Updated August 5, 2019
The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Program
Introduction
Program Components
The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program was
The CSE program increases the reliability of child support
enacted into law on January 4, 1975 (P.L. 93-647). When
paid by noncustodial parents by
the program was first established, its goals were to
reimburse the states and the federal government for the
locating noncustodial parents,
welfare payments they provided families, and to help other
establishing paternity,
families remain self-sufficient and stay off welfare by
obtaining consistent and ongoing child support payments
establishing child support orders,
from the noncustodial parent. Over time, the CSE program
has evolved from a “welfare cost
-recovery” program into a
reviewing and modifying child support orders,
“family-first” program that seeks to enhance the well-being
collecting child support payments from noncustodial
of families by making child support a more reliable source
parents,
of income.
establishing and enforcing medical child support, and
This federal-state program has the potential to impact more
distributing child support payments to custodial parents.
children and for longer periods of time than most other
federal programs. It may interact with mothers, fathers, and
CSE Collections and Methods
children for 18 years and in some cases many years longer
if the noncustodial parent owes past-due child support. In
In FY2018, the CSE program collected $28.6 billion on
FY2018, it served 14.7 million children (about 20% of
behalf of families. Two-thirds of CSE collections were for
children in the United States). (All FY2018 figures in this
families that had never received cash payments from the
report are drawn from the FY2018 Preliminary Data Report
TANF program.
released on June 13, 2018, by the Office of Child Support
Enforcement (OCSE) in the Department of Health and
Table 1.CSE Collections by Family Type, FY2018
Human Services (HHS).)
Scope of CSE Program
Collections
Family Type
(billions)
Percentage
Families who are required to enroll in the CSE program
are those receiving cash assistance under the Temporary
TANF Families
$0.7
2%
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, Medicaid
coverage, or, at state option, Supplemental Nutrition
Former TANF
$8.4
30%
Assistance Program (SNAP) food assistance. The program
is also available to nonassistance families if they choose to
Never TANF
$19.5
68%
enroll. Families who have never received TANF must pay
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from
a one-time $25 fee when they apply for services, and an
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
annual $35 user fee if the CSE agency collects at least $550
per year for them.
The program is available in all 50 states; the District of
The majority of the collected payments in FY2018 (96%)
Columbia; the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin
went to families and the remainder went to the states and
Islands; and 62 tribal nations. It is generally operated at the
federal government, primarily as reimbursement for public
county level of government.
assistance dollars that went to families.
The CSE program is administered at the federal level by
Most child support payments are collected from
OCSE, which helps CSE agencies develop, manage, and
noncustodial parents through income withholding. In
operate their programs effectively and according to federal
FY2018, 72% of collections were obtained through income
law. Specifically, OCSE administers federal matching funds
withholding. Other methods of enforcement include
and awards grants to states, provides policy guidance and
technical assistance, conducts program audits, and supports
intercepting federal and state income tax refunds;
research through demonstration grants. OCSE is also
responsible for the Federal Parent Locator Service, which
intercepting unemployment compensation;
includes the National Directory of New Hires.
filing liens against property;
sending insurance settlement information to CSE
agencies;
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The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Program
intercepting lottery winnings, judgments, or settlements;
support on behalf of families receiving TANF assistance to
reimburse themselves (and the federal government) for the
seizing debtor parent assets held by public or private
cost of TANF cash payments to the family. Fourth, the
retirement funds and financial institutions;
federal government provides states with an incentive
withholding, suspending, or restricting driver’s licenses,
payment (estimated at $510 million for FY2018) to
professional or occupational licenses, and recreational or
encourage them to operate effective programs. Federal law
sporting licenses; and
requires states to reinvest CSE incentive payments back
into the CSE program or related activities. Fifth, fees and
denying, revoking, or restricting passports.
costs recovered from non-welfare families may help finance
In addition, all jurisdictions have civil or criminal
the CSE program.
contempt-of-court procedures and criminal nonsupport laws
that may be used when noncustodial parents fall behind in
CSE Access and Visitation Programs
their payments and accumulate arrears. (These procedures
Separately, OCSE administers an Access and Visitation
and laws are in addition to the enforcement methods listed
grant program, which is funded at $10 million each fiscal
above.) Federal criminal penalties may be imposed in
year. These funds are awarded to 50 states, DC, Guam,
certain cases.
Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Eligible activities
include mediation, counseling, education, development of
Federal law also provides for international enforcement of
parenting plans, visitation enforcement, and development of
child support.
guidelines for visitation and alternative custody
arrangements.
CSE Caseload and Composition
In FY2018, the CSE system handled 13.9 million cases.
Program Effectiveness
In FY2018, the CSE program collected $5.14 for every $1 it
Table 2.CSE Cases by Family Type, FY2018
spent, and it made collections for 63% of its caseload
(compared to 23% in FY1998, when the 1996 welfare
reforms were just being implemented). Those cases with
Number
collections were 69% of the never-TANF caseload, 61% of
Family Type
(millions)
Percentage
the former-TANF caseload, and 35% of the current-TANF
caseload.
TANF Families
1.2
9%
Issues
Former TANF
5.8
42%
CSE issues that have been raised include the following:
Never TANF
6.9
49%
Should child support orders be more aligned with the
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from
noncustodial parent’s ability to pay?
the U.S. Department of Health Human Services (HHS).
Should child support orders be automatically reviewed
According to the most recent available data among all
and modified in cases where the noncustodial parent is
custodial parents who are eligible for child support (not just
unemployed or underemployed?
those enrolled in the CSE program), 82% are women, 78%
Should CSE programs have the option to reduce or
are 30 years old or older, 55% have just one eligible child,
forgive state- and federal-owed child support arrearages
68% are white, 25% are black, and 23% are Hispanic of any
(i.e., unpaid child support) in cases where that
race.
successfully incentivizes noncustodial parents to
regularly pay the current support that is owed?
Among all custodial families eligible for child support, 29%
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.
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)?
Should cooperation with the CSE program continue to
In FY2018, combined federal and state administrative
be mandated for TANF and Medicaid families? Should
expenditures for CSE amounted to $5.9 billion. CSE is a
federal cooperation requirements be expanded to other
federal-state matching grant program under which states
public assistance programs?
must spend money in order to receive federal funding. The
federal government reimburses each state 66% of all
Should the federal and state governments continue to
allowable expenditures on CSE activities. This requirement
retain collections to reimburse TANF costs, or should all
is “open-ended” in that there is no upper limit or ceiling on
of the TANF family collections be “passed through” to
the federal government’s match for those expenditures.
those families? (Should the current state option to pass
through some TANF family collections be altered?)
There are five funding streams associated with the CSE
program. The first two streams (mentioned above) are state
Jessica Tollestrup, Specialist in Social Policy
and federal matching funds. Third, states collect child
IF10113
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The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Program
Disclaimer
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