
Support
Average
Child
Support ($)
Average
Income ($)
14,440
48.9
6,262
74.1
5,088
31,517
2,643
28.84
674
68.1
4,433
42,042
11,797
53.4
5,588
74.8
5,160
30,363
White (nonHispanic)
9,829
53.5
4,664
75.0
5,194
32,156
Black
3,677
40.4
1,265
73.1
4,524
27,517
Hispanic
3,021
51.8
1,202
67.9
4,634
22,119
Married
2,630
54.4
1,276
74.5
4,549
28,087
Divorced
4,772
55.9
2,404
76.7
5,777
38,733
Sex
Male
Female
Race and Ethnicity
Marital Status
Congressional Research Service
4
Child Support: An Overview of Census Bureau Data on Recipients
Custodial Parents Who Received at
Least Some Child Support in 2011
Total
%
Awarded
Child
Support
Total Due
Child
Support
% of Those
Due Child
Support
Average
Child
Support ($)
Average
Income ($)
Separated
1,813
44.3
666
77.0
5,124
31,246
Never married
5,060
41.0
1,857
69.6
4,497
24,102
Educational Attainment
No high school
diploma
2,183
42.0
800
66.5
3,811
12,319
High school
graduate
4,557
46.1
1,809
71.0
5,028
23,776
Some college—no
degree
3,391
51.7
1,581
76.7
4,599
27,135
Associate’s degree
1,681
56.7
844
76.2
4,769
32,728
Bachelor’s degree
or more
2,628
50.7
1,228
78.9
6,692
56,997
Economic Characteristics
Family income
below 2009
poverty level
4,180
47.7
1,707
72.7
4,503
8,676
Worked full-time,
year-round
7,289
48.3
3,160
74.6
5,061
46,308
Received public
assistance
5,675
48.4
2,389
71.0
4,480
14,978
Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on data from the U.S. Census
Bureau, Current Population Survey, April 2012.
This pattern2013
1993
|
1995
|
1997
|
1999
|
2001
|
2003
|
2005
|
2007
|
2009
|
2011
|
2013
|
Percentage Change (1993-2013)
|
All custodial parents (numbers in thousands)
13,690
|
13,715
|
13,949
|
13,529
|
13,383
|
13,951
|
13,605
|
13,743
|
13,672
|
14,440
|
13,418
|
-2.0%
|
|
Custodial parents awarded child support (thousands)
|
7,800
|
7,967
|
7,876
|
7,945
|
7,916
|
8,376
|
7,802
|
7,428
|
6,914
|
7,057
|
6,528
|
-16.3%
|
|
Percent awarded child support
|
57.0%
|
58.1
|
56.5%
|
58.7%
|
59.1%
|
60.0%
|
57.3%
|
54.0%
|
50.6%
|
48.9%
|
48.7%
|
-14.6%
|
Custodial parents due/owed child support (numbers in thousands)
6,688
|
6,958
|
7,018
|
6,791
|
6,924
|
7,256
|
6,809
|
6,375
|
5,897
|
6,262
|
5,697
|
-14.8%
|
|
Percent of those owed who received any payment
|
75.8%
|
75.7
|
75.3%
|
73.7%
|
73.9%
|
76.5%
|
77.2%
|
76.3%
|
70.8%
|
74.1%
|
74.1%
|
-2.2%
|
|
Percent of those owed who received full payment
|
36.9%
|
42.3
|
46.2%
|
45.1%
|
44.7%
|
45.3%
|
46.9%
|
46.8%
|
41.2%
|
43.4%
|
45.6%
|
23.6%
|
|
Average child support due per year (2013 $s)
|
$5,685
|
$6,173
|
$6,003
|
$6,648
|
$6,637
|
$6,465
|
$6,663
|
$6,011
|
$6,467
|
$6,268
|
$5,774
|
1.6%
|
|
Average child support received per year (2013 $s)
|
$3,712
|
$4,068
|
$4,000
|
$3,902
|
$4,158
|
$4,432
|
$4,347
|
$3,768
|
$3,947
|
$3,906
|
$3,953
|
6.5%
|
|
Aggregate Child Support Payments (in billions of constant 2013 dollars)
|
|
Child support due
|
$38.0
|
$43.0
|
$42.1
|
$45.2
|
$45.9
|
$46.9
|
$45.3
|
$38.3
|
$38.1
|
$39.3
|
$32.9
|
-13.4%
|
|
Child support received
|
$24.8
|
$28.3
|
$28.1
|
$26.6
|
$28.8
|
$32.2
|
$29.6
|
$24.0
|
$23.2
|
$24.4
|
$22.5
|
-9.3%
|
|
Child support deficit
|
$13.2
|
$14.7
|
$14.0
|
$18.6
|
$17.1
|
$14.7
|
$15.7
|
$14.3
|
$14.9
|
$14.8
|
$10.4
|
-21.2%
|
|
Percent of amount due actually received
|
65.3%
|
65.8%
|
66.7%
|
58.8%
|
62.7%
|
68.7%
|
65.3%
|
62.7%
|
60.9%
|
62.1%
|
68.4%
|
4.7%
|
Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, April 1996-2014. All child support income amounts were adjusted by the Census Bureau or CRS to reflect 2013 dollars using the CPI-U-RS. Custodial parents include all persons living with their own children who are under the age of 21 while the other parent lives somewhere else.
Note: The difference between the number of custodial parents who were awarded child support and those who were due or owed child support is composed of persons who were no longer owed child support because their child was (or children were) too old, the noncustodial parent had died, the family lived together for part of the year before the survey interview, or some other reason. (To clarify, in 2013, 6.5 million custodial parents were awarded child support but only 5.7 million were due (or owed) child support. The 0.8 million-person difference was composed of persons who were no longer due child support because of the reasons listed above.)
In 2013, about 49% of the 13.4 million custodial parents (with children under the age of 21) were awarded child support.4 Of those who were actually due child support payments (5.7 million), about 74% of them received at least one payment and almost 46% received all that they were owed. In 2013, only 2.6 million (19%) of the 13.4 million custodial parents eligible for child support actually received the full amount of child support that was owed to them. In 2013, the average child support payment received by custodial parents amounted to $3,953,5 6.5% higher than the average child support payment in 1993 ($3,712).
In 2013, 68% of the $32.9 billion in aggregate child support due was actually paid. In 1993, 65% of the $38 billion (adjusted for inflation, in 2013 dollars) in child support due was paid. During the 21-year period 1993 through 2013, after adjusting for inflation, aggregate child support due started at $38.0 billion in 1993, fluctuated to a high of $46.9 billion in 2003, and dropped to a low of $32.9 billion in 2013. Over the entire period, aggregate child support due decreased by 13%, total child support received decreased 9%, and the amount left unpaid decreased 21% (see Table 1).
Demographic and Economic Characteristics of Custodial Parents Who Were Awarded or Who Received Child Support Payments in 2013
While sex, race, marital status, and education are significant factors in predicting whether a custodial parent will be issued a child support order, award rates tend to be significantly lower than receipt rates. For example, although female custodial parents were almost 1.7 times more likely to be awarded child support in 2013 as their male counterparts, among parents who were owed/due child support, both had at least a 73% chance of actually receiving child support payments. (See Table 2.) Moreover, in 2013, 37% of black custodial parents were awarded child support compared to 56% of white custodial parents. Even so, nearly 65% of black custodial parents who were owed/due child support actually received child support payments and 79% of white custodial parents who were owed child support actually received child support payments in 2013. Similarly, while 42% of never-married parents were awarded child support in 2013, almost 68% of never-married parents who were owed child support actually received child support payments in 2013. Also, 38% of custodial parents without a high school diploma were awarded child support, while almost 62% of custodial parents without a high school diploma who were owed child support actually received child support.6
Table 2. Demographic Characteristics of Custodial Parents by Child Support Award and Receipt Status, 2013
(numbers in thousands)
Total
|
% Awarded Child Support
Total Due Child Support
|
Custodial Parents Who Received at Least Some Child Support in 2013
% of Those Due Child Support
|
Average Child Support ($)
|
Average Income ($)
|
|
All custodial parents
|
13,418
|
48.7
|
5,697
|
74.1
|
5,333
|
37,367
|
|
Sex
|
|
Male
|
2,350
|
31.4
|
648
|
73.9
|
6,526
|
70,758
|
|
Female
|
11,069
|
52.3
|
5,049
|
74.1
|
5,181
|
33,096
|
|
Race and Ethnicity
|
|
White (non-Hispanic)
|
6,454
|
56.4
|
3,167
|
79.3
|
5,884
|
39,347
|
|
Black
|
3,393
|
37.4
|
1,138
|
64.5
|
3,601
|
29,711
|
|
Hispanic
|
3,103
|
44.0
|
1,164
|
72.0
|
4,640
|
33,687
|
|
Marital Status
|
|
Married
|
2,131
|
51.3
|
971
|
75.2
|
5,185
|
31,463
|
|
Divorced
|
4,469
|
57.7
|
2,281
|
79.9
|
6,518
|
46,624
|
|
Separated
|
1,552
|
40.9
|
530
|
70.2
|
5,100
|
31,977
|
|
Never married
|
5,117
|
42.2
|
1,863
|
67.6
|
3,752
|
29,336
|
|
Educational Attainment
|
|
No high school diploma
|
1,799
|
38.1
|
568
|
61.6
|
3,853
|
28,690
|
|
High school graduate
|
4,274
|
46.0
|
1,690
|
70.4
|
4,593
|
29,669
|
|
Some college—no degree
|
3,025
|
50.4
|
1,331
|
71.8
|
4,959
|
30,877
|
|
Associate's degree
|
1,681
|
54.6
|
801
|
83.1
|
5,403
|
36,040
|
|
Bachelor's degree or more
|
2,640
|
54.3
|
1,306
|
81.2
|
6,945
|
55,553
|
|
Economic Characteristics
|
|
Family income below 2009 poverty level
|
3,859
|
45.0
|
1,474
|
66.4
|
4,396
|
8,927
|
|
Worked full-time, year-round
|
6,660
|
49.4
|
2,922
|
76.7
|
5,241
|
53,433
|
|
Received public assistance
|
5,715
|
47.0
|
2,327
|
66.7
|
4,290
|
17,026
|
Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, April 2014.
The pattern of receipt rates being higher than award rates also held for the economic factors listed in Table 2—in that once a child support
obligation was awarded, the probability of actually receiving payments rose significantly for all
categories of custodial parents. In
2011, nearly 482013, 45% of custodial parents with incomes below the
poverty level were awarded child support, and nearly
7366% of those owed/due payments actually
received child support payments. Table 2 also shows that
4849% of custodial parents who worked
full-time year-round were awarded child support, while almost
7577% of those owed received child
support payments. Similarly,
about 4847% of custodial parents who received public assistance were
awarded child support, while
71nearly 67% of those who were owed child support payments actually
received child support payments.
7
7
Of the categories of custodial parents presented in Table 2, custodial parents who
had an
associate’s degreewere divorced followed by custodial parents who were
divorcedwhite (non-Hispanic) were the categories of
parents most likely to be
awardedawarded child support. In
2011, 562013, 57.7% of custodial parents
with an
associate’s degree and 55.9% of divorcedwho were divorced and 56.4% of white (non-Hispanic) custodial parents were awarded child support. The table
also shows that custodial parents with
at least a bachelor’s degree who were owed/due child
7
Public assistance program participation includes receiving at least one of the following: Medicaid, food stamps, public
housing or rent subsidy, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or general assistance.
Congressional Research Service
5
Child Support: An Overview of Census Bureau Data on Recipients
an associate's degree who were owed/due child support was the category of parents most likely to
receivereceive child support payments in
2011. In
2011, 78.92013. In 2013, 83.1% of custodial parents with
at least a bachelor’an associate's degree who were owed payments
actually received child support payments.
In 20118
In 2013, the average yearly child support payment received by custodial parents with payments
was $5,
088333; $5,
160181 for mothers and $
4,4336,526 for fathers. These full or partial payments represented
(on average)
1614% of the custodial parent
’'s yearly income,
1716% of the custodial mothers
’' total
yearly income, and
119% of the custodial fathers
’.
In 2011'.9
In 2013, for custodial parents with income below the poverty level, child support payments for
those who received them made up, on average,
5249% of their yearly income. In
20112013, child support
payments made up
3113% of the yearly income of custodial parents without a high school diploma
who were owed child support and who actually received full or partial payments. In
20112013, child
support represented
20about 18% of the income of the 2.
76 million custodial parents who received all of
the child support that they were owed.
8
10
The Census Bureau data also include information on health insurance. In
2011, 522013, 54% of the
7.1
6.5 million custodial parents with child support awards had awards that included health insurance.
The noncustodial parent provided the health insurance coverage in
41.751.1% of the awards with
health insurance provisos and in
13.710.4% of the awards without health insurance stipulations.
Moreover, the noncustodial parent provided health insurance coverage for
17.819.4% of the nearly
7.4
6.9 million custodial parents who did not have a child support award.
911 Overall, 3.
25 million
noncustodial parents provided health care for their children in
2011.102013.12 This represented
22.426.1% of
the
1413.4 million children under
the age of age 21 who were living with a custodial parent while their other
parent lived elsewhere.
8
See Table 6 at https://www.census.gov/people/childsupport/data/files/chldsu11.pdf (p. 17 of 50).
U.S. Census Bureau, Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2009, Current Population Reports,
P60-240, by Timothy S. Grall, October 2013, http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p60-246.pdf (p. 12) or Table 8 of
the detailed tables, https://www.census.gov/people/childsupport/data/files/chldsu11.pdf (p. 35 of 50).
10
In 2011, nearly 1.5 million noncustodial parents provided health care insurance in cases where it was stipulated in the
child support agreement, 0.4 million provided health care insurance in cases where it was not required by the
agreement, and 1.3 million provided health care insurance in cases where there was no child support agreement.
9
Congressional Research Service
6
Author Contact Information
[author name scrubbed], Specialist in Social Policy
([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])
Footnotes
| 1.
|
The 2013 data in this report are from the Child Support Supplement (CSS) to the April 2014 Current Population Survey (CPS). This supplement provides demographic information about custodial parents as of 2014, as well as child support and other income or program data for the 2013 calendar year.
|
| 2.
|
U.S. Census Bureau, "Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2013," Current Population Reports, P60-255, by Timothy Grall, January 2016, http://www.census.gov/people/childsupport/data/cs13.html. To view detailed tables, see http://www.census.gov/people/childsupport/data/cs13.html and click on 2013 detailed tables' icon.
|
| 3.
|
Note that the OCSE defines a CSE "case" as a noncustodial parent (mother, father, or putative/alleged father) who is now or eventually may be obligated under law for the support of a child or children receiving services under the CSE program. If the noncustodial parent owes support for two children by different women, that would be considered two cases; if both children have the same mother, that would be considered one case. Thus, the CSE program caseload may be larger than the national number of custodial parents potentially eligible for child support payments.
|
| 4.
|
Conversely, the reader should note that many custodial parents do not receive child support. In 2013, this included 51% of custodial parents who were not awarded child support and 11% of custodial parents who did not receive any child support payments even though they had been awarded child support. In 2013, this number amounted to almost 8.4 million custodial parents. Some of the reasons given as to why there was not a legal child support obligation included the following: the other parent provided what he or she could (37%); the other parent could not afford to pay (36%); the custodial parent did not feel the need to make it legal (36%); the custodial parent did not want the other parent to pay (24%); the custodial parent did not want to have contact with the other parent (20%); the child stayed with the other parent part of the time (19%); the custodial parent could not locate the other parent (18%); and paternity was not legally established (9%). Source: See Table 3 (p. 4) and Table 4 (p. 5), respectively at http://www.census.gov/people/childsupport/data/cs13.html of the detailed tables for 2013.
|
5.
|
This amount reflects total child support payments received divided by the number of parents who were owed/due payments ($22,500,000,000/5,697,000=$3,949—total different because of rounding). See Table 1 at http://www.census.gov/people/childsupport/data/cs13.html (p. 2 of 50 of the detailed tables for 2013). Note that Table 2 of this report shows an average child support payment of $5,333 for custodial parents who actually received at least one child support payment in 2013 ($22,500,000,000/4,222,000=$5,329—total different because of rounding).
| 6.
|
See Table 4 at http://www.census.gov/people/childsupport/data/cs13.html (pp. 5 and 8 of 50 of the detailed tables for 2013).
|
| 7.
|
Public assistance program participation includes receiving at least one of the following: Medicaid, food stamps, public housing or rent subsidy, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or general assistance.
|
| 8.
|
See Table 4 at http://www.census.gov/people/childsupport/data/cs13.html (pp. 5 and 8 of 50 of the detailed tables for 2013).
|
| 9.
|
See Table 5 at http://www.census.gov/people/childsupport/data/cs13.html (p. 11 of 50 of the detailed tables for 2013).
|
| 10.
|
See Table 6 at http://www.census.gov/people/childsupport/data/cs13.html (p. 17 of 50 of the detailed tables for 2013).
|
| 11.
|
See Table 8 at http://www.census.gov/people/childsupport/data/cs13.html (p. 35 of 50 of the detailed tables for 2013).
|
| 12.
|
In 2013, 1.8 million noncustodial parents provided health care insurance in cases where it was stipulated in the child support agreement, almost 0.4 million provided health care insurance in cases where it was not required by the agreement, and 1.3 million provided health care insurance in cases where there was no child support agreement.
|