DCChild Support News Headlines

More Custodial Parents Receive Full Amount of Child Support, Census Bureau Reports

The proportion of custodial parents receiving all the child support payments they were due increased from 34 percent in 1993 to 41 percent in 1997, according to a report released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. Another 27 percent of custodial parents received partial payments in 1997, down from 35 percent in 1993. Overall, two-thirds (67 percent) of custodial parents due child support in 1997 received either full or partial payments, unchanged since 1993. The average amount of child support received by these custodial parents was $3,600, also unchanged since 1993.

"The economic situation of custodial parents showed steady improvement since 1993," said Census Bureau analyst Timothy Grall, author of the report Child Support for Custodial Mothers and Fathers: 1997. "For instance, a greater proportion of custodial parents are working full time now, and the likelihood of living in poverty and participating in public assistance programs has declined."

The proportion of custodial parents with full-time, year-round jobs increased from 46 percent to 51 percent between 1993 and 1997. The poverty rate for custodial parents declined between 1993 and 1997 (from 33 percent to 29 percent) as did the incidence of participating in a public assistance program (from 41 percent to 34 percent).

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	Did You Know?
	Even if child support is not paid, visitation must be allowed. The issues of child visitation and child support are separate issues. Failure to pay child support is typically an insufficient reason to stop the right of the non-custodial parent to visit with his or her child. Visitation is normally ordered by a court in the best interest of the child to promote love and affection with both parents.