Updated January 7, 2021
The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Program
Introduction
ï‚· locating noncustodial parents,
The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program was
ï‚· establishing paternity,
enacted into law on January 4, 1975 (P.L. 93-647). When
the program was first established, its goals were to
ï‚· establishing child support orders,
reimburse the states and the federal government for the
ï‚·
welfare payments they provided families, and to help other
reviewing and modifying child support orders,
families remain self-sufficient and stay off welfare by
ï‚· 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
ï‚·
-recovery” program into a
establishing and enforcing medical child support, and
“family-first” program that seeks to enhance the well-being
ï‚· distributing child support payments to custodial parents.
of families by making child support a more reliable source
of income.
CSE Collections and Methods
In FY2019, the CSE program collected $28.8 billion on
This federal-state program has the potential to impact more
behalf of families. More than two-thirds of CSE collections
children and for longer periods of time than most other
were for families that had never received cash payments
federal programs. It may interact with mothers, fathers, and
from the TANF program.
children for 18 years and in some cases longer, such as if
the noncustodial parent owes past-due child support. In
Table 1. CSE Collections by Family Type, FY2019
recent years, it served about 20% of children in the United
States. (All FY2019 figures in this report are drawn from
Collections
the FY2019 Preliminary Data Report released on June 23,
Family Type
(billions)
Percentage
2020, by the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE)
in the Department of Health and Human Services.)
TANF Families
$0.7
2%
Scope of CSE Program
Former TANF
$8.3
29%
Never TANF
$19.8
69%
Families who are required to enroll in the CSE program are
those receiving cash assistance under the Temporary
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, Medicaid
the OCSE FY2019 Preliminary Data Report.
coverage, or, at state option, Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) food assistance. The program
The majority of the collected payments in FY2019 (96%)
is also available to nonassistance families if they choose to
went to families and the remainder went to the states and
enroll. Families who are not required to enroll must pay a
federal government, primarily as reimbursement for public
one-time $25 fee when they apply for services, and an
assistance dollars that went to families.
annual $35 user fee if the CSE agency collects at least $550
per year for them.
Most child support payments are collected from
noncustodial parents through income withholding. In
The program is available in all 50 states; the District of
FY2019, 72% of collections were obtained through income
Columbia; the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin
withholding. Other methods of enforcement include
Islands; and 60 tribal nations. It is generally operated at the
county level of government.
ï‚· intercepting federal and state income tax refunds;
The CSE program is administered at the federal level by
ï‚· intercepting unemployment compensation;
OCSE, which helps CSE agencies develop, manage, and
ï‚·
operate their programs effectively and according to federal
filing liens against property;
law. Specifically, OCSE administers federal matching funds
ï‚· sending insurance settlement information to CSE
and awards grants to states, provides policy guidance and
agencies;
technical assistance, conducts program audits, and supports
ï‚·
research through demonstration grants. OCSE is also
intercepting lottery winnings, judgments, or settlements;
responsible for the Federal Parent Locator Service, which
ï‚· seizing debtor parent assets held by public or private
includes the National Directory of New Hires.
retirement funds and financial institutions;
Program Components
 withholding, suspending, or restricting driver’s licenses,
The CSE program increases the reliability of child support
professional or occupational licenses, and recreational or
paid by noncustodial parents by
sporting licenses; and
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The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Program
ï‚· denying, revoking, or restricting passports.
costs recovered from non-welfare families may help finance
the CSE program.
In addition, all jurisdictions have civil or criminal
contempt-of-court procedures and criminal nonsupport laws
Visitation Grants and Parenting Time
that may be used when noncustodial parents fall behind in
A noncustodial parent’s right to visit with his or her
their payments and accumulate arrears. (These procedures
children is commonly referred to as visitation or child
and laws are in addition to the enforcement methods listed
access (and more recently as voluntary parenting time
above.) Federal criminal penalties may be imposed in
agreements). OCSE administers an Access and Visitation
certain cases.
grant program, which is funded at a total of $10 million
each fiscal year. These funds are awarded to 50 states, DC,
Federal law also provides for international enforcement of
Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The general
child support.
focus of this program is to increase noncustodial parents’
CSE Caseload and Composition
access to and time with their children. Eligible activities
include mediation, counseling, education, development of
In FY2019, the CSE system handled 13.6 million cases.
parenting plans, visitation enforcement, and development of
Table 2. CSE Cases by Family Type, FY2019
guidelines for visitation and alternative custody
arrangements. In addition, certain CSE programs are to
Number
some degree involved with establishing voluntary parenting
Family Type
(millions)
Percentage
time agreements between custodial and noncustodial
parents.
TANF Families
1.2
9%
Program Effectiveness
Former TANF
5.6
41%
In FY2019, the CSE program collected $5.06 for every $1 it
Never TANF
6.8
50%
spent, and made collections for 63% of its caseload (versus
Source: CRS, based on data from the OCSE FY2019 Preliminary Data
23% in FY1998, when the 1996 welfare reforms were just
Report.
being implemented). Those cases with collections were
69% of the never-TANF caseload, 62% of the former-
TANF caseload, and 35% of the current-TANF caseload.
According to the most recent available data (from 2017),
among all custodial parents who are eligible for child
Issues
support (not just those enrolled in the CSE program), 80%
CSE issues that have been raised include the following:
are women. Of women custodial parents, 53% have just one
eligible child, 44% are non-Hispanic White, 28% are non-
ï‚· Should child support orders be more aligned with the
Hispanic Black, 24% are Hispanic (of any race), and 4% are
noncustodial parent’s ability to pay?
other races (including multiple races not categorized
ï‚· Should child support orders be automatically reviewed
elsewhere).
and modified in cases where the noncustodial parent is
unemployed or underemployed?
Among all custodial families eligible for child support, 24%
have income below the federal poverty level. Forty percent
ï‚· Should CSE programs have the option to reduce or
of poor families who were supposed to receive child
forgive state- and federal-owed child support arrearages
support received the full amount that was due.
(i.e., unpaid child support) in cases where that
successfully incentivizes noncustodial parents to
CSE Expenditures and Financing
regularly pay the current support that is owed?
Structure
ï‚· Should the CSE program have the option of funding
In FY2019, combined federal and state administrative
work-oriented programs for noncustodial parents who
expenditures for CSE amounted to $6.0 billion. CSE is a
are unable to meet their child support obligations?
federal-state matching grant program under which states
must spend money in order to receive federal funding. The
ï‚· Should the states bear more of the costs of their CSE
federal government reimburses each state 66% of all
programs (i.e., reducing the federal matching rate)?
allowable expenditures on CSE activities. This requirement
ï‚·
is open-ended in that there is no upper limit or ceiling on
Should cooperation with the CSE program continue to
the federal government’s match for those expenditures.
be mandated for TANF and Medicaid families? Should

federal cooperation requirements be expanded to other
public assistance programs?
There are five funding streams associated with the CSE
program. The first two streams (mentioned above) are state
ï‚· Should the federal and state governments continue to
and federal matching funds. Third, states collect child
retain collections to reimburse TANF costs, or should al
support on behalf of families receiving TANF assistance to
of the TANF family collections be “passed through” to
reimburse themselves (and the federal government) for the
those families? (Should the current state option to pass
cost of TANF cash payments to the family. Fourth, the
through some TANF family collections be altered?)
federal government provides states with an incentive
payment (estimated at $496 million total for FY2019) to
Jessica Tollestrup, Specialist in Social Policy
encourage them to operate effective programs. Federal law
IF10113
requires states to reinvest CSE incentive payments back
into the CSE program or related activities. Fifth, fees and
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The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Program


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10113 · VERSION 8 · UPDATED