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Child support orders: a perspective on reform
I Garfinkel1, M S Melli, J G Robertson
1School of Social Work, University of Columbia.
The Future of Children
|January 1, 1994
Summary
Child support reform in the US has shifted from judicial discretion to administrative guidelines. This article reviews current child support issues and proposes a Child Support Assurance system for guaranteed minimum benefits.
Area of Science:
- Family Law and Policy
- Socioeconomics
- Public Administration
Background:
- Child support reform in the United States has evolved significantly this century.
- The primary trend involves a transition from judicial discretion towards administrative regularity in child support determination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a historical overview of child support reform in the US.
- To describe and compare prevalent child support guideline models (income shares, percentage of income).
- To discuss contemporary challenges in child support guideline reform and propose a new system.
Main Methods:
- Historical analysis of child support policy.
- Comparative review of existing child support guideline structures.
- Conceptual proposal of a Child Support Assurance system.
Main Results:
- Identified a historical shift towards administrative regularity in child support.
- Detailed the characteristics and differences between income shares and percentage of income guidelines.
- Highlighted current issues and complexities in child support guideline reform.
Conclusions:
- Child support reform necessitates ongoing evaluation and adaptation.
- A Child Support Assurance system is proposed to offer a guaranteed minimum benefit for custodial parents in specific situations.
- Further discourse on child support reform is essential for policy development.