Child Support

Children deserve support from both of their parents. Child support is a vital source of income that helps many families escape poverty, provide for their children's needs, and avoid a return to welfare.

Last year, the child support enforcement program served more than 17 million children and collected $26 billion in owed child support. Child support enforcement reinforces the responsibility of non-custodial parents to provide financial and medical support for their children. Receipt of child support has been shown to reduce poverty and economic hardship, and even to promote children's achievement in school.

In addition, many low-income parents depend on child support as a key element of their economic security. When poor custodial parents received their full support, the average payment represented nearly two-thirds of their average annual individual income in 2009.

To learn more about the Center's child support work and view additional resources, visit our website.