title: Income support policy and U.S. child support system.
abstract: This paper examines the economic profile of custodial and non-custodial parents and the status of the federal/state child support enforcement system, which serves about two-thirds of all families eligible for support. Issues discussed include the reasons for the historically low rate of child support collection; the prospects for new computerized systems to improve the rates of both paternity established and payments collected; ways the system, which is losing revenue, can sustain funding; and the extent to which child support payments, even in a perfect system, can improve the well-being of low-income families. Speakers at the accompanying Forum session will expand on these topics, and two state IV-D program directors will focus on the challenges of administering the system and the direction of changes in the program's goals and financing structure.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koppelman
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends; D005378:Financial Support; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage; D008484:Medicaid / Q000639:trends; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D011203:Poverty; D015406:Single Parent; D012943:Social Security / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends; D012946:Social Welfare / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends; D013219:State Government; D014481:United States