Noncustodial fathers' ability to pay child support

Area of Science:

• Family Economics
• Child Support Enforcement
• Paternity Law

Background:

• Child support payments are a critical financial resource for custodial parents.
• Estimating the capacity of noncustodial parents to pay is essential for policy development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the income of noncustodial fathers.
• To simulate child support payments under various normative standards.
• To compare current child support payments with potential obligations.

Main Methods:

• Income estimation for noncustodial fathers.
• Simulation modeling of child support obligations.
• Analysis of normative standards for parental contributions.

Main Results:

• Estimated child support payments in 1983 were $6.8 billion.
• Potential child support obligations range from $24 billion to $29 billion under different standards.
• Current payments fall significantly short of calculated potential obligations.

Conclusions:

• Noncustodial fathers have a greater capacity to pay child support than currently realized.
• Policy interventions could increase child support collections significantly.
• Revising child support standards could enhance financial support for children.