A new Census Bureau report shows record levels of child-support collections — increasing 30 percent in a single decade.
In 2003, $25.4 billion was collected, roughly 69 percent of the $37 billion that was due, the bureau said, citing its most recent data. This compared with $19.5 billion in collections made in 1993, or 65 percent of the $30 billion owed.
The 10-year comparison also showed that although the overall portion of custodial parents who received any child support stayed the same at about 76 percent, the portion of parents who received “full” child-support payments grew from 36.9 percent in 1993 to 45.3 percent in 2003.
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The same scenario was true among low-income parents. Roughly 70 percent of poor custodial parents received some support both in 1993 and 2003. But the portion of poor parents who received full payments rose from 26.4 percent to 35.2 percent.
Such statistics show that child-support enforcement is “doing much better,” said Vicki Turetsky, an analyst at the Center for Law and Social Policy.
“In fact, I often use the term ’dramatic improvement’ since 1996,” she said, crediting the many child-support reforms that were put in motion with the 1996 welfare reform law.
Collections have significantly increased for custodial parents, most of whom are mothers, said Joan Entmacher, who studies family income at the National Women’s Law Center.
In 1999, for example, the average amount of support owed in a year was $4,755 and the average amount received was $2,791, or 59 percent, she said. In 2003, the average award rose to $5,104, but so did the average amount received — $3,499, or 68.5 percent.
“That’s a very significant increase” in the right direction, she said.
Both Ms. Entmacher and Ms. Turetsky lamented Congress’ decision to reduce federal administrative funding for child support in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.
It takes more resources to get payments from poor fathers, said Ms. Entmacher. With the cuts, “we’re worried about whether we’re going to see some backsliding in collections for families who need help the most.”
Many states were starting to experiment with new child-support strategies such as helping low-income fathers find and keep jobs or adding services for low-income families, said Ms. Turetsky. With a funding cut, “I think all those initiatives are the first to go.”
The bureau’s new report said almost 14 million parents had custody of nearly 22 million children. Some 83 percent of custodial parents were mothers.
From 1993 to 2003, the number of working custodial mothers rose from 72 percent to 80 percent. The growth was all in full-time work. In 1993, 41 percent of mothers worked full time and 31 percent worked part time. By 2003, more than 50 percent worked full time and 30 percent worked part time.
Employment status for custodial fathers was stable at 90 percent, with 70 percent working full time.
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