Session: Perspectives on Child Support Policy in the US and Abroad (Society for Social Work and Research 21st Annual Conference - Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth)

Child support is an important source of income for single-parent households. As the number of children living in one parent households increases across multiple countries, child support has become a key factor in protecting the wellbeing of families. This panel includes five papers that examine the trajectory and implications of child support for non-custodial parents, the health of children, and its interaction with other policies in the US and abroad.

The first paper examines the interaction between child support and the cash welfare programs of four countries (New Zealand, Australia, US, and United Kingdom).  Using a vignette approach, researchers calculate the proportion of each dollar of child support going to the custodial parent family versus being retained by governments to offset program expenditures across several programs. The US has the highest proportion of child support going toward cost recovery, followed by New Zealand, then Australia, then the United Kingdom.

The second paper examines the trajectories of father’s provisions of child support as the time since parents’ separation increases. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, researchers analyze the total package of child support that residential mothers receive from non-resident fathers.  Preliminary results reveal an increase in formal child support received per month through age nine among previously married and never married parents. This trend may be driven by attrition bias which will be addressed using multiple imputation in the final analysis.

The third paper examines the association of child support and obesity risk among children in Colombia using data from the Colombian Longitudinal Survey of Wealth, Income, Labor and Land (ELCA).  Results were analyzed using probit models with extensive controls and propensity score matching techniques. Findings suggest that child support is associated with higher odds of obesity for children ages zero to five years old.  The mechanisms through which child support may impact child obesity in the context of Colombia will be further investigated.

The fourth paper examines the complex family responsibilities experienced by noncustodial parents (NCPs) with children in multiple families. The study provides new data from the Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration program, a federally-funded eight-state intervention for NCPs who are behind in their child support payments and having employment difficulties.  Results demonstrate the significant contributions that NCPs report making to all their children, despite children being spread across multiple families.

The last paper analyzes the association between noncustodial father’s alimonies and economic well-being in the custodial mothers’ household after divorce in Uruguay. Using a two waves panel survey (ESF - Encuesta de Situaciones Familiares), the paper examines if this result differs when fathers fail to pay the agreed maintenance allowance. Preliminary estimations indicate that couple break-up decreases well-being measured in terms of per capita income, but does not find evidence of effects on overcrowding and assets.

The symposium’s discussant is a former senior social science analyst with expertise in child support policy from the US Department of Health and Human Services. The panel discusses child support policies and their implications for families.