Updated March 23, 2017
The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Program
Introduction
locating noncustodial parents,
The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program was
establishing paternity,
enacted into law on January 4, 1975 (P.L. 93-647). When
the program was first established, its goals were to
establishing child support orders,
reimburse the states and the federal government for the
reviewing and modifying child support orders,
welfare payments they provided families, and to help other
families remain self-sufficient and stay off welfare by
collecting child support payments from noncustodial
obtaining consistent and ongoing child support payments
parents,
from the noncustodial parent. Over time, the CSE program
has evolved from a “welfare cost
establishing and enforcing medical child support, and
-recovery” program into a
“family-first” program that seeks to enhance the well-being
distributing child support payments to custodial parents.
of families by making child support a more reliable source
of income.
CSE Collections and Methods
In FY2015, the CSE program collected and distributed
This program has the potential to impact more children and
$28.6 billion on behalf of families. Two-thirds of CSE
for longer periods of time than most other federal programs.
collections were for families that had never received cash
It may interact with mothers, fathers, and children for 18
payments from the TANF program.
years and in some cases up to 30 years if the noncustodial
parent owes past-due child support. In FY2015, it served
15.9 million children (about 22% of children in the United
Table 1.CSE Collections by Family Type, FY2015
States).
Scope of CSE Program
Collections
Family Type
(billions)
Percentage
The CSE program is a federal-state program that provides
services to both welfare and non-welfare families. (Today,
TANF Families
$0.8
3%
this distinction is based on whether the family has received
cash assistance from the Temporary Assistance for Needy
Former TANF
$9.0
31%
Families block grant (TANF)). TANF families (and other
families enrolled in certain assistance programs, such as
Never TANF
$18.8
66%
Medicaid) are automatically enrolled free of charge.
Total
$28.6
100%
Families who have never received TANF must sign up and
also pay a $25 annual user fee if the CSE agency collects
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from
at least $500 per year for them.
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The program is available in all 50 states; the District of
Columbia; the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the
The majority of the collected payments (93%) went to
Virgin Islands; and 62 tribal nations. It is generally operated
families and the remainder went to the states and federal
at the county level of government.
government as reimbursement for public assistance dollars
The CSE program is administered at the federal level by the
that went to families.
Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) in the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The
Most child support payments are collected from
OCSE helps CSE agencies develop, manage, and operate
noncustodial parents through income withholding. In
their programs effectively and according to federal law.
FY2015, approximately three-quarters of collections were
Specifically, OCSE administers federal matching funds and
obtained through income withholding. Other methods of
awards grants to states, provides policy guidance and
enforcement include
technical assistance, conducts program audits, and supports
research through demonstration grants. OCSE also operates
intercepting federal and state income tax refunds;
the Federal Parent Locator Service and the National
intercepting unemployment compensation;
Directory of New Hires.
filing liens against property;
Program Components
sending insurance settlement information to CSE
The CSE program increases the reliability of child support
agencies;
paid by noncustodial parents by
intercepting lottery winnings, judgments, or settlements;
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The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Program
seizing debtor parent assets held by public or private
and federal matching funds. Third, states collect child
retirement funds and financial institutions;
support on behalf of families receiving TANF assistance to
reimburse themselves (and the federal government) for the
withholding, suspending, or restricting driver’s licenses,
cost of TANF cash payments to the family. Fourth, the
professional or occupational licenses, and recreational or
federal government provides states with an incentive
sporting licenses; and
payment (estimated at $481 million for FY2015) to
denying, revoking, or restricting passports.
encourage them to operate effective programs. Federal law
requires states to reinvest CSE incentive payments back
In addition, all jurisdictions have civil or criminal
into the CSE program or related activities. Fifth, application
contempt-of-court procedures and criminal nonsupport laws
fees ($25 per year) and costs recovered from non-welfare
that may be used when noncustodial parents fall behind in
families may help finance the CSE program.
their payments and accumulate arrears. (These procedures
and laws are in addition to the enforcement methods listed
CSE Access and Visitation Programs
above.) Federal criminal penalties may be imposed in
certain cases.
Separately, OCSE administers an Access and Visitation
grant program, funded at $10 million each fiscal year.
Federal law also provides for international enforcement of
These funds are awarded to 50 states, DC, Guam, Puerto
child support.
Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Eligible activities include
mediation, counseling, education, development of parenting
CSE Caseload and Composition
plans, visitation enforcement, and development of
guidelines for visitation and alternative custody
In FY2015, the CSE system handled 14.7 million cases.
arrangements.
Table 2.CSE Cases by Family Type, FY2015
Program Effectiveness
In FY2015, the CSE program collected $5.26 for every $1
Number
it spent.
Family Type
(millions)
Percentage
The program made collections for 61% of its caseload in
FY2015 (compared to 23% in FY1998, when the 1996
TANF Families
1.6
11%
welfare reforms were just being implemented). For
Former TANF
6.3
43%
FY2015, those cases with collections were 69% of the
never-TANF caseload, 60% of the former-TANF caseload,
Never TANF
6.9
47%
but only 34% of the current-TANF caseload.
Total
14.7
100%
Issues
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from
CSE issues that have been raised include the following:
the U.S. Department of Health Human Services (HHS). (Totals do
not sum because of rounding.)
Should child support orders be more aligned with the
noncustodial parent’s ability to pay?
According to data presented in OCSE’s most recent Report
Should child support orders in cases where the
to Congress, among all custodial parents who are eligible
noncustodial parent is unemployed, underemployed, or
for child support, and not just those enrolled the CSE
incarcerated be automatically reviewed and modified?
program, 82% are women, 78% are 30 years old or older,
55% have just one child, 68% are white, 25% are black, and
Should child support arrearages (i.e., unpaid child
23% are Hispanic of either race (2014 data).
support) be reduced or forgiven if the noncustodial
parent does not have the resources to pay them (and the
Among all custodial families eligible for child support, 29%
custodial parent is in agreement)?
have income below the federal poverty level. In 2013, child
Should the CSE program have the option of funding
support represented 41% of family income for poor
work-oriented programs for noncustodial parents who
custodial families that received it (2014 data).
are unable to meet their child support obligations?
CSE Expenditures and Financing
Should the states bear more of the costs of their CSE
Structure
programs (i.e., reducing the federal matching rate)?
In FY2015, combined federal and state administrative
Should the federal and state governments continue to
expenditures for CSE amounted to $5.7 billion. CSE is a
retain collections to reimburse TANF costs, or should all
federal-state matching grant program under which states
of the TANF family collections be “passed through” to
must spend money in order to receive federal funding. The
those families? (Should the current state option to pass
federal government reimburses each state 66% of all
through some TANF family collections be altered?)
allowable expenditures on CSE activities. This requirement
is “open-ended” in that there is no upper limit or ceiling on
Jessica Tollestrup, Specialist in Social Policy
the federal government’s match for those expenditures.
IF10113
There are five funding streams associated with the CSE
program. The first two streams (mentioned above) are state
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The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Program
Disclaimer
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