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Child Support Collection

States can aid low-income families by improving the actual collection of child support. Since 1998, states have made significant progress in their child support collection rates, due to increased enforcement activity and legislative reforms.1 Nevertheless, states still fail to collect in nearly 40% of child support cases.2 Moreover, the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 reduced federal matching funds to states for child support enforcement beginning in 2008.3 Fortunately, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 temporarily restored federal funding to its earlier levels for 2010,4 but the reduced levels are scheduled to go back into effect in 2011—which could significantly complicate states’ ability to collect the child support that low-income families sorely need.

What is the state’s child support collection rate?

States that collect some amount of child support in 61 percent or more of all cases are making an effort to advance the economic security of families and therefore receive a "meets policy." States that are collecting between 50 percent and 60 percent of all cases receive a "limited policy."  States that are collecting less that 50 percent but more than 40 percent receive a "weak policy." States that collect 40 percent or less receive a "no policy."

State Strength of Policy Change from 2007
Alabama Limited Policy Same
Alaska Meets Policy Same
Arizona Limited Policy Better
Arkansas Meets Policy Same
California Weak Policy Same
Colorado Meets Policy Better
Connecticut Weak Policy Same
Delaware No Policy Worse
District of Columbia No Policy Same
Florida Limited Policy Same
Georgia Limited Policy Better
Hawaii No Policy Same
Idaho Weak Policy Worse
Illinois Limited Policy Better
Indiana Limited Policy Better
Iowa Meets Policy Same
Kansas Meets Policy Better
Kentucky Limited Policy Better
Louisiana Weak Policy Same
Maine Limited Policy Worse
Maryland Meets Policy Better
Massachusetts Limited Policy Better
Michigan Weak Policy Same
Minnesota Meets Policy Same
Mississippi Weak Policy Better
Missouri Limited Policy Better
Montana Meets Policy Same
Nebraska Meets Policy Same
Nevada Weak Policy Same
New Hampshire Meets Policy Same
New Jersey Meets Policy Same
New Mexico Weak Policy Better
New York Limited Policy Same
North Carolina Meets Policy Same
North Dakota Meets Policy Better
Ohio Limited Policy Same
Oklahoma Limited Policy Same
Oregon Limited Policy Better
Pennsylvania Meets Policy Same
Rhode Island No Policy Same
South Carolina Weak Policy Same
South Dakota Meets Policy Better
Tennessee Weak Policy Same
Texas Meets Policy Same
Utah Meets Policy Same
Vermont Meets Policy Same
Virginia Meets Policy Same
Washington Meets Policy Same
West Virginia Limited Policy Same
Wisconsin Meets Policy Same
Wyoming Meets Policy Same

Policy Indicator Counts
Meets Policy: 
22
Limited Policy: 
15
Weak Policy: 
10
No/Harmful Policy: 
4
Better: 
15
Same: 
33
Worse: 
3

Data Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "Administration for Children and Families: Tables P-9 and P-14," available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pubs/2010/reports/preliminary_report..., accessed September 10, 2010.

Footnotes

1 Administration for Children and Families, “Child Support Enforcement FY 1999 Preliminary Data Report,” (Washington D.C.: U.S. Department for Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, 2000), available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pubs/2000/reports/preliminary_datare..., accessed September 24, 2010; Administration for Children and Families, “Child Support Enforcement FY 2008 Preliminary Report, (Washington D.C.: U.S. Department for Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, 2009), available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pubs/2009/reports/preliminary_report..., accessed September 24, 2010.

2 Timothy S. Grall, “Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support, 2007,” (Washington DC; U.S. Census Bureau, Nov. 2009), available at  http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/p60-237.pdf, accessed September 24, 2010.

3 Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Pub. L. 109-171 (2006).

4 Vicki Turetsky, Center for Law and Social Policy, “How Much Restored Child Support Funding Will Each State Receive Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act?” Feb. 13, 2009, available at http://www.clasp.org/admin/site/publications/files/0454.pdf, accessed September 24, 2010.

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